University of Hawai’i marine science arm to receive US$50 million in donated funds

The University of Hawai’i at Manoa’s School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) will receive US$50 million in privately donated funding to support its marine research activities.

The donation by philanthropist Dr Priscilla Chan and media magnate Mark Zuckerberg will be used to support research programs covering such fields as changing ocean conditions, coastal resilience against storms and rising sea levels, and challenges currently affecting a broad range of marine organisms.

The funding is being earmarked for programs that SOEST will carry out over a span of seven years in Hawaii’s waters.