LIHU‘E — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and wife Dr. Priscilla Chan will gift $50 million over seven years to ocean-conservation research through the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology.
LIHU‘E — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and wife Dr. Priscilla Chan will gift $50 million over seven years to ocean-conservation research through the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology.
The university announced the commitment from the billionaire couple, who own a total of 1,410 acres on Kaua‘i, Wednesday morning.
“This transformative gift will enable our world-class experts to accelerate conservation research for the benefit of Hawai‘i and the world,” UH President David Lassner said in a press release, “The ocean ecosystems that evolved over eons now face unprecedented threats from our growing human population and behaviors.”
Zuckerberg and Chan’s monetary commitment will fund groups within the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, including researchers studying marine organisms, the impact of climate change on Hawaiian coastal waters and methods for more-accurate forecasting of future ocean conditions.
The university announcement also claims the gift will scale-up coral-reef-restoration strategies and further community partnerships and Indigenous resource-management practices while supporting training of “the next generation” of scientists and conservationists.
“Hawai‘i has one of the richest marine ecosystems in the world, and having a deeper understanding of this ecosystem is the key to preserving and protecting it,” Zuckerberg and Chan said through UH.
“We’re honored to support the University of Hawai‘i’s conservation efforts, including their trailblazing research on coral-reef restoration, the impact of climate change on coastal waters and other areas related to the health of our oceans,” they said.
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Scott Yunker, reporter, can be reached at 245-0437 or syunker@thegardenisland.com.
