This 3-year award to University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM) provides support for technical services during NSF-funded programs on R/V Kilo Moana, a 185' general purpose research vessel operated as part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System research fleet. Support is also provided for selected cruises on R/V Ka'imikai O Kanaloa, a non-UNOLS research vessel owned by the State of Hawaii. UHM will provide two shipboard technicians on each cruise of R/V Kilo Moana to support seagoing research projects and to maintain, calibrate and provide for qualified users items from their pool of shared-use research instrumentation. As specialized services, they will maintain and operate the multibeam sonar systems on R/V Kilo Moana, as well as provide other seafloor mapping services when required in support of NSF-funded projects. The technical support and instrument maintenance provided via this award enables shared-use operation of this oceanographic facility by qualified researchers from throughout the US, and it enables efficient use of the vessel for federally-funded oceanographic research. Budgets for technical support are evaluated annually, and the cost is based on the proportion of vessel use by each sponsoring agency. ***
