UH teacher nets multi-
million dollar grant
University of Hawaii professor David Karl, an oceanographer and microbial biologist, has been selected for a five-year, $3.85 million award from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Karl, who has received many honors for his studies of the sea and its microorganisms, is the first oceanographer named for the foundation's Investigator in Marine Science award.
Acting UH President David McClain said the award, effective June 30, "is a testament to Dave Karl's talent and leadership in the field of marine science, and we are extremely proud to count him amongst the respected scientific leaders in their fields that call UH home.
"He has been instrumental in helping to establish the university as a renowned institution for the study of oceanography."
The Moore Foundation initiated a 10-year, $145 million marine microbiology program in April to increase understanding of the world's oceans and microbial communities.
A faculty member in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, Karl, 54, is one of the nation's foremost biological oceanographers. He has participated in more than 100 cruises and research dives, including 23 expeditions to Antarctica, and has an extensive list of published discoveries.
He has been one of the principal investigators of the Hawaii Ocean Time-series (HOT) program since it began in 1988 at Station Aloha, an ocean site about 60 miles north of Oahu, and is a faculty affiliate at a sister Bermuda station.
The Moore Foundation award will help to support new research programs at Station Aloha.
Karl said his research team of 13, ranging from a visiting high school student to doctorate-level assistants, "is second to none in the world."
A former high school teacher, he considers himself "first and foremost a teacher." He said he'll use part of the foundation award to train 10 to 12 graduate and postgraduate students who have the potential of each training 20 to 30 more students in their careers.
UH-Manoa Chancellor Peter Englert said in Karl's many years on the faculty, "he has demonstrated exceptional leadership in his field and innovative approaches to the creation of new knowledge."
Scientists usually can't stray far from the original purpose of research under a grant, but the Moore Foundation award allows recipients "to follow their dreams and to capitalize on new discoveries or new directions in the field with little or no delay," Karl said.
"I sincerely believe my most significant scientific contributions are yet to come because the field of microbial oceanography is poised for great progress over the next decade, in part to the generous support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation."
David Kingsbury, the foundation's director of marine science, said Karl was selected for the award because "he is simply an outstanding scientist, and we are very excited about his work."
The Moores, who have a home near Kona and think of themselves as residents of Hawaii as well as California, are "lifelong sport fishers and have seen firsthand the decline in the fish populations," Kingsbury said, noting the foundation's concern about environmental issues.
Intel co-founder Moore and his wife established their foundation in November 2000 to foster collaboration among diverse scientists and conduct research "to create positive outcomes for future generations."
Karl has received a cumulative $17 million to support his research since joining UH in 1978 after earning a doctorate degree from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego.
He recently received the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's highest award in oceanography, recognizing " accomplishments that have revolutionized our view of microorganisms in the sea."