NOAA awards over $3.8M to Hawaii ocean projects

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has awarded over $3.8 million in federal funding to projects that support ongoing coastal and marine research and educational outreach in Hawaii, according to U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono.

NOAA awarded funding to the University of Hawaii Sea Grant Program and the National Coastal Zone Management Program, which provides funding to the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

“As an island state, Hawaii’s livelihood is reliant on the health and resilience of our coastal and marine ecosystems,” said Hirono in a news release. “As we continue to face the serious threat of climate change, we need to rely on new, innovative research and technologies to mitigate the harmful effects a warming planet has on our environment and our communities while also providing education on the importance of responsibly managing our coastal resources.”

Funding of $1.4 million for the Sea Grant Program will be used to address ecological needs ranging from upland watersheds to the waters and reefs offshore. The program also works on innovative social research to help Hawaii more sustainably support tourism, a major economic engine in the state.

The remaining $2.5 million will go to DBEDT through the Coastal Zone Management Act, which supports jobs and provides continued assistance to the state’s federally approved coastal management program to address coastal hazards, climate change, and natural resource management.