Biological Oceanography in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology at the University of Hawaii BOD Faculty: Bienfang, Church, Drazen, Huntley, Johnson, Karl, Kemp, Selph, Smith, Steward, Waller, Wang, Weng

Biological Oceanography in SOEST  Biological oceanographers seek to understand how biology influences and responds to the ocean habitat and environmental variability.  Breadth of biological oceanography research and education conducted at UH spans subcellular to ecosystems scales, including everything from viruses to whales.  There is enormous potential for growth in the field, and our proximity to the sea provides SOEST with strategic opportunities.

0.1  m1.0  m10  m100  m 1 mm 1 cm10 cm 1 m 10 m VirusesBacteriaPhytoplanktonZooplanktonNektonFishWhales Research spanning >9 orders of magnitude… Mycoplankton

Mesopelagic biology and ecology Abyssal sediments Bathypelagic ecology Across Diverse Ocean Habitats Epipelagic biology and ecology Corals, sponges, benthic ecology

Q1. What are the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems? Positive phaseNegative phase

Q2. What is the biodiversity of the ocean and how is it related to ecosystem function?  Wealth of information emerging on ecosystem diversity  Oceanographers need to assimilate this information to better understand ecosystem processes such as metabolism, predator-prey interactions, physiological tolerances, etc.

Q3. How are humans affecting marine ecosystems?

Let’s have the ahi. It’ll be extinct soon. Decline in fish stocks (Myers and Worm; Nature 2003) Marine pollution and debris Invasive species in Hawaiian waters

Q4. How do the oceans impact human health? Ala Wai Sewage Spill V. vulnificus

Q5. What are the potential applications of aquatic ecosystems and/or organisms for biotechnolgy? Green Alga Hydrogen Production

Biological oceanography from molecular to ecosystem scales