NOAA Daniel K Inouye Regional Center - IRC

12/12/2017

What’s it like to be aboard America’s ship for ocean exploration? TOMORROW at 2 p.m. ET, we're partnering with the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research to bring you a Facebook Live chat with researchers on board the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar Alex Avila, expedition co-science lead Dr. Diva Amon, and expedition coordinator Brian Kennedy will be online and ready to answer your questions about the expedition and their work.

Are you an aspiring ocean scientist? The Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship provides support for individuals, particularly women and minorities, who are pursuing advanced degrees in oceanography, marine biology, maritime archaeology, and other marine science fields. This is a great time to ask questions of Alex about her experience with the scholarship!

Tune in at 2 p.m. tomorrow, December 12th: https://www.facebook.com/OceanExplorationResearch/

12/12/2017

NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has selected Rebecca Holyoke, Ph.D. as deputy director, replacing Matt Brookhart, who has been serving in that position in an acting capacity. Mr. Brookhart has been selected as acting regional director for the office’s Northeast and Southeast regions...

10/13/2017

Check out the IRC Health Fair on Tuesday, October 17. There will be FREE FLU SHOTS for all IRC staff. Lots of "healthy information" at the Health Fair booths. A trainer from 24 HOUR Fitness will be demonstrating how to use the equipment in the gym . Join the Biggest Loser Competition and lots more. Please see the attached flyers for more information.

09/26/2017

Happy Birthday Sanctuaries!!!

With the passage of the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act, the nation signaled it was becoming more serious about its commitment to marine conservation and ocean parks. But the buildup to that event was slow, as would be the progress following it.

09/26/2017

OPEN HOUSE!!! Exciting event - - one of the few chances you'll have to see our ship!!

Come celebrate ocean exploration with us! On October 1, 2017, we invite you to a very special opportunity to come tour two of the most technologically advanced research and exploration vessels in the world. Both Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor and NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer will be docked at the University of Hawaii Marine Center - Pier 35, Honolulu, Hawaii, celebrating recent exploration activities and preparing for upcoming expeditions.

More info at http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/about/what-we-do/oer-updates/2017/ocean-celebration-091917.html

09/26/2017

Honu - Honu!!

What honu looking at? Seeing green turtles in their natural habitat never gets old. This green friend was spotted at Pearl and Hermes. Tag a friend who loves honu as much as you do. Photo Credit: John Burns/NOAA

09/25/2017

STG is on schedule to begin activities next week for the taking of our median construction space.
This includes the removal of the third available lane on Kamehameha Highway Eastbound.

The work will be gradual over the next few weeks, first beginning with striping of new lanes, then placement of permanent construction barriers on both sides of the road.
Work will first take place between Arizona Street/Halawa Drive and Radford Drive/Makalapa Road, then extend through the corridor to Center Drive.

Most of the work will take place at night from 8pm to 4am, through use of our contraflow traffic plans, where STG works on one side of the road, while traffic flows in both directions, separated by cones, on the other side.
We will also be utilizing our normal lane closures during the day, as follows:

Eastbound: 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Westbound: 6:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

There will be no turn movements restricted during this work, and no base gates or entrances will be affected by any of this permanent barrier placement.
There will be special duty officers to assist with traffic movements during contraflow.

Attached is Construction Notice 6, the same one sent out in August detailing this work, if you need it again to inform your populations.
Please note: the speed limit on Kamehameha Highway has been permanently reduced to 25 MPH in the construction area for the duration of the project.

09/15/2017

From Oscar...

The bottlenose dolphin is one of the most well known species of marine mammals. They have a robust body and a short, thick beak. Their coloration ranges from light gray to black with lighter coloration on the belly. Inshore and offshore individuals vary in color and size. Inshore animals are smaller and lighter in color, while offshore animals are larger, darker in coloration and have smaller flippers.

Here are some pictures taken during the 2017 Hawaiian Islands Cetacean and Ecosystem Assessment Survey

Bottlenose dolphins employ a feeding strategy called "fish whacking," where they strike a fish with their flukes and knock it clear out of the water.

You can learn more about Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) at http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/dolphins/bottlenose-dolphin.html

about about here:

https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/hiceas/

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands NOAA Fisheries Service Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument

09/15/2017

Getting to know you....!

Although Rory Driskell is a Marine Biological Science Technician assigned to the Science Operations Division of PIFSC (NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Science Center), he is not a crew member of NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette even though it feels like he is, since he sails with the ship so much.

Rory is one of the regular scientists that comes out to the ship to work with many of the different fisheries research divisions throughout the year. He performs various tasks and fills multiple roles like, unmanned aircraft system (UAS) Pilot, Small Boat Coxswain, Acoustician, Marine Mammal Observer, Trawl Sorting, Water Sample Processing, and Oceanographic Equipment Specialist. Basically, he fills any role requested of him by the various PIFSC research divisions that conduct marine science on Sette. He is a jack of all trades, doing everything he can help with at PIFSC,

Currently during the cruise, he is acting as a Marine Mammal Observer, UAS pilot and Acoustician, as well as assisting with fishing operations when we are outside of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.

09/15/2017

NOAA is co-hosting a day-long public event​ called Ocean Exploration Celebration​ with ​the ​Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI) and ​the ​University of Hawaii School of Ocean and Earth Science. ​The NOAA Ship ​Okeanos Explorer and SOI's R/V Falkor will be docked at​ the​ UH Marine Center at Pier 35.

Public Ship Tours & Dockside Pavilion: 10 AM - 4 PM​ (last tour at 3:30pm)​
Public tours of both ​the ​Okeanos Explorer and ​​Falkor will be available first come​,​ first serve. Tours will be running roughly every 15 minutes on both ships.
​A Dockside Pavilion with interactive displays, games, and information will be available for the public before, during and after their ship tours.

A photo ID and closed toe shoes are required. See flyer for more details.

09/15/2017

Lonnng Commute!!

09/14/2017

Watch That Trash!!

Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument protects some of the most remote uninhabited islands on Earth, but tons of trash makes its way there each year. These remote islands provide refuge for many endangered and threatened species, like this Hawaiian monk seal -- but the abundance of trash makes it harder for those species to thrive. By reducing our use of single-use plastics and reusing as much as possible, we help protect the animals that depend on Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and the ocean around the world! What will you do to help reduce marine debris? Tell us in the comments!
(Photo: James Watt/NOAA)
NOAA Marine Debris USFWS Pacific Region