Some of the most recent research that HURL has been involved in is related to the collection of extremophiles from Pele's Pit. View the NOAA Hot Item article that was written on this topic.

Presently HURL has 17 Panel-approved Pisces dives and numerous ROV dives logged in for accomplishment in 2002. These derive from 5 projects, comprising 6 dives of the 12 awarded for project 2000/6 (Smith); the second year component of the project 2000/1 (Young) - 2 dives; the first year component of project 2001/5 (Staudigel) - 9 dives; and 30 ROV dives for project 2001/7 (Au) which will require a week of ship time. In addition, 2 engineering service dives will be required for monitoring Loihi submarine volcano.

Other NURP dive commitments are anticipated, based on letters of intent received by HURL, or foreshadowed. Robert Moffitt (NMFS, Honolulu) has indicated that 12 Pisces and 14 ROV dives will be required in 2002 on Penguin Bank and off Makapuu Point in order to conduct the Year 3 Evaluation in NMFS long-term study of "Effectiveness of refugia on restoring deepwater snapper resources". This project commenced in 1998. A 12-dive extension of Smith's project (2000/6) to include dives on the slopes of the Island of Hawaii has been discussed. These two projects would need peer review and Panel endorsement before being scheduled.

In addition to NURP dives, HURL has been contracted by NOS and NMFS to conduct dives in the NW Hawaiian Islands as part of the Coral Reef Initiative. Six of these were completed in 2001 and 6 more are scheduled for 2002. HURL has furthermore submitted a proposal to the Ocean Exploration Program. If the proposal is funded, HURL may have up to 40 additional dives next year in the NW Hawaiian Islands as well.

As a consequence of the foregoing, HURL does not plan to issue an RFP in 2002 for additional NURP dives to be conducted in 2003. This decision may be reviewed once the status of our proposal to the Ocean Exploration Program has been determined.