Schmidt Ocean Institute co-founder highlights partnership with UH-Manoa

MANOA, OAHU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Wendy Schmidt, the well-known philanthropist and co-founder of the Schmidt Ocean Institute, praised the University of Hawaii on Thursday for its efforts to continue to explore the world's ocean and better understand how to conserve marine ecosystems.

Schmidt at UH-Manoa during a video conference with crew members of the research vessel Falkor, which is in waters off Tonga.

The presentation was a display of the state-of-the-art technology the ship is equipped with as it furthers the mission of the institute: To expand humanity's understanding of the oceans and how central their vitality is to the world.

"We have to connect the dots, to show the life they expect to lead in their communities is dependent on the health of the oceans," Schmidt said. "When you get floods in the Midwest United States, it's from the oceans."

Falkor has launched eight scientific cruises from Hawaii in association with UH-Manoa.

She said the university "has been a wonderful partner because Honolulu has been a great jumping off place. The scientists here at the university get what we're trying to do, they're enthusiastic about it" Schmidt said.

That enthusiasm has been spreading to areas where the impact of the ocean's health isn't as apparent in everyday life as it is in Hawaii.

"That's the biggest challenge that we have, is to talk to people who don't live on the coasts," Scmidt said. "So in that sense the public conversation has moved forward, and I believe people are beginning to feel the effect everywhere on the earth."

Schmidt will host a free, public lecture Friday, from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., at UH-Manoa. For more information, click here.