Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory

The Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory (HURL) is a regional undersea research facility under the auspices of the U. S. government's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Undersea Research Program and administered by the University of Hawaii. Its headquarters are at University of Hawaii at Manoa, in Honolulu. The laboratory was founded in cooperation with NOAA in 1980. It is considered one of the more important of the independently run undersea research laboratories in the U.S. The laboratory conducts undersea research on volcanic risks in conjunction with the United States Geological Survey, including seismic surveys, monitoring of volcanic activity, and using submersibles for undersea observation and surveying. HURL is also actively involved in monitoring coastal ecosystems, including coral reef habitats and fisheries in Hawaii. HURL conducts maritime archaeology research including visiting World War II wreckages from the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.

In 2011, marine scientists from HURL celebrated the 1,000th dive of Pisces V (one of two submersibles). By 1981 they spent nearly 9,000 hours underwater around the Pacific Ocean.

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