The Great Pacific Race, Adventure and Science on the Open Sea
Honolulu , Hawaii (PRWEB) September 01, 2014 -- Final contestants of the Great Pacific Race reached Honolulu last weekend after a 2,400-mile adventure that started in Monterey, California over two months ago.
Great Pacific Race support boat Captain Rod Mayer, took water samples at various points along the course as directed by the University of Hawaii and Project Kaisei, contributing to further study on the effects of Fukushima Disaster Radiation on the Pacific Ocean. These samples were delivered to Henrietta Dulaiova at the University of Hawaii this week.
"It was my pleasure to assist the University of Hawaii with this study. I feel lucky to have been able to collect such samples out on the high seas and proudly deliver them to the University in person," said Captain Rod Mayer.
Project Kaisei - Google Earth Hero recipient and the Ocean Cleanup Initiative of Ocean Voyages Institute worked in conjunction with The University of Hawaii and Great Pacific Race directors Chris and Sandra Martin to empower participants in gathering scientific information and samples while crossing the Pacific.
"As our ocean rowers are now aware, the ocean is an incredible and unique place. Ocean rowers travel slowly and are so close to the water that they are more aware than most of those who cross the oceans of the impact that people are having on this valuable environment. We are happy that during the course of experiencing the ocean, our support vessels were able to assist in furthering ocean research," said Chris Martin.
Peter Crowley, film producer of The Great Pacific Race television special and the film Journey into the Plastic Vortex, cares greatly about our global ocean and has been one of the core team at Project Kaisei for over six years. He was the one responsible for bringing Project Kaisei, The Great Pacific Race and the University of Hawaii together for this important collaborative effort.
"It has been an amazing experience to be a part of this monumental rowing race across the Pacific Ocean and add to credible science on a disaster impacting our Pacific Ocean and marine life," said Peter Crowley.
University of Hawaii Ocean Current Experts Dr. Nikolai Maximenko and Dr. Jan Hafner are affiliated with the International Pacific Research Center School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology and have been closely collaborating with Project Kaisei/Ocean Voyages Institute since 2009. The continuing efforts of Project Kaisei - to have cataloged and recorded debris distribution and done sampling and actual cleanup of debris - have assisted the important research work of Dr. Maximenko and Dr. Hafner.
University of Hawaii International Pacific Research Center - School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology
We are an international climate research center, with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region. We seek to understand the climate system and how it may respond to human activity by conducting experiments with computer simulation models and by analyzing the many direct and remote observations related to climate.
Our mission is to provide an international research environment dedicated to improving mankind’s understanding of the nature and predictability of climate, variations and change in the Asia-Pacific region, and to developing innovative ways to utilize knowledge gained for the benefit of society.
For more info, visit http://iprc.soest.hawaii.edu.
“As we have been involved in modeling debris distribution in the Pacific basin for many years and have particularly followed the debris distribution after the tsunami in Japan, we value our continuing collaboration with Ocean Voyages Institute as a source of date and information,” said Dr. Maximenko and Dr. Hafner.
Great Pacific Race
New Ocean Wave Ltd are the organizers of the Great Pacific Race and have been built with the desire to help people row across oceans. We do things a little differently from other race organizers; the vast majority of the New Ocean Wave team has already rowed at least one ocean allowing us to offer unparalleled levels of service and support based on firsthand experience. We believe this will help you achieve your dream of rowing an ocean and allow us to better support you as we know what it can be like both on the ocean and whilst preparing your ocean rowing campaign.
New Ocean Wave Ltd runs a number of other ocean rowing events around the world as well as providing specialist consultancy services to people with a passion for adventure. We also operate the NOMAN – Barcelona to Ibiza race and can provide everything from weather routing services and specialist equipment to support vessels and logistics for independent rowers around the world.
For more info, visit http://greatpacificrace.com.
Project Kaisei I/Ocean Voyages Institute
Project Kaisei in Japanese “Ocean Planet” is a scientific and maritime mission doing studies and expeditions to the North Pacific Sub-Tropical Convergence Zone. Our expeditions beginning with 2009 have provided photographic, film and scientific documentation of this North Pacific Gyre region. Our Think Tank of Naval Architects, Marine Engineers and fishermen have provided cleanup solutions which we are testing and using.
Ocean Voyages Institute is a California based 501(c)3 non-profit public charity dealing with the preservation of the maritime arts and sciences and the ocean environment.
“Our Global Ocean is an important piece of having a healthy planet. The ocean needs our attention now. We must no longer use the ocean as a garbage pail and we must cleanup in coming years. We know how urgently important our ocean eco-systems are to all of our health,” said Mary T. Crowley, Founder Ocean Voyages Institute & Project Kaisei
For more info, visit http://www.projectkaisei.org.
Peter Crowley, Project KaIsei, http://www.projectkaisei.org, +1 (415) 342-2936, [email protected]
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