Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory
The Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory (HURL) is a regional undersea research program within the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, in Honolulu. It is considered one of the more important of the independently run undersea research laboratories in the U.S. HURL operated two deep diving submersibles, the Pisces IV and Pisces V and specializes in supporting scientific ocean research and exploration. HURL is actively involved in monitoring deep-sea ecosystems, including coral habitats and fisheries, and conducts maritime archaeology research including documenting World War II wreckage from the Attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. HURL suspended operations after the retirement of the support ship Kaʻimikai-o-Kanaloa, but may resume operations in the future. Science Dive Program The Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory was founded in cooperation with U. S. government's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 1980. HURL became a regional center in NOAA's National Undersea Research Program (NURP). The University of Hawaiʻi had been donated the submersible Makali’i (formerly Star II), which launched HURL's science dive program on July 14, 1981, with its first dive into the Oak Crater in Eniwetok Atoll. This three-month long expedition included scientists from the Defense Nuclear