The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa has received nearly $1 million in new federal funding—including a National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award—for research led by Assistant Professor Tianlu Wang to develop tiny, flexible robots designed to work in hard-to-reach environments, from coral reefs to the human body.

The funding includes a five-year, $659,613 CAREER award and a two-year, $299,997 Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Research Fellows grant, both from NSF.

“By focusing on both performance and safety, we鈥檙e working to make miniature robots practical for real-world use in places that are difficult to reach,” said Wang from 东精影业 Mānoa鈥檚 . “This research brings us closer to technologies that can better support healthcare and protect sensitive environments.”

The CAREER project focuses on improving how small “soft” robots move and function in fluids such as the ocean or inside the body. These robots, about the size of a few millimeters to centimeters, can adapt to their surroundings. However, they currently lack the speed, agility and manipulation capabilities as seen in small marine organisms. The research aims to change that by developing new ways for the robots to interact with fluids, helping them move faster, turn more easily and handle objects. Potential uses include exploring coral reefs and mangroves, monitoring aquaculture systems and reaching difficult areas of the body for medical diagnosis or treatment. The project also supports student learning through new courses, research opportunities and public outreach.

The CAREER program is the NSF鈥檚 flagship award for early-career faculty in the U.S., supporting those who show strong potential to lead in both research and education. CAREER awardees are also eligible for nomination to the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, a White House honor recognizing innovative research and leadership.

Safety and environmentally friendly design

The EPSCoR fellowship focuses on safety and environmentally friendly design. In collaboration with the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, the project will develop miniature soft robots made from materials that are safer for natural environments and medical use. It will also establish methods for designing and testing these robots to ensure they can operate effectively without causing harm. The work is expected to expand research opportunities at 东精影业, while training students in robotics, materials science and biomedical engineering.

Wang also serves as an adjunct assistant professor at The Queen鈥檚 Medical Center and a cooperating faculty in 东精影业 Mānoa鈥檚 .

Related 东精影业 News stories:

• Heart tech, mini medical robot breakthrough: 东精影业 researcher earns $230K award, April 8, 2026
• Bio-inspired breakthroughs: Engineering solutions from nature, August 26, 2025
• Team of microscopic soft robots could transform medical care, November 10, 2024
• Robot tech to clean oceans wows international summit, February 6, 2024

, an assistant professor in the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa , has received the Career Development Award from the to advance medical research and technology for vascular and heart health. The three-year, $230,727 award supports promising early-career investigators working on innovative solutions in cardiovascular and related biomedical research.

“I am very honored to receive this award,” Wang said. “This support allows us to explore bold ideas that could change how we approach medical treatment inside the human body, while building a strong network of collaborators who bring different expertise to the table. It鈥檚 a great opportunity to train the next generation of engineers and create technologies that could one day make procedures safer and less invasive.”

Wang鈥檚 project focuses on developing miniature soft robotics combined with artificial intelligence to create new medical devices that can navigate hard-to-reach areas of the body and enhance the function of cardiovascular and neurovascular systems. The work builds on Wang鈥檚 previous research on soft robotics inspired by diverse marine life. By studying how small aquatic animals move efficiently through complex environments, his team designs flexible robots that can safely operate in delicate spaces, such as inside the human body.

Related 东精影业 News stories:

• Bio-inspired breakthroughs: Engineering solutions from nature, August 26, 2025
• Team of microscopic soft robots could transform medical care, November 10, 2024
• Robot tech to clean oceans wows international summit, February 6, 2024

The award also supports collaboration and mentorship with scientists from 东精影业 Mānoa鈥檚 , The Queen鈥檚 Medical Center, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. These partnerships aim to strengthen research and expand real-world applications of miniature soft robotics in healthcare.

Wang also serves as an adjunct assistant professor at The Queen鈥檚 Medical Center and a cooperating faculty in 东精影业 Mānoa鈥檚 .

The project highlights 东精影业 Mānoa鈥檚 growing role in robotics and biomedical engineering, with a focus on developing technologies that can improve patient care and address complex health challenges such as sudden cardiac arrest.

Through an innovative new ocean engineering course at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, graduate students created a low–cost water sampler that is aiding researchers in their efforts to monitor the impacts of the destructive 2023 wildfires in Lahaina, Maui.

The course, launched in spring 2025 with funding from the 东精影业 Mānoa Strategic Investment Initiative and 东精影业 Mānoa (SOEST) Dean鈥檚 Office, was driven by a dual purpose: to address community concerns that require technical or engineering solutions and to satisfy student鈥檚 significant drive to get hands–on experience solving real–world problems.

Lead instructor Camille Pagniello and the five students in the inaugural cohort teamed up with Andrea Kealoha, Nick Hawco, Eileen Nalley and Craig Nelson, all faculty members in the SOEST Department of Oceanography or Hawaiʻi Sea Grant, who have an ongoing project monitoring water chemistry, reef health and fish populations in waters off Lahaina. The sponsoring scientists challenged the students with a mission: design a low–cost water sampler for coastal monitoring that can be deployed in the ocean and autonomously collect seawater.

Working together, and mentored by Pagniello, the students successfully designed and built a water sampler that satisfied all the requirements and cost approximately $800 for the base model. Their cost–effective solution allows scientists to measure key carbon chemistry parameters such as pH, and offers the flexibility to substitute various components to expand its use for measuring trace metals and organic material.

“This effort was a win–win,” said Pagniello, who is also an assistant professor in SOEST鈥檚 . “Students got real, end–to–end design–and–build experience in marine instrumentation while also delivering a new tool to the scientific community that helps democratize ocean science.”

Expanding students鈥� passion, potential

This course is training a new generation of engineers who are community–minded and capable of addressing complex scientific problems with practical and affordable solutions.

“This class was one of the most meaningful experiences I鈥檝e had at 东精影业,” said Maliheh Gholizadehsarvandi, ocean and resources engineering graduate student. “It showed me that I could take on a real–world challenge from start to finish, even though I felt overwhelmed at first. With Camille鈥檚 support, I gained confidence in handling complex problems and learned to enjoy the process. Seeing our project become something real that could benefit the community was very rewarding, and the teamwork and final presentation were definite highlights.”

Pagniello will be teaching the course again in spring 2026 and is interested to hear from the industry partners, non-profit organizations, and community members about problems that could benefit from a technical solution. To share your interest in partnering with the spring 2026 students, fill out this .

—By Marcie Grabowski

The University of Hawaiʻi (东精影业) has reached a milestone in the U.S. Department of Defense funded project that aims to create a living breakwater system to protect coastlines from erosion and create ecosystems where resilient corals and other ocean life can grow and thrive.

The project, spearheaded by the at 东精影业 (ARL at 东精影业) in partnership with 东精影业 惭ā苍辞补鈥檚 (SOEST), has completed the first concrete reef structure, and full production is now underway for 60 units. Pending permit approval, the project is on track for its first deployment of a 50-meter array of structures near the Ulupaʻu crater, off the Kailua Bay side of Marine Corps Base Hawaiʻi in late 2024, early 2025.

The Rapid Resilient Reefs for Coastal Defense (R3D) is a $27 million, five-year project funded by the (DARPA) and is in partnership with University of California San Diego/Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Florida Atlantic University, Ohio State University and industry partner Makai Ocean Engineering located in Hawaiʻi.

“This project aims to redesign how we do coastal protection,” said Ben Jones, R3D principal investigator and ARL at 东精影业 Director of Ocean Science and Technology. “We’re looking at how to engineer a living breakwater system to protect coastlines and that will incorporate living coral. So we鈥檝e engineered a coral reef that is inspired by natural fringing reefs.”

Concrete reef prototypes

The two concrete reef prototypes, cast at Campbell Industrial Park, feature large holes to dissipate wave energy and are specifically designed to promote coral growth:

• The Reef Crest structure (20 ft long x 8 ft wide x 7.7 ft high, 11.7 U.S. tons) will bear the brunt of the larger waves and will be anchored to the seabed to prevent it from moving during larger-wave events.
• The Back Reef Structures (13.6 ft diameter x 5.2 ft tall x 4.4 US tons) will rest in calmer environments.

The structures will sit just below the water鈥檚 surface and leverage the natural shape of the seafloor to preserve the areas鈥� natural aesthetics.

“This is a really great project, a truly interdisciplinary project,” said Zhenhua Huang, SOEST Ocean and Resources Engineering professor. “I am a coastal engineer and through this project I am working with marine biologists, which is a totally different field. So, we work together to achieve this common goal, which is to come up with a solution that is nature based.”

Adaptive biology, nature-based solutions

One (HIMB) team has been breeding more resilient corals that are better at adjusting to warming oceans caused by climate change.

“The adaptive biology part of it is focused on how we get corals onto the structure that are going to survive marine heat waves and future climate change,” said Robert Toonen, HIMB research professor. “This project builds on over a decade of research at HIMB.”

A second HIMB team worked on the design and fabrication of coral settlement modules, complex habitat shapes, that will be placed on the concrete reef base structures. These structures will naturally recruit coral larvae. Additionally, thermally tolerant corals will be attached to some of the modules, which are designed to mimic natural coral reefs.

“We put out these structures with special crevices, cracks and crannies that we’ve noticed through multiple generations of design that coral babies love,” said Joshua Madin, HIMB research professor. “We kind of reverse engineered the reef to find out what they love about the reef and then we reproduced those using 3D printing and concrete casting methods and tested them.”

Project鈥檚 next phase

After the team deploys the structures off of Marine Corps Base Hawaiʻi, the site will be monitored. Researchers say they will be able to measure the reduction in wave energy immediately, but it will take a few years to measure the success of the growth of the resilient corals and ecosystem.

“One of the most valuable aspects of this project is that we are taking all of the lessons that we are learning and developing a robust template for how to implement this work elsewhere,” said Joshua Levy, the project鈥檚 technical program manager. “This includes customizing surveying techniques and technology designs that best mimic the area鈥檚 physical environment and natural genetic diversity.”

The R3D team is also exploring potential applications at other vulnerable coastlines on Oʻahu such as Puʻuloa Range Training Facility in ʻEwa, and the Kaʻaʻawa coast.

Research that matters

R3D is one of many research projects at 东精影业, which set a record in extramural funding awarded, with $615.7 million in fiscal year 2024. Extramural funding is investments from external agencies such as the federal government that support research conducted by university faculty and staff.

“This groundbreaking project is a prime example of how our world-class research is making a real impact in our communities,” said 东精影业 Vice President for Research and Innovation Vassilis L. Syrmos. “Addressing coastal erosion and creating more resilient coral reefs is research that matters to all of us here in Hawaʻi and to many around the world.”

Five University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 faculty members earned Fulbright U.S. Scholar fellowships for the 2024–25 academic year. scholars are expected to engage in cutting-edge research and expand their professional networks, often continuing research collaborations started abroad and laying the groundwork for future partnerships between institutions.

“These Fulbright fellowships awarded to our 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 faculty members are a testament to their exceptional scholarship and dedication to global collaboration,” 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 Provost Michael Bruno said. “Their groundbreaking research will not only advance their fields but also strengthen international academic partnerships.”

Fulbright U.S. Scholars from 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 in 2024–25

• Jan Brunson, an associate professor of in the , will study cesarean sections in Nepal. Collaborating with Suman Raj Tamrakar, head of obstetrics and gynecology at Dhulikhel Hospital, Brunson aims to understand the social, economic and systemic factors influencing c-sections. Her research focuses on balancing the life-saving potential and risks of c-sections by examining the experiences of women and healthcare practitioners. Brunson hopes to enhance reproductive knowledge and agency among women, ultimately improving maternal health outcomes.
• Peter Fuleky, a professor of economics and research economist with the in the College of Social Sciences, will head to Budapest, Hungary to develop forecasting infrastructure for large-scale econometric models in the R statistical computing environment. In a user guide, he will describe best practices for time series data manipulation. He also plans to quantify the economic impacts of extreme weather events and use simulations to predict the impacts of climate change on economic conditions in the future. Fuleky hopes that his research will inform decision makers about the cost of taking no action, a baseline against which planned interventions can be evaluated.
• Bruce Howe, a professor in the in the , will head to Portugal to advance the SMART seafloor cable system linking Portugal with the Madeira and Azores archipelagoes. SMART systems integrate sensors into telecommunications cables to monitor climate change, earthquakes and tsunamis. In addition to the Portuguese Atlantic CAM, he will work on the New-Caledonia-Vanuatu Tamtam SMART cable system, and collaborate with UN agencies and global partners to develop similar systems. His efforts aim to enhance disaster risk reduction and support sustainable coastal infrastructure, ultimately saving lives.
• Monica Smith, an associate professor in the , will work as a visiting scholar at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, supporting faculty in primary and secondary education. Smith will collaborate with Chilean scholar Malba Barahona Dur谩n on a study examining pedagogies and lesson feedback in multilingual classrooms. She will also co-teach courses on teaching English to primary students and guiding doctoral research. This opportunity will enhance her understanding of promoting multilingualism and allow her to build a professional network between Hawaiʻi and Chile.
• Joseph Tanke, a professor of in the , will travel to Budapest, Hungary to work on his fellowship “The American Scholar in the Age of AI,” which studies artificial intelligence from the vantage point of critical social philosophy and involves teaching American philosophy and art at Károli Gáspár University. Inspired by Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay “The American Scholar,” the project aims to explore how technologies like ChatGPT impact human thought and action, emphasizing the significance of philosophical inquiry for understanding AI‘s role in today’s world.

Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists and professionals with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research abroad. Notable Fulbrighters include 62 Nobel Laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize winners, 80 MacArthur Fellows, 41 heads of state or government, and thousands of leaders across the private, public and non-profit sectors. Fulbright is a program of the U.S. Department of State, with funding provided by the U.S. Government.

The Fulbright Scholar Program is supported at 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 through Fulbright program advisors William Chapman, interim dean of the ; Kristen Connors, fellowships, scholarships and professional development coordinator; and Betsy Gilliland, Department of Second Language Studies associate professor. For more information about the Fulbright Program at 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补, visit the .

A research professor in the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa , has been selected as a 2024–2025 Fulbright U.S. Scholar by the U.S. Department of State and the .

Bruce Howe will be stationed in Portugal to continue his efforts to advance the installation of a Science Monitoring And Reliable Telecommunications (SMART) seafloor cable system between Portugal and the Madeira and Azores archipelagoes from March to June 2025.

“It is a great honor and provides recognition of hard work over the years developing SMART Cables,” said Howe. “The Fulbright will give me the opportunity to sit back, look at the big picture, and develop strategic directions.”

This opportunity will enable Howe to address in-depth issues related to the Portuguese Atlantic CAM SMART Cable system, the French funded New-Caledonia-Vanuatu Tamtam SMART cable system, and to work with sponsoring United Nations agencies in Europe. He will also be working with other countries and organizations to advance prospective systems around Europe and globally.

SMART cable systems integrate environmental sensors, such as temperature, pressure and seismic motion to monitor climate change including ocean heat content, circulation and sea-level rise, provide early warning for earthquakes and tsunamis, and to monitor seismic activity for earth structure and related hazards.

“All of this relates to disaster risk reduction and the informed sustainable development of coastal and offshore infrastructure, including the cables themselves and their mission of global connectivity,” said Howe. “The goal is to save lives.”

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–By Marcie Grabowski

An agreement between the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and National Taiwan Ocean University (NTOU) was officially signed by both schools in November. The partnership encourages faculty and staff collaboration, student exchange programs and the exchange of academic materials and publications.

The partnership has also agreed to establish a 3+2 program, under which students with bachelor’s degrees awarded by NTOU will have the opportunity for an early start in pursuing a master’s degree to be awarded by 东精影业 Mānoa.

Specific undergraduate programs at NTOU will be eligible to apply for an eligible master’s degree program at 东精影业 惭ā苍辞补鈥檚 (SOEST) through the 3+2 program.

Eligible NTOU undergraduate programs include: marine environmental informatics, aquaculture, environmental biology and fisheries science, and harbor and river engineering.

Eligible 东精影业 Mānoa master’s degree programs include: atmospheric sciences, Earth and planetary sciences, marine biology, and ocean and resource engineering.

This collaborative effort aims to promote internationalized education, cultural exchange and collaboration in areas of common interest and benefit to both institutions. It was established to enhance the research and educational landscapes of both institutions, fostering mutual understanding and collaboration for years to come.

To advance a global network of Science Monitoring And Reliable Telecommunications (SMART) seafloor cables and develop early warning systems for tsunamis and earthquakes, a University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researcher received a grant of more than $300,000 from (SMTP).

The funding will bolster the international project office based at 东精影业 Mānoa and support the development of seismic sensors suitable for operation in SMART cables. Installation of the first SMART systems is planned for 2025.

“By supporting the SMART International Project Office, these funds will help drive SMART cables toward becoming world standard, leading to a global network integrating environmental sensors, such as temperature, pressure and seismic acceleration, into submarine telecommunications cables,” said Bruce Howe, lead investigator of the new grant and professor of in 东精影业 惭ā苍辞补鈥檚 . “Researchers and communities hope to cost-effectively transform the current telecom network into a combined telecom and planetary-scale ocean, climate and geophysical sensor array capable of informing early warning systems.”

The support from SMTP includes a subaward to , a new startup dedicated to developing SMART systems, to continue their rapid progress toward a commercialized SMART repeater sensor solution. Having such a solution readily available will allow suppliers and system integrators to provide the capability in upcoming new systems.

“We’re truly excited to see this effort gaining momentum and are confident it offers the potential to significantly improve and expand our understanding of the oceans,” said Mark Schrope, director of SMTP.

Reducing risk

SMART Subsea Cables will allow climate change monitoring including ocean circulation and sea level; tsunami and earthquake early warning for disaster risk reduction; seismic monitoring for earth structure and related hazards; quantifying risk to inform sustainable development of coastal and offshore infrastructure, warning of external hazards to cables, and improve routing of cable systems. The 1.4 million kilometers of cable making up the present global network connecting the world is constantly being refreshed and expanded with new cables.

A was established by the International Telecommunication Union, World Meteorological Organization and UNESCO-Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. by the United Nations Ocean Decade for Sustainable Development, the task force is composed of nearly 200 experts from the science, engineering, business and law communities who are investigating and advancing the use of submarine telecommunications cables for ocean and climate monitoring and disaster warning.

Bridging the gap

The 东精影业 Mānoa-based International Project Office is the executive office for the Joint Task Force, facilitating individual cable projects globally to build the envisioned global network, capitalizing on the enormous leveraging potential of the industry.

“Ideally the incorporation of SMART capability would become a routine function for the submarine cable industry; in the shorter-term, governments and banks must encourage the process as primary sponsors,” said Howe, who is also the chairperson of the Joint Task Force. “Having Schmidt Marine鈥檚 support will help significantly to bridge the gap between concept and implementation and will set a positive precedent for future investment.”

–By Marcie Grabowski

Engineering programs at the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 have been accredited by the (ABET), confirming that they meet standards essential to prepare graduates to enter STEM fields in the global workforce.

The following programs are accredited:

• , (CTAHR)
• ,
• , College of Engineering
• , College of Engineering
• , College of Engineering
• , (SOEST)

In addition, , which was launched in fall 2019 by the College of Engineering, retroactively earned accreditation from October 2019.

“We are extremely excited about our accreditation renewals as well as our newest accredited degree program in construction engineering,” College of Engineering Dean Brennon Morioka said. “This is a clear indication of the confidence ABET has in the hard work by our faculty and staff in providing the kind of educational experience and development of professional skills our students will need to be productive and highly skilled engineers and leaders upon graduation.”

SOEST Interim Dean Chip Fletcher added, “These programs have been accredited because they are readily accessible to Hawaiʻi鈥檚 high school graduates, provide excellent education opportunities, and are globally recognized for cutting-edge research on issues that matter to the people of Hawaiʻi.”

“The rigorous ABET accreditation process ensures the quality of our biological engineering degree program, which is a critical component of CTAHR鈥檚 transdisciplinary approach to deliver sustainable food systems and ecosystem health solutions to the people of Hawaiʻi,” CTAHR Interim Dean Ania Wieczorek said. “I thank the biological engineering students, faculty, alumni, industry partners, and the 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 ABET team for their work to achieve this result.”

For the accreditation process, 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 faculty and staff completed an extensive self-study and hosted a site visit with an ABET accreditation team in November 2021.

According to ABET, “graduates from an ABET-accredited program have a solid educational foundation and are capable of leading the way in innovation, emerging technologies, and in anticipating the welfare and safety needs of the public.” To date, ABET has accredited 4,361 programs at 850 colleges and universities in 41 countries.

For more about ABET and its accreditation criteria, visit .

The University of Hawaiʻi will be awarded up to $25 million by the (DARPA) to develop an engineered coral reef ecosystem to help protect coastlines from flooding, erosion and storm damage. The goal of the five-year project, inspired by natural reefs, is to create an engineered structure that dissipates wave energy while providing habitat for corals and other reef life.

The ground-breaking project is a joint effort between 东精影业 惭ā苍辞补鈥檚 (SOEST) and the 东精影业 (ARL).

“The Rapid Resilient Reefs for Coastal Defense (R3D) project will be the first of its kind by taking an integrated, ecosystem-level approach to design and build a living coastal-protection system,” said Ben Jones, R3D principal investigator and Director of Ocean Science and Technology at ARL. “This is an immense challenge. We have assembled a team of experts right here in Hawaiʻi who, in partnership with Florida Atlantic University and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, will devise real solutions that will help our community and other communities around the tropical Pacific that are already facing the effects of climate change.”

Sea-level rise and wave-induced flooding during increasingly frequent storm events threaten the sustainability of coastlines and more than 1,700 U.S. Department of Defense-managed military installations in coastal areas worldwide. Natural coral reefs provide substantial protection to shorelines—absorbing and dissipating the intense energy from storms and waves. As sea level rises and coral reef degrades, existing storm mitigation solutions may prove insufficient and damage due to storm surge and flooding will continue to impact communities and infrastructure.

“This award will enable our world-class experts to develop advanced technology that will have a significant impact here in Hawaiʻi, and around the world,” said 东精影业 Mānoa Provost Michael Bruno. “We are proud to have 东精影业 research at the cutting edge of creating a solution to a global problem.“

Partnering engineering, ecology and biology

The new project integrates coastal engineering and hydrodynamics with expertise on coral reef ecology and adaptive biology to enable the team to rapidly develop a living, breakwater system that can adapt to both rising seas and increasing ocean temperatures.

“The typical fringing reef consists of a fore reef along the slope, a reef crest that absorbs much of the wave energy and a protected back reef that harbors more delicate species,” said Zhenhua Huang, SOEST professor of Ocean and Resources Engineering and lead investigator for base structure engineering. “We intend to achieve similar wave attenuation using perforated, thin-walled base structures which are low-cost, efficient energy dissipators. It鈥檚 our hope that this project can provide a win-win solution for addressing preservation of nearshore marine natural resources and shore protection.”

Healing corals over time

Establishing coral and other reef supporting organisms on the reef structures is critical to ensuring the structures have the capability to grow and heal over time. Fragments from known thermally tolerant colonies will be attached to succession modules, reef-mimicking structures that will be attached to the wave-attenuating base structures. Larvae from known thermally tolerant coral species will also be encouraged to make their home on these structures.

• See more on 东精影业 coral reef research.

“Designing succession modules that attract coral larvae, and then protect them from being eaten or overgrown by algae, is essential for kick-starting a living reef,” said Josh Madin, associate research professor in the (HIMB) in SOEST and lead investigator for ecosystem engineering. “Larvae are really bad swimmers, and so they need to be captured by cracks and crannies in the structure. We will use 3D design and biofilm chemistry to attract larvae and encourage settlement, while discouraging algae growth. On top of this, we will use sounds that mimic a healthy reef to attract organisms that help coral growth.”

Additionally, the team will explore cost-effective ways to supplement feeding for bleached corals and even actively shade or cool the reef in the early stages of the reef development and during marine heat waves.

“Coral reefs across the planet are declining from the combined assaults of human impacts,” said Rob Toonen, HIMB professor and lead investigator for adaptive biology. “This project builds on over a decade of research at HIMB into practical solutions for farming thermally tolerant corals capable of withstanding those assaults and rebuilding the reef structure that protects our coastal roads, runways, and neighborhoods.”

The project is already garnering local support as an alternative to artificial coastal protection systems.

Rocky Kaluhiwa, president of the Koʻolaupoko Hawaiian Civic Club, said, “The Koʻolaupoko Hawaiian Civic Club strongly supports an approach like this, because it respects our traditional ways to manage our ʻaina and kai, finding a balance between the seas and the land.”

The team will be collaborating with scientists and engineers at Makai Ocean Engineering on Oʻahu, Florida Atlantic University, Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego and Ohio State University. Additional partnerships will also facilitate various aspects of this project. To scale up this revolutionary effort, Makai Ocean Engineering, a Hawaiʻi-based company, will handle major construction, anchoring and installation; and an Australian firm, Reef Design Labs, will create flexible, reusable forms to build hundreds of the succession modules.

–By Marcie Grabowski

Three University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 faculty members have received prestigious Fulbright U.S. Scholar fellowships for 2022–23. The is the world鈥檚 largest and most diverse international educational exchange program.

The Fulbright U.S. Scholars from 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 in 2022–23:

• Bruce Howe, research professor in the , will head to Portugal to expand submarine cable systems, which span the ocean, connecting billions of people by enabling the internet. Howe will work with leading scientists and engineers, the United Nations, government organizations and other stakeholders. Portugal will be installing the first SMART (Science Monitoring And Reliable Telecommunications) cable system with environmental sensors in 2024. The system will address societal needs for better estimates and predictions of climate and sea level change, ocean circulation, and tsunami and earthquake risks.
• Rajesh Jha, professor in the , will serve as a visiting professor at the University of Applied Sciences, Bingen, Germany. Jha is planning to develop and validate markers to be used in monogastric (pig and poultry) animal nutrition and gut health related research. Jha will use this opportunity to develop a long-term collaborative research program with the host university and other potential researchers. For more, visit the .
• Michel Mohr, professor in the , will teach and conduct research in the Department of Philosophy at National Taiwan University as part of a project to reexamine non-western approaches to universality. His research project, “Revisiting the Root of Universalism in Chinese Buddhism: The Tath膩gatagarbha Philosophy, Its Bloom During the Six Dynasties, and Its Relevance for the Twenty-first Century,” will examine the inception and impact of this idea in China since the Eastern Jin (317–420 CE) and explore its relevance for the present day.

东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 was honored as one of 18 U.S. doctoral institutions that produced the most Fulbright U.S. Scholars in 2021–22. The honor also earned recognition from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 participants from more than 160 countries the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

The Fulbright Scholar Program is supported at 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 through Fulbright program advisors R. Anderson Sutton, assistant vice provost for global engagement; William Chapman, interim dean of the ; Kristen Connors, fellowships, scholarships and professional development coordinator; and Betsy Gilliland, Department of Second Language Studies associate professor. For more information about the Fulbright Program at 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补, .

These research projects are examples of 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 goals of (PDF) and (PDF), two of four goals identified in the (PDF), updated in December 2020.

An effort to advance a global network of SMART seafloor cables and develop early warning systems for tsunamis and earthquakes around Vanuatu and New Caledonia is being led by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. The international team received support of more than $7 million from the .

“Through this project, we are developing a new ocean and Earth observing capability—sensors integrated in subsea telecommunications cables—and developing simulations and scientific protocols to provide earthquake and tsunami early warnings,” said Bruce Howe, lead investigator of the new grant and professor of in the (SOEST).

The initiative is gaining momentum around the world. This effort aims to integrate ocean temperature, pressure and seismic sensors into commercial submarine telecommunications systems that crisscross the ocean floor. As new systems are installed, researchers and communities hope to cost-effectively transform the current telecom network into a combined telecom and planetary-scale ocean, climate and geophysical sensor array capable of informing early warning systems.

“This brilliant project will transform the practical cables that link communications and commerce into a world-wide scientific instrument of profound importance to every person on Earth. We are delighted to help the University of Hawaiʻi pioneer this game-changing effort,” said Robert Kirshner, chief program officer for Science at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

Bridging the gap

The overarching goal of the newly funded, five-year project is to help bridge the perilous gap between concept and implementation. The team aims to have sensor integration into subsea telecommunications cables become the world standard, leading to a global network for sustained ocean observation, geophysical study of earthquakes, and earthquake and tsunami warning in a world with rising sea levels.

To do this, the team will lay groundwork for the science and early warning use of undersea cables by simulations of the observing system before deployment, data analysis after deployment and sustained scientific operation.

They will apply results of the simulations to optimize the proposed Vanuatu-New Caledonia cable system and its operation. This will demonstrate the capability of the earthquake and tsunami early warning system based on the SMART sensors in one of the world鈥檚 most at-risk countries for natural disasters due to its location in the seismically active “Ring of Fire.”

A significant aspect of the project is training staff in the region to increase local expertise in related science, data management to create early warnings and predictions, and telecommunication processes. Included are workshops and courses for professionals and funding for education of graduate students at the , 东精影业 Mānoa and partner institutions—providing the science and technical foundation of a lasting observing system.

“It is critical to have a robust workforce in preparation for the new SMART cable system,” said Howe. “This will ensure operation and maintenance of the early warning systems which will help mitigate the risks of earthquake and tsunami hazards.”

Lastly, the project will support the international project office of the , working to facilitate adoption of scientific sensors in all new subsea telecommunications cables to reach a global scale. This Joint Task Force, by the United Nations Ocean Decade for Sustainable Development, is sponsored by the International Telecommunication Union, World Meteorological Organization and UNESCO-Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.

Reducing risk through science, innovation, partnership

“Ideally the incorporation of SMART capability would become a routine function for the submarine cable industry,” said Howe. “Achieving this goal will generate key reductions in human and planetary risk. We hope this project is a demonstration for the global audience about how communities and science can benefit from SMART cables.”

Securing the new funding required local and international collaboration. facilitated working with Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, thus bringing the project headquarters to 东精影业 Mānoa.

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–By Marcie Grabowski

Two research projects involving University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa scientists have been as part of the United Nations (UN) Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (Ocean Decade) program. Bruce Howe and Justin Stopa are part of projects focused on the deep sea—a dynamic, poorly known realm that is a vast repository for biodiversity, provides critical climate regulation, and houses a wealth of hydrocarbon, mineral and genetic resources.

The UN the Ocean Decade to support efforts to reverse the cycle of decline in ocean health and gather ocean stakeholders worldwide behind a common framework that will ensure ocean science can fully support countries in creating improved conditions for sustainable development of the ocean.

SMART subsea cables

Howe, a research professor of ocean and resources engineering at the 东精影业 Mānoa (SOEST), is the chairperson of the (SMART) subsea cables, one of the endorsed projects. The joint task force is facilitating the integration of environmental sensors into commercial telecommunications cables that crisscross the globe on the seafloor. The project goal is to connect a worldwide array of sensors that monitor the sparsely observed deep ocean environment, ocean climate and sea-level rise.

“In addition to climate and ocean monitoring, the network will revolutionize real-time warning systems for earthquake and tsunami disaster mitigation,” said Howe.

The SMART subsea cables task force provides coordination between the program and ocean science, operational oceanography, hazard early warning centers, industry and relevant government agencies. It is funded by NASA through the Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The first major SMART project is underway in Portugal, with others in various stages of planning.

Implementing a Deep Ocean Observing System

Also through the UN Ocean Decade is a new National Science Foundation-funded project to implement a , with Howe and Stopa contributing as co-investigators; the project is led by the University of Texas at Austin.

“Observing the deep ocean at a level required to inform sustainable development and management faces significant technical and logistical challenges,” said Stopa, assistant professor of ocean and resources engineering in SOEST. “To address these challenges, the project will bring together U.S. and international networks engaged in sustained deep-ocean observing, mapping, exploration, modeling, research and management to leverage each other鈥檚 efforts, knowledge and resources.”

According to UNESCO鈥檚 Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission , the endorsed actions “were selected for their focus on solutions and their ability to accelerate the generation and uptake of ocean knowledge for sustainable development; for their use of innovative technology; their transdisciplinary efforts to co-design solutions between scientists and users of ocean knowledge; and their respect for inclusivity, empowering women, early-career professionals and indigenous knowledge holders.”

These projects are an example of 东精影业 惭ā苍辞补鈥檚 goal of (PDF) and (PDF), two of four goals identified in the (PDF), updated in December 2020.

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–By Marcie Grabowski

The world鈥檚 deepest cabled observatory—the University of 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 (ACO)—celebrated 10 years of continuously providing data directly from the seafloor to shore-based scientists on June 6. During the milestone cruise, researchers and students participating in the joined the deepsea action via live streaming video from the 东精影业 remotely operated vehicle Luʻukai.

During the field expedition, 东精影业 Mānoa researchers and engineers serviced the infrastructure, connected new equipment and deployed a memorial plaque honoring ACO鈥檚 founder.

ACO is the deepest operating ocean observatory on the planet that provides plug-and-play power and Internet to scientific instruments on the seafloor. The development, deployment and operation of the nearly three-mile deep observatory is led by the 东精影业 Mānoa (SOEST)—starting in 2002, testing in 2007 and full node deployment in 2011 with support from the .

“Creating a continuous 10-year data set of temperature, salinity, velocity, acoustics/ocean sound—which are all ‘essential ocean variables’ as defined by the Global Ocean Observing System—is quite a feat,” said Bruce Howe, SOEST professor of , who co-leads ACO. “This accomplishment required vision on the part of the founders, dedicated hard work of many researchers and engineers, and commitment from 东精影业 and funding agencies.”

ACO鈥檚 founder, the late SOEST geophysics Professor Fred Duennebier, was a pioneer of ocean cabled observatories. He is considered the father of ACO as well as two prior cabled observatories鈥攖he Hawaiʻi Undersea Geo-Observatory on Lōʻihi Seamount and the Hawaiʻi-2 Observatory halfway between Hawaiʻi and California.

In commemoration of Duennebier鈥檚 contributions to the field of cabled observatories and geophysics, the ACO team deployed the memorial plaque for Duennebier at the observatory during the recent cruise.

This event is an example of 东精影业 惭ā苍辞补鈥檚 goal of (PDF), one of four goals identified in the (PDF), updated in December 2020.

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–By Marcie Grabowski

Wave energy has the potential to contribute to 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 renewable energy in the future. The technology is in the early stages of development and the only grid-connected wave energy test site in the country is located in Hawaiʻi. This has led to a growing level of expertise and funded projects in wave energy at the .

A 东精影业 Mānoa team is participating in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Waves to Water competition, which challenges teams to develop concepts using wave energy to drive small-scale desalination systems for use in disaster response scenarios, or in remote situations near coastlines where freshwater is not readily available.

The team is called Nalu e Wai, which means waves into fresh water. Team members include Patrick Cross, a research specialist at (HNEI), Krishnakumar Rajagopalan, an assistant researcher at HNEI, Nicholas Ulm, a PhD student at the 东精影业 Mānoa , a PhD student at Uppsala University in Sweden, and a group from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras).

“Applying wave energy to the problem of desalination is new to us, but we have gained critical insights through this competition,” said Cross. “This application could be useful in Hawaiʻi as well, in situations where freshwater may become more and more scarce. It could also represent an economic opportunity in the future if Hawaiʻi can get involved in producing such systems for other parts of the world.”

Creating a desalination system

In the competition, the entire desalination system has tight restrictions on weight and size, requiring it to fit inside a roughly 1m-cubed container. This ensures that the system can be shipped and rapidly deployed to a location. Nalu e Wai team鈥檚 approach has been to utilize what is called an oscillating wave surge converter鈥攅ssentially a flap that moves back and forth in the waves near shore鈥攖o pump water through a reverse osmosis (RO) system.

The device rests on legs on the seabed in shallow water, outside the wave break. The pumping action driven by the waves pulls seawater into the device, through filters and then into the RO portion, producing fresh water below a required level of total dissolved solids specified by the prize rules. Freshwater then exits the system and is pushed through tubing to a container on shore.

“We had gotten to know Professor Abdus Samad at IIT Madras through a recent fellowship visit to 东精影业 in May 2019. Given the critical shortages of fresh water that plague his home city of Chennai, India, it was a natural fit to work with the team from IIT,” said Cross. “They are making critically important contributions to our design evolution, including leading on the RO system itself.”

Waves to Water competition

The competition consists of five stages: concept, design, adapt, create and drink. The team submitted entries to the concept and design stages and were winners in both stages, earning prize money to advance into the adapt stage of the competition.

Currently, Nalu e Wai is adapting its earlier design to a location where it was given information on the wave and weather conditions, physical and environmental characteristics and limitations. The team will be required to pump fresh water up onto a pier, which is considerably high above the water. The team is nearing completion of this design adaptation, and must submit its entry by November 30, 2020.

“If successful, we would then proceed to the create stage, using funds from our winnings, where we would build our prototype and test it in a wave tank at IIT Madras,” said Cross.

In a win for the Aloha State, a group of students from the took the top prize in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) . Beating out 13 other teams from prominent schools including Columbia University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Virginia Tech, and international universities from India and Barbados, the 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 team scored the highest number of points and also took home the Best Pitch award, one of five individual honors.

The competition

The event challenged multidisciplinary teams of students to develop unique solutions to advance the marine energy industry as related to providing power to offshore applications of relevance to the blue economy. Each group was tasked with designing a device that extracts energy from the sea and makes it available to maritime interests such as aquaculture, autonomous vehicles, ocean observing, desalination, power for remote communities and other offshore uses. Teams were tasked with optimizing technology, reducing costs and exploring new opportunities for marine energy.

Team H膩lona

东精影业 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 four-member team included team lead Nicholas Ulm and business plan lead Stefan Mrozewksi from the (ORE) in the , and Jonathan Wallen and Maddyson Jeske from the . They were mentored by faculty member Patrick Cross, whom Ulm credits with pushing them to stay organized and communicative throughout the process.

Their winning device, H膩lona, is a mobile wave-powered autonomous underwater vehicle docking station designed to collect oceanographic data with high temporal and spatial resolution. It is based on the concept of an oscillating water column (OWC) wave energy converter, in which wave action forces a column of air in an enclosed chamber through an air turbine to generate electricity. H膩lona in Hawaiian means “a place from which to peer,” and was inspired by the Oʻahu blowhole of the same name, which is essentially a naturally occurring version of an OWC.

“All current alternatives to ocean observation require persistent use of ship-based operations—where ships deploy autonomous underwater vehicles or remotely operated vehicles—which are costly and limited by safe operational windows and logistics scheduling,” Ulm said. “H膩lona provides customers with increased ocean observation capability with reduced risk and cost to marine operators, allowing service providers to offer resident-capable platforms to quickly, safely and persistently inspect offshore infrastructure.”

Ulm underlined the importance of the team鈥檚 advisors in achieving their success. “Special thanks to all of the faculty advisors in ORE who helped through the process,” said Ulm. “The support of the ORE faculty allowed us to succeed by connecting us to industry experts early on. These connections allowed us to ask end-users and stakeholders relevant questions to create the most well-informed business plan possible.”

Competition goals

Developing a business plan that demonstrated how their concepts could become reality in the commercial sector was another goal of the competition.

The 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 team reached out to numerous companies and academic entities to assess the market for their concept, with an emphasis on companies involved in autonomous vehicles and oil field inspection and universities overseeing deep-sea observing stations such as 东精影业鈥檚 and the University of Washington鈥檚 Axial Seamount observatory. This informed a well-developed business plan that was key to their success.

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Renewable Power David Solan said, “DOE designed this competition to inspire the next generation of marine energy innovators to apply their creativity and develop energy solutions for the blue economy and the future of the ocean. Even with the competition鈥檚 shift to a virtual format, more than 100 students participating exceeded our expectations and demonstrated not just their technical skills, but also their ability to be flexible and resilient.”

—By Kimberly Perez Hults

The University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 (SOEST) was (DOE) to support a project that focuses on advancing marine energy devices. During the three-year innovative project, the team of researchers and engineers led by the (HNEI) will develop a wave-energy converter concept culminating in a set of tests in a sophisticated mainland wave tank.

“Advancing next-generation marine energy will help the U.S. ensure a secure, reliable, and enduring supply of American energy,” said Under Secretary of Energy Mark Menezes. “These early-stage research and development projects are key to the development of water power as part of DOE’s 鈥榓ll-of-the-above鈥� energy strategy.”

The concept, the Wave Focusing Energy Converter, is based on the idea that a submerged disk with an opening at the center will focus wave energy and create concentrated flow through that opening. By placing the device near the surface, and making various shape changes away from a simple disk, the team can alter that flow through the opening such that it moves in one direction only鈥攁llowing a conventional hydro turbine to be used to produce energy.

“Our calculations suggest that this can be a power-generation methodology that produces encouragingly low-cost electricity,” said Patrick Cross, HNEI researcher and lead on the project. “To date, wave-energy conversion is still in the category of very early stage research and development, and costs remain quite high. We feel we have an approach that can lead to lowering costs鈥搕hrough high-conversion efficiency and relatively low, up-front costs鈥揳s compared to technologies under development elsewhere.”

The origin of the concept was graduate school research conducted by Richard Carter, who completed his doctoral degree in SOEST‘s (ORE). Carter continued to develop the concept as an independent researcher, and joined forces with several experts from 东精影业 and ORE to inject additional practical and theoretical insights to mature the concept further.

“This project can be seen as one of many that are building toward Hawaiʻi鈥檚 renewable energy goals,” said Cross. “Wave energy is likely years away from true commercial viability in terms of grid-scale power production, but other non-grid applications of wave energy may be much more achievable in the near term, and given that the wave energy resource around Hawaiʻi is excellent, it鈥檚 important that we at 东精影业 add our talents to the advancement of this emerging field. In concert with our many contributions to Navy and DOE objectives at the Wave Energy Test Site, selection for this award by DOE allows us to take an important additional step toward wave energy advancement at 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 and HNEI.”

Additional investigators and partners on the project are affiliated with the 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 , the National Renewable Energy Lab and Honolulu-based Sea Engineering, Inc.

As the climate changes over the coming decades, the northward shift of hurricanes toward the Hawaiian Islands will increase the chance of landfall and pose severe flood risks to populations and infrastructure along the coast and further inland, says a recent study led by researchers at the (SOEST).

Tropical cyclones are usually weakened or deflected to the south when approaching the Hawaiian Islands, due to the high-pressure system to the northeast, strong wind shear and relatively low sea-surface temperature in surrounding waters.

But by synthesizing information from computer models for climate change, hurricane formation and intensity, storm surge and waves, lead author , ocean wave model systems specialist in the (ORE) at SOEST, and co-authors estimated future vulnerability to combined effects of sea-level rise and closer hurricane approach.

Assessing impacts of critical storms

“Of the nearly 2,500 future scenarios in our study, we selected 24 critical storm events that track near the islands to assess the probability of coastal flooding and created detailed flood maps with 100-, 200- and 500-year return periods,” said Li. “With high tide and the projected sea-level rise, the modeling results from a direct landfall of an Iniki-like hurricane on the south shore of Oʻahu showed extensive inundation of downtown Honolulu and Waikīkī. Other hurricanes passing near Oʻahu can also produce severe surge and high surf, causing coastal flooding.”

“The findings of our study were not a surprise,” added , senior author on the study and professor in ORE. “Our recent experience with increasing number of storms tracking closer to the islands—Hurricane Guillermo in 2015, Hurricanes Celia, Darby and Lester in 2016, and Hurricanes Lane and Olivia in 2018—has already confirmed the change of hurricane patterns. The damage caused by Hurricanes Lane and Olivia underscores the importance and urgency of coastal storm hazards mitigation. This research should draw attention from state and federal agencies.”

Planning for the future

Coastal infrastructures and buildings planned or designed today will generally have a service life, that is, a period of time during which they are useful, through the end of 21st century. This study has shown climate change can potentially increase the severity of natural hazards within that time period, thereby reducing the reliability or safety of structures in the future.

“The inundation maps from this study will help assess the types of buildings and structures in the areas of Honolulu that would be exposed to increased flood risks,”said Li. “This has significant implications for engineering practice and land-use planning. If climate change effects are factored into design requirements through new regulations, an economic incentive is created for responding to climate change in planning, siting and construction of structures. This investment in increased resilience will offset the economic consequences of inadequate performance, loss due to damage, loss of marketability or even failures of safety.”

Cheung said, “We would like to seek opportunities to implement this approach in other strategic locations and extend the inundation mapping from urban Honolulu to other populated coastal communities.”

—By Marcie Grabowski

The deepest 45 percent of the ocean depth range remains one of the most unexplored and inaccessible regions on the planet. Twelve people have walked on the moon while only three people have ever been to the deepest zone in the ocean—the hadal zone. Armed with a $1.2 million award from the , a team from the , along with industry partners, is on track to build a Hadal Water Column Profiler (HWCP).

The hadal zone, waters deeper than 3.75 miles, covers an area larger than the size of Texas and has pressures approaching 1,100 times atmospheric pressure, at the deepest point (16,000 psi, which is equivalent to having two rhinoceros on your thumb). Very little is known about the circulation, mixing, chemical properties and biological communities in the water of these deep ocean trenches.

Twelve people have walked on the moon while only three people have ever been to the deepest zone in the ocean鈥攖he hadal zone.

This dearth of knowledge stems from a lack of suitable instrumentation with which to make observations.

HWCP, which is a uniquely capable profiling instrument will, for the first time:

• Enable high quality physical, chemical and biological sampling of the water column from the sea surface to the seafloor at 36,000 ft depth.
• Withstand hundreds of cycles in and out of hadal pressures (that is, up and down in the water column). The instrument鈥檚 ability to create frequent depth profiles will allow researchers to observe important physical and chemical changes in the ocean environment.
• Provide observations needed to illuminate important and vexing problems, such as how the deep ocean trenches are ventilated.

Research possible thanks to HWCP will create new understanding of the deep ocean鈥檚 impact on the climate and biological communities.

“HWCP will open up new, exciting and potentially transformative avenues of research with global impact,” said David Lassner, 东精影业 president and interim 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 chancellor. “This is a powerful example of how private support is helping propel globally relevant, leading edge 东精影业 research. We are most grateful to the W.M. Keck Foundation for the funding necessary to explore exciting new frontiers.”

This three-year project will involve a highly qualified team of scientists, engineers and technicians from the and industry.

The 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 team includes:

• , a physical oceanographer who made the first turbulent mixing measurements in the ~5km deep Samoan Passage, the primary flow pathway of Antarctic Bottom Water into the North Pacific
• , a deep-sea ecologist and a founding member of the Hadal Ecosystems Studies program and chief scientist for a hadal cruise to the Mariana Trench
• , the lead investigator on the Aloha Cabled Observatory, the deepest such observatory in the world
• , a chemical oceanographer who was one of the authors of the international GEOTRACES Science Plan.

The industry partners include which will provide a custom turbulence sensor payload, and which will provide the flotation, pressure tolerant batteries and design consulting. Ron Allum was lead engineer and co-designer of the Deepsea Challenger, which took James Cameron to the Challenger Deep in the Marianas Trench in 2012.

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