| NSF Org: |
OCE Division Of Ocean Sciences |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | June 26, 2018 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | August 22, 2024 |
| Award Number: | 1822903 |
| Award Instrument: | Cooperative Agreement |
| Program Manager: |
Rose Dufour
rdufour@nsf.gov (703)292-8811 OCE Division Of Ocean Sciences GEO Directorate for Geosciences |
| Start Date: | July 1, 2018 |
| End Date: | December 31, 2024 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $23,728,220.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $59,384,372.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 2019 = $6,644,061.00 FY 2020 = $8,735,398.00 FY 2021 = $9,690,683.00 FY 2022 = $6,126,950.00 FY 2023 = $14,696,334.00 FY 2024 = $9,607,728.00 |
| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
2425 CAMPUS RD SINCLAIR RM 1 HONOLULU HI US 96822-2247 (808)956-7800 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
965 North Nimitz Highway Honolulu HI US 96817-4572 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): |
SHIP OPERATIONS, Marine Geology and Geophysics, Chemical Oceanography, SUBMERSIBLE SUPPORT |
| Primary Program Source: |
01AB2324DB R&RA DRSA DEFC AAB 01002223DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT 010V2122DB R&RA ARP Act DEFC V 01002122DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT 01001920DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT 01002425DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT 01002223DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT 01002021DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT 01001819DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT |
| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.050 |
ABSTRACT
University of Hawaii seeks funds to continue operating R/V Kilo Moana, a research vessel owned by the US Navy and operated by University of Hawaii as part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) Academic Research Fleet. This general purpose Ocean Class SWATH (Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull) research vessel's home port is Honolulu, Hawaii, making it the only ARF vessel based in the central North Pacific Ocean. This location provides proximity to research sites in the central and western Pacific, with transit costs more than a week less than ships based on the US West coast.
A particular focus of research using R/V Kilo Moana is the Hawaii Ocean Time-series (HOT) site at Station ALOHA, an important site for study of biogeochemistry, oceanography, climate and plankton ecology and microbiology processes in the oligotrophic subtropical North Pacific Ocean (http://hahana.soest.hawaii.edu/hot/). The 30-year HOT program stands as a landmark achievement in US ocean research, and Station ALOHA has been recognized as a "Milestones in Microbiology Site" by the American Society for Microbiology. Research at Ocean Station ALOHA was a key element in the award of support by NSF for the Center for Microbial Ocean Research and Education (C-MORE) as a Science and Technology Center of Excellence at UH, and in the selection of HOT co-founder David Karl as a Fellow of the National Academy of Science. Research at HOT has advanced our understanding of ocean nitrogen, carbon and phosphorus cycles, and the extraordinary time-series of ocean pH from Station ALOHA (Dore, et al, 2009 - http://www.pnas.org/content/106/30/12235.full) documents both the seasonal variability and the decadal increase in upper ocean acidification here, correlated closely to the well-known changes in CO2 in the atmosphere on nearby Mauna Kea.
R/V Kilo Moana provides access to the sea to any US researcher funded by NSF or another US Federal agency. The stable SWATH design provides access to researchers who would otherwise be unable to sail due to seasickness, as vessel motion is much less than on a standard "mono-hull" vessel. The ship carries state-of-the-art systems for seafloor mapping, and UH is completing trials of Lu'ukai, UH's new 6000-meter ROV that will support deep submergence science from Kilo Moana at Station ALOHA, in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument (Northwest Hawaiian Islands), and throughout the Pacific. Kilo Moana supports NSF Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) site and many other educational opportunities for students, funded both by Federal agencies and SOEST
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Project Summary
This report summarizes outcomes from NSF-funded operations of the R/V Kilo Moana, a vital platform in the U.S. Academic Research Fleet. Support from NSF enabled critical research expeditions, supporting peer reviewed NSF-funded scientific projects and providing educational opportunities for the next generation of ocean technicians, engineers, and marine scientists.
The R/V Kilo Moana served as an essential platform for over a hundred research missions and provided operational support to a broad range of scientific disciplines to include but not limited to physical and chemical oceanography, deep-sea ecology, seafloor mapping, and deployment of specialized deep-sea technology and monitoring equipment. Highlighted support includes maintaining crucial long-term observations at Station ALOHA thereby contributing to our understanding of ocean biogeochemistry; enabling sampling and analysis of hydrothermal vent fluids resulting in advancing understanding of deep-sea geochemical processes; supported expeditions studying deep-sea coral ecosystems and marine biodiversity using remote operated vehicles, and facilitated mapping and sampling operations to characterize seafloor mineral deposits and supporting integrated ocean and coastal mapping efforts in the US Exclusive Economic Zone.
Educational Impact and Broader Outcomes
Ship operations facilitated research participation for hundreds of scientists, students, and technical staff while delivering significant impacts to training and education, scientific advancement, data contributions, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and infrastructure support.
Highlights include but not limited to: provided hands-on experience for undergraduate and graduate students in shipboard research techniques and at-sea operations; provided educational outreach programs connecting research at sea with students in classrooms and public audiences; enhanced understanding of Pacific Ocean systems thereby contributing to improved meteorological, oceanographic, and ecosystem models; research findings informed fundamental oceanographic knowledge with implications for meteorological forecasting and marine resource management; generated oceanographic observations that fed into national and international databases thereby supporting broader research initiatives and long-term monitoring efforts.
Additional broader outcomes include fostering partnerships among researchers from diverse fields, promoting integrated approaches to complex ocean science questions; maintained operational readiness of a critical component of the U.S. Academic Research Fleet and outfitted with a 6,000 meter remote operated vehicle which ensured continued access to open-ocean and deep-sea research capabilities for the scientific and engineering communities.
NSF support for R/V Kilo Moana operations has been instrumental in advancing ocean science while providing essential training for future generations. The marine center and vessel facilities located in the Central Pacific continues to serve as a safe port for the US research academic fleet and a crucial at-sea platform enabling discoveries that inform both basic research and applications in earth system sciences, ecosystem management, and technology development.
Last Modified: 05/21/2025
Modified by: Anita L Lopez
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