The University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant announced this month the recipients of the 2024-2026 UOG Sea Grant Competitive Research Funding.

The grants support research projects addressing critical challenges facing Micronesia's coastal ecosystems, communities, and economies.

Officials made the announcement at an event held at the UOG RFK Memorial Library.

An estimated $350,000 will be distributed across the research projects within the two-year period. Focus areas included healthy coastal ecosystems, environmental literacy and workforce development, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, and resilient communities and economies.

"The UOG Sea Grant program is vital to our university's mission," said Sharleen Santos Bamba, UOG senior vice president and provost.

"It supports research, education, and outreach that address the critical challenges facing our island and region. From climate change and coastal resilience to sustainable fisheries and marine conservation, this funded work will have a profound impact on our region,” added Bamba.

The researchers and proposals approved for funding are as follows:

Bastian Bentlage, Ph.D. from the UOG Marine Laboratory is researching, “Ridge to reef microbiome census and identification of reservoirs of potentially harmful bacteria in the La Sa Fua watershed, southern Guam.”

Peter Houk, Ph.D., from the UOG Marine Laboratory is researching, “Mitigating climate change impacts on Micronesia coral reefs.”

Tom Schils, Ph.D. from the UOG Marine Laboratory is researching, “Crustose calcifying red algae: Climate change winners on Guam's reefs – Their abundance and contribution to the carbonate budget of coral reefs.”

Heloise Rouze, Ph.D. from the UOG Marine Laboratory is researching, “Micro symbionts to support restoration of Acropora virgata in Guam's reefs.”

Christina Karanassos from the Palau International Coral Reef Center is researching, “Assessing the status of commercially important reef fish populations in Palau, to inform fisheries management.”

Laurie Peterka from the Friends of the Mariana Trench is researching, “Seascape of the CNMI: A study of intergenerational and culturally adaptive ocean literacy.”

Bentlage, a UOG associate professor of bioinformatics, explained his research proposal, "We will map the distribution of bacteria throughout the watershed, including plant communities… How the bacteria impact different habitats across the watershed including the coral reefs.” According to Bentlage, the information will help inform stakeholders like the Guam Green Growth initiative and those involved in restoration efforts.

Research projects will employ field and laboratory experiments, models, and socioeconomic studies to inform policy decisions and best management practices.

To ensure maximum impact, projects selected must demonstrate a strong outreach component to engage and inform diverse audiences, including resource managers, industry stakeholders, citizen scientists, communities, and learners.

"We now have funding to support these exceptional researchers from the University of Guam

and our regional partners. Their work will provide invaluable insights to help us make informed decisions as island residents to better protect our resources,” Austin Shelton, Ph.D., director of the UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant, said.