{"id":39145,"date":"2015-10-07T07:52:18","date_gmt":"2015-10-07T17:52:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=39145"},"modified":"2021-07-12T15:21:11","modified_gmt":"2021-07-13T01:21:11","slug":"ocean-station-aloha-designated-a-milestones-in-microbiology-site","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2015\/10\/07\/ocean-station-aloha-designated-a-milestones-in-microbiology-site\/","title":{"rendered":"Ocean Station ALOHA designated a Milestones in Microbiology site"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Station ALOHA from 东精影业<\/abbr> research vessel Kilo Moana<\/em> (photo credit: Tara Clemente, 东精影业<\/abbr> SOEST)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ocean Station ALOHA<\/abbr><\/a>, the University of Hawaiʻi<\/span> at Mānoa’s research site 60 miles north of Oʻahu<\/span> has been designated a Milestones in Microbiology site by the American Society for Microbiology<\/a> (ASM<\/abbr>). ASM<\/abbr> Milestones in Microbiology program recognizes institutions and scientists that have made significant contributions toward advancing the microbial sciences.<\/p>\n

This open-ocean research station “has played a fundamental role in defining the discipline of microbial oceanography, developing a comprehensive understanding of the sea and educating the public about the critical role of marine microbes in global ecosystems,” ASM<\/abbr> officials noted in their citation.<\/p>\n

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Long term sampling at Station ALOHA has led to many discoveries (photo credit: Mar Nieto-Cid)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Birthplace of microbial oceanography<\/h2>\n

While microbial oceanography was emerging as a field of inquiry, scientists at the 东精影业<\/abbr> Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology<\/a> (SOEST<\/abbr>) proposed a bold new program—the Hawaiʻi<\/span> Ocean Time-series<\/a> (HOT<\/abbr>) research program—and selected Station ALOHA<\/abbr> (A Long-term Oligotrophic Habitat Assessment) as the deep ocean site representative of the vast North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, one of Earth’s largest biomes. Since the program’s inception in 1988, the National Science Foundation<\/a> has been the major funding agency, with 东精影业<\/abbr> Mānoa and SOEST<\/abbr> providing invaluable support including efficient operation of its oceanographic research vessels.<\/p>\n

“It soon became a trans-disciplinary collaboration among individuals who traditionally did not interact (microbiologists, physical scientists, oceanographers, mathematicians and educators), and created unique opportunities for scientific discovery, knowledge transfer and outreach to society at large,” said David Karl<\/strong>, HOT<\/abbr> co-founder, Victor and Peggy Brandstrom Pavel Professor of Ocean and Earth Science and director of the Daniel K. Inouye Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education<\/a> (C-MORE<\/abbr>). “Station ALOHA<\/abbr> may be viewed as the birthplace of microbial oceanography.”<\/p>\n

Ocean microbes—small but mighty<\/h2>\n

Since 1988, teams of scientists have conducted pioneering research at Station ALOHA<\/abbr> that has transformed the ecological understanding of the most abundant life forms in the sea—microorganisms. The teams have discovered complex microbial interactions, numerous novel microorganisms and unprecedented metabolic pathways; and have made significant contributions to the understanding of the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems. <\/p>\n

Building on success<\/h2>\n
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