Brooks – Department of Ocean and Resources Engineering

ORE welcomes Professor Justin Stopa

ORE is excited to welcome Dr. Justin Stopa who joined us in the Fall 2018 semester as Assistant Professor. Justin’s research focus is ocean waves, in particular, extreme events that are critical for engineering design. Stopa earned his doctoral degree in ORE, where he developed the automated wave forecast system still in operation through the Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System and assessed the wave energy potential in Hawai’i, a critical component of assessing wave renewable energy. Stopa’s research will help move Hawaiʻi forward as a leader in engineering adaptations to compensate for future environmental conditions related to climate change and

Prof. Huang awarded NSF grant to improve sustainable coastal management

Rising sea level puts beaches and coastal infrastructure at risk. Ocean and coastal engineers traditionally protect coastlines and harbors by building breakwaters that redirect and/or dissipate wave energy. However, this represents a significant loss of energy – energy that might be put to other use! In fact, wave energy conversion (WEC) devices are specifically designed to harness wave energy. Is it possible to design a WEC that is also a breakwater? Can we harness wave energy while protecting our coasts/harbors at the same time? This is the aim of a new project funded by the National Research Foundation: Controlling Cross-shore

China and Ocean Observing

During the last week of April 2017, ORE research professor Bruce Howe visited China to learn more about their ocean observing efforts, specifically using cabled systems. Tongji University is leading a major push by China in this area, somewhat similar to our NSF Ocean Observatories Initiative. Other partners include Zhejiang University and the Chinese Academy of Sci-ences. Two cable systems are planned, one in the East China Sea, and one in the South China Sea (see fig-ure). The current vision for the latter is a 1400-km multi-node system, quite ambitious and never been-done-before. The budget for the total effort is

Deepest ocean observatory celebrates ten years of operation

The ALOHA Cabled Observatory (ACO), the deepest operating ocean observatory on the planet that provides power and internet communications to scientific instruments on the seafloor, recently celebrated 10 years of operations. The development and deployment of the nearly 3-mile deep observatory was led by SOEST and supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to UH Mānoa.“Since the HMS Challenger plumbed the deeps during its 1876 circumnavigation, measurements of the deep ocean have remained sporadic and extremely sparse in time and space. Our goal at ACO has been to establish a permanent toehold in this extreme abyssal environment, enabling

2017 SOEST Open House

2017 SOEST Open House Friday, October 20, 8:30 am – 2 pm Saturday, October 21, 10 am – 2 pm UPDATE: See our gallery of photos from SOEST 2017 Open House featuring ORE-related exhibits. Thanks to those who contributed in sharing our excitement for science and engineering with the next generation! Photo credits: Kei Manabe The SOEST Open House presents a diverse array of entertaining and educational hands-on activities and demonstrations, which highlight the research conducted by our faculty, students, and staff. Stay tuned to this website for more information about exhibits that will be offered! Your students and families

Ocean and Resources Engineering 50th Anniversary

Ocean and Resources Engineering 50th Anniversary [Text from Kāpili Winter 2016 Newsletter] On Saturday, November 12, the Department of Ocean and Resources Engineering (ORE), at SOEST commemorated its 50th Anniversary with a dinner event at the Waikīkī Aquarium. Over 150 alumni, faculty, staff, students, donors, and friends came together for the occasion and to celebrate the impact ORE and its graduates have had on the Hawaiian Islands and the world. “Hawai‘i’s dependence on the ocean for resources, transportation, and recreation make ORE an essential field for UH to excel in scholarship and workforce training,” said SOEST Dean Dr. Brian Taylor.