MEDIA RELEASE

A project designed to help county, state and federal officials monitor ocean water quality, forecast flooding, predict hazards and track coastal ecosystems will receive more than $1.7 million in federal funding, Sens. Daniel K. Inouye and Daniel K. Akaka have announced.

The Hawaii Islands Ocean Observing System (HiOOS) received $1.7 million through a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The program received $2.09 million from NOAA last year.

HiOOS is part of the Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System, one of 11 regional observing systems in the U.S. The systems are coordinated by the School of Ocean and Earth Science Technology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

“As an island state located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean we have to monitor our coastal ecosystem and prepare for the challenges presented by the world’s largest body of water. We are stewards of the ocean, and in order to protect and preserve it we must understand it,” Inouye said. “These funds will help our scientists develop detailed methods for monitoring ocean conditions and that data will aid public officials tasked with ensuring the safety of our coastal communities and the vitality of our marine ecosystems.”

“This grant will support development of ocean forecasting systems that help us protect our environment, prepare for disasters, and support industries such as tourism and shipping,” Akaka said.

HiOOS’ goal is to develop an operational ocean monitoring and forecasting system that provides integrated, customized, and timely products that assist agencies charged with responsibility for the safe, clean, resilient, and productive capacity of Hawaii’s coastal ocean and shoreline.

Initial development of HiOOS has focused on four areas:
* Coastal Ocean-State and Forecasting
* Coastal Hazards and Resiliency
* Water Quality Sensing, and
* Marine Ecosystem Monitoring.

Going forward, HiOOS will use the grant money to further develop:
* High water level and coastal inundation forecasting
* Water Quality Indices for Coastal Waikiki
* Predicting conditions approaching and in harbors
* Continue development of the Hawaii fish-tracking array a regional component in a larger global network that monitors animal movements at different scales
* Update, integrate and serve information for marine spatial planning.

For more information on HiOOS, visit www.soest.hawaii.edu/HIOOS