Sen. Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i) announced today that the University of Hawai‘i’s Sea Grant College Program (Hawai‘i Sea Grant) will receive over $1 million in federal funding to support ongoing coastal and marine research, extension and outreach projects in Hawai‘i.
Administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Sea Grant College Program operates through partnerships between NOAA and university-based systems in 33 coastal states throughout the U.S.
“As an island state, Hawai‘i’s livelihood is reliant on the health and resilience of our coastal and marine ecosystems,” said Sen. Hirono. “Research and conservation efforts conducted by Hawai‘i Sea Grant play a critical role in addressing ongoing and future coastal and marine resource issues facing our state. I remain committed to protecting core research and extension programs, like Sea Grant, from the harmful budget cuts proposed by the Trump Administration.”
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD
Earlier this year, in response to the Trump Administration’s effort to eliminate the Sea Grant program (see “RELATED ARTICLES” below), Sen. Hirono led a bipartisan letter pushing back and explaining how deep cuts to NOAA would disproportionately hurt Hawai‘i and other coastal states.
Sen. Hirono also told her Senate colleagues about the benefits of Sea Grant. Her successful advocacy helped to ensure the Trump cuts were rejected and that funding for Sea Grant was included in the recently enacted federal budget law that provides funding through Sept. 30, 2017. Eliminating the Sea Grant program would impact the University of Hawai‘i and the other 32 coastal universities.
In 2015, Hawai‘i Sea Grant activities resulted in the restoration of 426 acres of coastal habitat, the use of ecosystem-based approaches by 130 resources managers, 37 communities implementing sustainable development practices and policies, and 70 trainings to improve coastal community resilience. Hawai‘i Sea Grant created or sustained 46 jobs, leveraged $4 million, educated over 140,000 K-12 students, and supported over 70 undergraduate and graduate students combined.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD
“Federal funding is critical to Sea Grant’s federal-state partnership in connecting the university enterprise to community needs,” said Dr. Darren Lerner, director of the University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program. “Without the historic and continuing support of Senator Hirono and the Hawai‘i delegation, our ability to magnify our federal funding 2-4 times its original value, to provide research, education and outreach in service to the people of Hawaii and the Pacific, would be lost.”
Part of a continuing grant funding award, the program received an additional $1 million in January.
This comments section is a public community forum for the purpose of free expression. Although Big Island Now encourages respectful communication only, some content may be considered offensive. Please view at your own discretion. View Comments
