RAPID: Pacific Island Reefs Under Siege--An Undergraduate Training Partnership

马绍尔群岛的珊瑚礁是世界上最原始的珊瑚礁之一，由于人类污水的污染和上一次厄尔尼诺现象引发的海水温度上升，这些珊瑚礁正受到藻类大量繁殖的威胁。这些环境危害威胁到马绍尔人民的福祉和珊瑚礁的健康。来自夏威夷大学希洛分校和马绍尔群岛学院的科学家将绘制和分析藻类大量繁殖的地图，并建立一个新的系统来监测海水温度及其对珊瑚礁白化的影响。在该项目期间，马绍尔群岛学院的学生和教职员工将接受当前环境科学方法方面的培训。这一增强的当地专门知识将减轻对持续监测珊瑚礁健康的迫切需要。糟糕的基础设施允许人类污水泄漏到马绍尔群岛上最大的城市马朱罗包围的泻湖中。这种污染导致藻类大量繁殖，抑制了珊瑚的生长。在第一个目标中，研究小组将分析水中的营养物质，并使用微生物技术来调查和绘制所涉及的细菌和藻类的分布。除了这种人为压力，珊瑚礁还受到有记录以来持续时间最长、破坏性最大的海水温度上升的威胁。在目标二中，科学家们将部署监测仪来测量海水温度，并将其与珊瑚礁漂白联系起来。迫切需要建立这一监测系统，以提供基准数据，以便评估未来的变化。该项目还将通过夏威夷大学和马绍尔群岛学院的教员合作，对建设研究能力产生持续影响。全体教员将为马绍尔群岛学院的八名学生提供STEM培训。通过学生培训增加当地的专业知识对于马绍尔群岛的适应能力至关重要，马绍尔群岛是太平洋岛国之一，处于环境变化的前沿。该奖项由生物基础设施司(生物科学局)和人力资源发展司(教育与人力资源局)联合颁发。

The coral reefs of the Marshall Islands, some of the most pristine in the world, are endangered by algal blooms caused by contamination from human sewage and a rise in seawater temperature triggered by the last El Nino. These environmental hazards threaten the wellbeing of the Marshallese people and the health of the coral reefs. Scientists from the University of Hawaii at Hilo and the College of the Marshall Islands will map and analyze the algal blooms and establish a new system to monitor seawater temperature and its effect on coral reef bleaching. During the project, students and faculty from the College of the Marshall Islands will be trained in current methods for environmental science. This enhanced local expertise will mitigate the urgent need for ongoing monitoring of reef health. Poor infrastructure allows human sewage to leak into the lagoon enclosed by Majuro, the largest city on the Marshall Islands. This pollution fuels algal blooms that suppress the corals. In objective one, the team will analyze nutrients in water and use microbiological techniques to investigate and map the distribution of bacteria and algae involved. In addition to this anthropogenic stress, the reefs are endangered by one of the longest and most damaging seawater temperature rises on record. In objective two, the scientists will deploy monitors to measure seawater temperatures and correlate these with coral reef bleaching. There is a critical need to establish this monitoring system to provide baseline data against which future change can be assessed. The project will also have a sustained impact on building research capacity through the collaboration of faculty from the University of Hawaii and the College of the Marshall Islands. Collectively the faculty will provide STEM training for eight students from the College of the Marshall Islands. Increasing the local expertise through student training will be critical for resilience on the Marshall Islands, one of the Pacific Island groups at the forefront of environmental change. This award is being made jointly by The Division of Biological Infrastructure (Directorate for Biological Sciences), and The Division of Human Resource Development (Directorate for Education & Human Resources).