NOAA research ship docks in Hilo: Okeanos Explorer to host events throughout week

Researchers hope to extend their data in regards to the Papahanaumokuakea Marine Nationwide Monument by conducting six expeditions to one of many world’s largest protected areas.

The Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is spending the yr conducting deep ocean mapping of Papahanaumokuakea and the Johnston Atoll, situated within the Pacific Distant Islands Marine Nationwide Monument, to raised perceive the largely unexplored areas.

The NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer is conducting high-resolution multibeam mapping of the seafloor as a part of “Past the Blue: Illuminating the Pacific,” a collaborative science and analysis marketing campaign to raised perceive the deep waters of the area.

In line with NOAA, extra information must be collected from the deep ocean so the very best selections are made to make sure the vitality of the ocean and the hundreds of species supported by each monuments.

Whereas most scientists stay on shore through the use of distant know-how, a crew of 4 presently is crusing on the Okeanos Explorer to gather information from the Johnston Atoll.

The crew on board — Shannon Hoy, Anna Coulson, Mark Durbin and Caitlin Ruby — simply completed conducting 24-hour-a-day exploratory seafloor mapping operations of the atoll’s deep waters for 20 days earlier than touring to Hilo this previous Saturday. The ship will likely be docked in Hilo all week.

Whereas docked, Ocean Exploration is partnering with NOAA Workplace of Nationwide Marine Sanctuaries and Mokupapapa Discovery Middle to host quite a lot of personal and public occasions.

The general public is invited to attend “Pilina Kai Lipo: Connecting to the Deep Ocean,” a two-day occasion designed to interact the area people with the deep ocean, which will likely be held this Tuesday and Wednesday on the discovery middle.

“Pilina Kai Lipo” will spotlight the efforts being made to additional the understanding of the Papahanaumokuakea area, which encompasses 583,000 sq. miles of reefs, atolls and sea.

The occasion is free and can function instructional and interactive actions, alternatives to satisfy the ocean explorers, and movies and highlights of deep-ocean exploration all through each days.

Justin Umholtz, an training affiliate with the Nationwide Marine Sanctuary Basis for Papahanaumokuakea, is predicated on the discovery middle and is worked up to “deliver the place to the folks,” as a result of the UNESCO World Heritage Web site of the Hawaiian archipelago is never visited.

“We’re going to have additional reveals arrange and cubicles that will likely be catered towards educating keiki and adults, residents and guests,” Umholtz stated. “This will likely be a good way for folks to interact with the distinctive and particular nature of Papahanaumokuakea, which holds a lot ecological and cultural significance.”

Native artist Patrick Ching additionally will likely be educating drawing lessons from about 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on each mornings, which will likely be free and open to all, in addition to portray lessons on each afternoons that require preregistration.

All through the week, NOAA Ocean Exploration and companions will host different actions to interact the native Hilo group in regards to the deep ocean — a distant realm that’s intertwined with marine sources and an unlimited cultural significance.

Members of the Keaukaha group in addition to college students and educators from native excessive colleges and center colleges have been invited to tour Okeanos Explorer this week whereas it’s docked in Hilo.

There additionally will likely be a panel dialogue with NOAA ocean explorers for college students on the College of Hawaii at Hilo and Hawaii Neighborhood Faculty.

In line with NOAA, the week in Hilo is supposed to have fun Papahanaumokuakea, uplift the subsequent era of marine stewards, and educate the group about deep sea exploration.

On the finish of the week, the Okeanos Explorer will journey 970 miles away from Hilo to map the ocean ground of the Johnston Atoll on extra time.

Extra details about the free, two-day occasion at Mokupapapa Discovery Middle might be discovered at oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/information/oer-updates/2024/hilo-event.html.

E mail Kelsey Walling at [email protected].