Ten University of Hawaii students have been selected to receive $1,000 each through a new award program aimed at completing a project to conserve the living resources of the ocean. The Ocean Conservation Awards are funded by a donation from the Global High Seas Marine Preserve organization, and administered by the UH Foundation. The student practitioners were chosen by faculty mentors for the 202122 academic year.

The Ocean Conservation Award program is a wonderful way to recognize, support and mentor students who wish to make a positive difference for our oceans, said program manager Mark Hixon, the Hsiao Endowed Professor of Marine Biology in the School of Life Sciences at UH Mnoa.

Danny Quintana, Global High Seas Marine Preserve president and founder, is motivated by the need for immediate action to save the seas. We will succeed. Failure is not an option, he said.

The faculty mentors, who are all experts on ocean conservation issues, will guide the development and implementation of student projects during the academic year. Student awardees range from first-year undergraduates to post-baccalaureate students in multiple disciplines, focusing on a variety of projects:

To save our imperiled oceans we need more than just marine biologists to be engaged, Winter said. Empowering our youth and our communities will catalyze the change we desperately need. This program aims to do just that.

Kaneshiro added, It is an extreme honor for NREM students to participate in the first annual UH Ocean Conservation Awards! Their projects will showcase their dedication to marine life conservation and give them an opportunity to use their science communication skills beyond books. They are also looking forward to sharing their science with communities here at home, on the web and social media!

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Students win new UH awards to protect oceans | University of Hawaii System News - UH System Current News