Anderson to head Oceanic Institute

By Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Education Writer

Bruce Anderson, former state health director under Gov. Ben Cayetano, has been chosen to head the Oceanic Institute, a private, nonprofit aquaculture research institute at Makapu'u Point.

Anderson

Since his departure from the Health Department in 2002 after the election of Gov. Linda Lingle, Anderson has served as Environmental Health Program director at the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawai'i.

Anderson, 52, who takes over his new post Aug. 2, will oversee an institute with a budget of more than $20 million — primarily federal research dollars — and more than 100 scientists conducting cutting-edge aquaculture research that is used extensively in Hawai'i and could play an increasingly important role globally.

"The real challenge is to develop the technologies to support aquaculture around the world," Anderson said. "Thirty percent of the world's seafood is grown in aquaculture facilities and that percentage is growing at a rate of 1 percent a year. It's a huge growth industry and will continue.

"At the same time, restoring damaged fisheries and protecting fish habitats is key to maintaining our quality of life, and perhaps, our survival. OI can play an important role in both."

Anderson's selection was scheduled to be announced this morning by Chatt G. Wright, chairman of the OI board of trustees and president of Hawa'i Pacific University, which formed an affiliation with OI last summer to offer an ocean-based marine educational experience to the college's more than 8,000 students. In turn HPU provides $1 million annually in support of the institute's programs.

Wright called Anderson the "ideal" person for the position, given his expertise in marine and aquaculture sciences and environmental health, in addition to his managerial abilities.

"He has the skills and leadership we need to help put the Oceanic Institute on the map as a world leader in aquaculture development," Wright said.

Anderson said his major focus will be expanding and diversifying the research, building the base of federal grants, providing an enriching experience for students, both undergraduates and graduates as part of ongoing research projects, and expanding the technologies developed at OI internationally.

One of Anderson's first challenges will be to resolve an issue in which the Oceanic Institute overbilled the federal government by $1.05 million in grant reimbursements between 2000 and 2002. OI brought the discrepancy to the attention of granting agencies and has been working with them to find a resolution.

"I'm confident we can continue to work out a settlement agreement that will be favorable to OI and HPU," Anderson said. Wright has said HPU will stand behind anything owed back to the federal government by OI.

"My understanding is that the issue is largely resolved," Anderson said, "and everyone is looking forward to a continued good relationship. When I was director of the state Health Department we were successful in applying for over $200 million in grants and we never had to pay back a dime. One of the strengths I bring to the institute is having some experience in grants management oversight and my intent is to be very thorough in how we monitor our performance under those grants."

Anderson said he will continue to finalize an issue with the state Health Department over wastewater disposal. He said Oceanic Institute has completed and is testing injection wells that have been built as an intermediary system before water goes back into the ocean.

"They allow for natural filtration of seawater as it's returned to the ocean," he said. "It's an approved management measure."

He said OI has submitted a final report to the Health Department, which he hopes will issue a permit once the report is accepted. "We're close to being in compliance," he said.

Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8013.