About 12,000 low-income households across Hawaiʻi rely on Housing Choice Vouchers, commonly known as Section 8, to help pay rent. But a new (糖心视频ERO) report finds the program is facing growing financial pressure as rising rents make it increasingly expensive to help families.

Federal spending on Hawaiʻi鈥檚 tenant-based vouchers more than tripled from about $55 million in 2003 to approximately $170 million in 2024, which represents a 70% increase even after accounting for inflation. Yet the number of families receiving assistance has grown only modestly.

The reason is simple: Hawaiʻi rents have climbed dramatically.

Voucher households generally pay about 30% of their adjusted income toward rent and utilities, with the government covering much of the remaining cost. But as rents rise while many participants鈥� incomes remain relatively flat, taxpayers must cover a growing share of the cost just to maintain assistance for roughly the same number of families.

The stakes extend beyond the families currently receiving help. Only about one in five income-eligible households in Hawaiʻi receives a voucher, leaving thousands of others waiting for assistance that may not become available for years.

“As rents rise, more federal funding is needed just to maintain the program, making it harder to expand assistance to the thousands of Hawaiʻi families still waiting for help,” said lead author JoonYup Park, an assistant professor at 糖心视频ERO and , who holds the Hawaiʻi Community Reinvestment Corporation Professorship in Affordable Housing.

The program is also becoming an increasingly important pathway out of homelessness. About one in five households newly admitted to the program was experiencing homelessness, compared with roughly one in 20 in the mid-2000s.

In addition, receiving a voucher does not automatically mean a family has housing. Households generally have 60 to 120 days to find a rental that meets program requirements and has a landlord willing to accept the voucher. If they cannot, they can lose the voucher and return to the bottom of the waiting list.

Potential solutions

The report points to housing construction as one possible solution. More apartments and other housing can help slow rent increases and create more affordable options for voucher holders, reducing the amount of government assistance needed for each household. Helping families increase their incomes could also reduce reliance on subsidies and eventually free vouchers for others waiting for help.

“This research shows that Hawaiʻi鈥檚 housing affordability challenge cannot be solved by rental assistance alone,” Park said. “We need to think about how housing policy, economic opportunity and the structure of public benefits can work together to give more families a realistic path toward long-term housing stability.”

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糖心视频ERO and the Department of Urban and Regional Planning is housed in 糖心视频 Mānoa鈥檚 .

To help protect 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 vulnerable coastal highways from erosion and rising seas, the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation (HDOT) is launching the Kalaeloa Hybrid Reef Project. Developed by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) via its Reefense Program and the University of Hawaiʻi alongside academic, community and industry partners the project is an example of nature-based coastal engineering—an emerging approach that combines engineered infrastructure with natural ecosystems to protect vulnerable coastlines. The hybrid reef system integrates engineered reef structures with living coral to reduce wave energy, strengthen shorelines and improve coastal resilience. The deployment marks the first large-scale ocean demonstration of the technology, following four years of research and development.

“Success at Kalaeloa could provide a model for protecting vulnerable coastlines throughout Hawaiʻi and beyond,” said HDOT Director Edwin Sniffen. “We鈥檙e not just defending our shorelines, we鈥檙e building a resilient, self-sustaining ecosystem. By partnering with DARPA and 糖心视频, we are helping position Hawaiʻi as a global leader in nature-based coastal engineering.”

Funded by DARPA, the hybrid reef structures were researched, developed and deployed in collaboration with 糖心视频, Makai Engineering, Kuleana Coral Restoration and other partners. Following deployment, ownership of the structures will transfer to HDOT.

The first year of monitoring and maintenance of the project is funded by the State鈥檚 Green Fee program, which supports conservation and environmental initiatives that protect and restore 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 natural resources. The investment supports the first large-scale demonstration of a nature-based alternative to seawalls that aims to reduce coastal erosion, wave damage and storm surge while enhancing marine habitat.

“The Green Fee is about investing in innovative solutions that protect 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 people, natural resources and economy for generations to come,” said Governor Josh Green. “The Kalaeloa Hybrid Reef Project is exactly the kind of forward-thinking partnership we envisioned, bringing together science, innovation and environmental stewardship to strengthen our coastlines while preserving the natural resources that make Hawaiʻi unique.”

“Through Reefense, DARPA is reimagining coastal defense by combining cutting-edge materials science with adaptive biology to protect vital infrastructure and personnel from wave damage, erosion, and severe storms,” said Catherine Campbell, DARPA Reefense Program Manager. “Our collaboration with the University of Hawaiʻi, state leadership, and local partners at Kalaeloa translates high-risk, high-reward defense research into a scalable, real-world solution that safeguards critical transportation corridors while strengthening the surrounding marine ecosystem.”

A 鈥榣iving鈥� breakwater

The Kalaeloa Hybrid Reef is a 糖心视频-developed living breakwater designed to reduce wave energy while improving the natural habitat. The system consists of 60 engineered, porous concrete reef mimicking structures manufactured in Hawaiʻi that dissipate wave energy while allowing water to flow through the reef. Coral settlement modules attached to the structures will support the recruitment and growth of native corals while specially developed biomaterials will repel competing algae and accelerate coral growth. These and other technologies being tested will allow the reef to develop into a healthy, self-sustaining ecosystem over time.

The project site is a degraded area with a hard rock bottom south of Kalaeloa Harbor. Although there is minimal live coral in the project site, work at Kalaeloa will begin with the careful removal of any coral fragments present and preservation of that coral on growing tables near the project area. Next will be installation of the reef structures, attachment of live coral fragments to the structures, and continued scientific monitoring to evaluate their performance.

The deployment is the result of four years of research and development by the Rapid Resilient Reefs for Coastal Defense (R3D) consortium. Led by the 糖心视频 and the , the initiative brings together researchers from five 糖心视频 laboratories, partner universities and local organizations, including Makai Ocean Engineering and Kuleana Coral Restoration.

“Kalaeloa will become a living laboratory where we can evaluate how nature-based coastal engineering performs under real-world ocean conditions,” said Ben Jones, R3D principal investigator and director of ocean science and technology at the 糖心视频 Applied Research Laboratory. “Our goal is to demonstrate that living breakwaters can provide an effective alternative to traditional shoreline hardening and to collect the scientific data needed to guide future coastal resilience projects in Hawaiʻi and around the world.”

Community helps guide long-term stewardship

Once deployed, the Kalaeloa Hybrid Reef will serve as a living laboratory for the emerging field of nature-based coastal engineering, which integrates engineered infrastructure with natural ecosystems. Long-term monitoring will be guided by the newly established Kalaeloa Hybrid Reef Monitoring Hui, a partnership of researchers, agency representatives, community organizations and cultural practitioners that will assess the reef’s environmental, engineering and cultural impacts. This local partnership includes community stakeholders such as the Makakilo-Kapolei-Honokai Hale Neighborhood Board, and the mālama kai organization Hoʻola Hāniʻo.

“This project would not be possible without the partnership of the local community,” said Sniffen. “We are grateful to the organizations and cultural practitioners who have helped shape this effort and will continue to guide its long-term stewardship. Their knowledge and commitment are essential to the project’s success.”

The findings will be shared with regulators, engineers and coastal managers to help inform future shoreline protection projects in Hawaiʻi and elsewhere. If successful, the Kalaeloa Hybrid Reef could provide a scalable, nature-based approach to protecting vulnerable coastlines while advancing the growing field of nature-based coastal engineering.

Building a living reef

The Kalaeloa Hybrid Reef is an example of nature-based coastal engineering, integrating coastal engineering, marine biology and innovative deployment techniques to create a living coastal protection system. 糖心视频 has partnered with University of California San Diego (UCSD) and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO), Florida Atlantic University and Ohio State University on its development.

Engineered reef structures: The foundation relies on specifically designed concrete reef structures designed by Ocean and Resources Engineering at 糖心视频 cast by Kapolei-based firms Jensen Infrastructure and GPRM Prestress, located less than two miles from the deployment site. In large-scale wave-flume tests, these model breakwaters successfully reduced incoming wave energy by more than 80% while remaining stable during extreme conditions.

3D-printed coral habitat: To kickstart the living reef, the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology developed 3D-printed ceramic modules featuring small, spiral-shaped shelters called “helix recesses.” Experiments in Kāneʻohe Bay showed that these crevices yielded an 80-fold increase in baby coral settlement and up to a 50-fold increase in survival rates compared to flat surfaces.

Biomaterials: Researchers at the UCSD have developed novel materials that reduce algae competition while allowing for coral to grow on the structures. Other materials provision the juvenile coral with nutrients needed in their early life stages.

Acoustic Enrichment: Researchers at UCSD–SIO have recorded sounds of healthy reefs that will be broadcast near the living breakwater to encourage algae-grazing fish to the site.

Low-impact deployment: To minimize disruption to the marine environment during deployment, Makai Ocean Engineering has developed a shallow-water catamaran, eliminating the need for heavy crane barges. Additionally, the structures will be anchored using a novel rotary micropiling system, which significantly reduces the anchoring footprint and sound pollution compared with traditional pile drivers.

A University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 study of high school football injuries nationwide found that a rule designed to reduce dangerous hits to the head did not lead to an increase in leg injuries, a potential consequence student researchers set out to examine.

The targeting rule, adopted in 2014, prohibits players from initiating forceful contact above an opponent鈥檚 shoulders. (JABSOM) students Nolan Tanji, Cameron Nishida, Philip Lee and Sasha Rovinsky wanted to know whether efforts to avoid the head and neck were causing players to tackle lower and shifting injuries to the legs.

“We were just thinking as people are avoiding the head and neck, they’re going to be tackling lower in the body, so maybe the injury burden might be getting shifted lower in the body,” Tanji said.

Thousands of injuries analyzed

The researchers analyzed high school football injuries among athletes ages 14–18 using a national database containing emergency department data from more than 100 hospitals across the country. They compared injuries from the five years before the targeting rule with the five years after it took effect.

The team reviewed more than 14,000 entries to determine how the injuries occurred.

Researchers identified 7,315 lower-extremity injury cases before the rule and 5,611 afterward. When used to estimate national totals, the numbers declined from about 242,000 injuries to 193,000.

“It was really surprising,” Tanji said. “It was something that was the complete 180 from what we were expecting before analyzing the data.”

The researchers cautioned that the targeting rule cannot be credited with causing the decline. Changes in training, injury prevention and equipment technology may have contributed.

The study also found that knee injuries represented a slightly larger share of lower-extremity injuries after the rule took effect, while the proportion involving collisions between players increased. The researchers said those findings warrant further study.

The database included only injuries treated in emergency departments and did not identify which positions the injured athletes played.

“It’s not completely safe but, you know, it’s looking promising for the future in terms of injuries in football,” Tanji said.

Investigating a hidden environmental health threat across Hawaiʻi—pollutants left behind by decades of agricultural and industrial activity, and whether wildfires and other disasters can bring those contaminants back into the environment and into people鈥檚 bodies—is the focus of a new University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai-led research project that received a five-year, $3.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The new study builds directly on the (MauiWES), 糖心视频鈥檚 longitudinal health study (a health study that follows participants over time) established after the 2023 Maui wildfires, and will expand that work to understand how Hawaiʻi鈥檚 historical environmental contamination may be affecting communities today.

The highly competitive NIH R01 grant, funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), will establish the Health and Environment Assessment Longitudinal (HEAL) cohort, following 1,000 Hawaiʻi residents over five years. It will be the first systematic investigation in Hawaiʻi of heart and lung health risks associated with these legacy pollutants, including arsenic, lead, dioxins and others related to “forever” chemicals.

The project, Impact of Legacy Pollutants on Cardiopulmonary Health Following Natural Disasters, is led by principal investigators Alika Maunakea, professor at the (JABSOM), Ruben Juarez, –HMSA Distinguished Endowed Professor of Health Economics at 糖心视频 Mānoa, and Alison Lee, a physician-scientist with ties to Hawaiʻi at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Hawaiʻi鈥檚 past may still be affecting health today

For generations, sugarcane shaped Hawaiʻi鈥檚 economy, communities and landscape. But that history also left behind contaminants that can remain in the environment for decades. Former agricultural areas may contain arsenic, lead, dioxins and other mixtures. Arsenic was historically used in pesticides and in canec, a sugarcane-based construction material once widely used in Hawaiʻi homes and buildings. The concern is not only what remains in the ground, but what happens when these hazards are spread by flood or wildfires.

The 2023 Maui wildfires burned homes, buildings and infrastructure in communities with a long agricultural history. Researchers want to understand whether intense fires can disturb contaminants that have remained in soil or older structures for decades, creating new pathways of human exposure.

“Hawaiʻi has environmental exposures that are deeply connected to our history, but we still know remarkably little about what they mean for health today,” Maunakea said. “MauiWES gave us an unprecedented window into what happens to health after a major wildfire. Now we can build on that foundation to ask a bigger question: Are pollutants left in our environment decades ago still affecting people today, and can disasters bring those risks back to the surface?”

MauiWES to a statewide environmental health study

The new cohort will build on the infrastructure, community partnerships and scientific foundation developed through MauiWES while expanding the research beyond wildfire exposure alone.

Over five years, researchers plan to enroll 1,000 people across four groups: people with little-known exposure to wildfire or legacy pollutants; residents near former sugarcane lands; people exposed to wildfire but with lower expected exposure to legacy pollutants; and people exposed to both wildfire and legacy pollutants.

Researchers will combine soil and water testing, biological samples, heart and lung assessments, community-engaged citizen science, and geographic mapping to answer important questions: What is in the environment, is it getting into people, and is it affecting their health? They will examine outcomes including lung function, blood pressure and inflammation.

“Wildfires can burn homes and infrastructure and disturb contaminants that have been sitting in our environment for generations,” Juarez said. “By connecting environmental samples with what we find in people鈥檚 bodies and their health, we can begin to understand that full chain of exposure. This can help us design approaches to mitigate such exposures and improve the health of our community.”

Finding Hawaiʻi鈥檚 hidden contamination with national implications

One major goal is to identify potential contamination hotspots near former sugarcane areas and determine whether people living near those areas have higher levels of pollutants in their soil, water or biological samples. Researchers will then examine whether those exposures are associated with poorer heart and lung health and whether legacy pollutants help explain some of the health effects associated with wildfire exposure.

“Most environmental health studies look at one exposure at a time,” Lee said. “But communities experience many exposures together. Hawaiʻi gives us an important opportunity to understand what happens when a major disaster occurs on top of decades of existing environmental contamination.”

The implications extend far beyond the islands. Across the U.S., wildfires are increasingly reaching communities where homes, vehicles, industrial materials and historical contamination can all become part of the disaster environment. The researchers hope the study can ultimately help Hawaiʻi identify where contamination remains, who may be most exposed and what can be done before the next disaster occurs—while providing a model for other communities facing similar risks nationwide.

The NIH R01 grant, funded by NIEHS, is under award number 1R01ES038296.

If you are trying to detect or bait little fire ants in your backyard, scientists at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa suggest swapping tuna for cooked beef and sunflower seeds.

The study, published in the , by researchers at the 糖心视频 Mānoa (CTAHR) revealed that the little fire ant鈥檚 (Allomerus auropunctatus, formerly known as Wasmannia auropunctata) preferred diet is not what scientists and homeowners previously thought. In laboratory food-choice tests, the tiny, stinging pests overwhelmingly chose cooked beef and sunflower seeds over water-packed tuna.

One of the world鈥檚 most damaging invasive species

The findings can help researchers and agencies managing invasive ants refine the food lures used for surveillance and bait development for little fire ants, one of the world鈥檚 top 100 most damaging invasive species. Little fire ants are established on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi Island, Maui and Kauaʻi, where they sting adults, keiki and kūpuna, damage food crops, and cause painful eye injuries in pets.

Community members often use food lures by placing chopsticks dabbed with peanut butter or tuna around yards to test for infestations. However, if the lure is less appealing than other competing food sources, fewer ants would be attracted to it, leading people to underestimate the infestation鈥檚 size.

Expanding menu of food lures

The research team from CTAHR鈥檚 Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences (PEPS) evaluated worker ant behavior across 24 foods rich in protein-lipid, carbohydrates or fatty lipids in laboratory choice experiments to identify top attractants:

• Cooked beef and raw sunflower seeds were by far the favorites.
• Honey dominated the carbohydrate category.
• Water-packed tuna and peanut butter with the oil removed performed the worst.

The study shows that oil-depleted versions lack the critical lipids (fats) that little fire ants prefer.

“These findings build on and expand the food-lure approaches currently used in Hawaiʻi,” said Jia-Wei Tay, associate professor of urban entomology in PEPS.

The research was led by Aradhana Shrestha, a master’s student in PEPS, and Tay, and funded in part by the Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa has been awarded $999,997 from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to build a Tunable Photoionization Chemical Dynamics Facility—a powerful scientific facility that lets researchers closely examine chemical reactions, helping them understand not just what chemicals are produced and what happens during chemical reactions, but exactly how and why the reactions happen.

With the new facility, 糖心视频 researchers will be able to uncover the hidden processes behind chemical reactions—knowledge that could help advance cleaner energy technologies and lead to future scientific discoveries.

The new facility will bring together key chemical technologies under one roof:

• Tunable high-power lasers (powerful adjustable lasers used to precisely study molecules)
• Molecular-beam experiments (controlled streams of molecules used to study chemical reactions)
• Isomer-selective photoionization (a technique that distinguishes between molecules with the same ingredients but different structures)
• A chemical microreactor (a small device used to conduct chemical reactions under controlled conditions)
• Machine-learning-accelerated simulations (computer simulations that use AI to speed up predictions)

“This is an opportunity to build a novel capability from the ground up鈥攐ne that will be unique in the United States,” 糖心视频 Mānoa Professor Ralf I. Kaiser said. “We want to understand chemical reactions not simply by looking at what comes out at the end, but by determining the molecular processes that lead to the products we observe.”

Revealing how strong chemical bonds break

The facility鈥檚 first major research project will tackle a fundamental question with implications for cleaner energy technologies: How does hydrogen help break strong carbon–sulfur (C–S) bonds in sulfur-containing compounds widely found in petroleum-derived fuels?

Breaking strong C–S bonds could help improve cleaner fuel production, but scientists still do not fully understand how hydrogen helps break them. Researchers will investigate this process using precisely controlled clusters of titanium, aluminum and boron. By combining laboratory experiments, computer simulations and machine learning, the team aims to understand not just whether these bonds break, but why and how different chemical pathways make the reactions possible.

The project is led by Kaiser, with Professor Rui Sun, a former 糖心视频 Mānoa chemistry faculty member now at Iowa State University, serving as co-principal investigator, and Peng Xu of Ames National Laboratory as a collaborator.

“The power of this approach is that experiment and computation can work together,” Sun said. “The experiments tell us what the molecules are doing, while advanced simulations allow us to understand the underlying pathways and predict how changes in molecular structure can influence the reaction.”

A new scientific asset for Hawaiʻi and the nation

The DOE investment will establish a nationally unique research capability and creates a foundation for future studies of molecular reaction dynamics. For Hawaiʻi, the facility will expand advanced scientific infrastructure and provide undergraduate students, graduate students and postdoctoral researchers with hands-on training in molecular reaction dynamics, laser-based experimentation, photoionization, molecular-beam science, chemical microreactors and computational chemistry.

“This facility gives us the ability to ask questions that are extremely difficult to answer with conventional approaches,” Kaiser said. “We are building the experimental capability first, and that opens the door to discoveries that go beyond this initial research problem.”

The project will build not only new instrumentation, but also the scientific workforce needed to use and advance it. The collaboration with Ames National Laboratory will connect 糖心视频 Mānoa to the DOE national laboratory system and brings national-laboratory expertise into development of the new facility.

The project is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Basic Energy Sciences, Gas-Phase Chemical Physics program, through DOE EPSCoR, and by the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Scholarship.

The Department of Chemistry is housed in 糖心视频 Mānoa‘s .

Hurricane Lowell鈥檚 close passage west of Kauaʻi and Niʻihau brought damaging winds, heavy rainfall with more than 23 inches recorded on Mount Waiʻaleʻale, and dangerous surf. To understand the storm’s full impact, a University of Hawaiʻi team reconstructed Hurricane Lowell hour by hour across Kauaʻi and the state using observations from the Hawaiʻi Mesonet, a statewide network of weather stations, alongside experimental high-resolution mapping tools.

Users can visit the newly launched Hurricane Lowell website to explore interactive wind and rainfall maps, station observations and satellite storm replays.

The most striking weather signal during the storm was the wind. At Līhuʻe Airport, the highest measured hourly average wind speed reached 56 mph late on September 7. However, because 碍补耻补ʻ颈鈥檚 weather stations are concentrated primarily at lower elevations, experimental high-resolution modeling was used to estimate conditions across remote terrain. The models suggest that winds over exposed high-elevation ridges were much stronger, locally exceeding 100 mph as the island鈥檚 steep topography accelerated airflow over ridges and through valleys.

Rainfall on Windward Oahu, Mount Waiʻaleʻale, Kauaʻi’s north shore

Rainfall across the western islands was also substantial throughout the event. On September 6, rainfall amounts of 5 inches or more along the Koʻolau Ridge sent flood waters down Waikāne and Waiahole Valleys on Oʻahu, forcing the closure of Kamehameha Highway.

On September 7, nearly all of Kauaʻi received more than 2 inches of rain, with many areas exceeding 5 inches. High-elevation and north shore sensors show Mount Waiʻaleʻale recorded more than 23 inches of rain on September 7, accumulating nearly 36 inches over the full three-day storm period. Meanwhile, on 碍补耻补ʻ颈鈥檚 north shore, where rising river waters forced the closure of Hanalei Bridge, the Hawaiʻi Mesonet stations at Waipā and Lower Limahuli recorded more than 14 and 17 inches of rainfall, respectively, during the storm.

Coastal impacts and interactive storm replay

The report also references information from Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System (PacIOOS) on the significant coastal hazards brought by the storm. Large surf and storm surge impacted south- and west-facing shores of Kauaʻi as the hurricane tracked to the west.

To make these complex meteorological observations accessible to the public and emergency responders, the 糖心视频 team launched a dedicated Hurricane Lowell website. The site features interactive graphics that allow users to follow Lowell鈥檚 winds and rainfall through time, compare ground station observations with mapped estimates, and replay the storm using Hawaiʻi Mesonet measurements integrated with Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-West satellite imagery.

A novel wastewater treatment solution currently undergoing evaluation at the Wahiawā Wastewater Treatment Plant on Oʻahu could offer a crucial, cost-effective path forward as Hawaiʻi faces a massive statewide infrastructure overhaul.

The Hawaiʻi Onsite Wastewater Technology Evaluation Program (HOWTEP) was officially launched during the Wastewater Innovation Tech Showcase on August 26, at the Wahiawā Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Executed by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (WRRC), HOWTEP is a three-year pilot testing program funded by companion bills and . WRRC evaluates innovative systems and provides evaluation reports to the Hawaiʻi Department of Health to support their decision-making and certification process. This directly accelerates the commercialization and approval of affordable wastewater technologies.

The initiative advances accessible, decentralized wastewater solutions to help property owners meet the mandate requiring the replacement, conversion or closure of nearly 88,000 cesspools across the state by January 1, 2050. Beyond system certification, HOWTEP serves as a multi-purpose hub for WRRC to conduct research, offer hands-on student training and perform community outreach.

Honu Hub

Honu Hub, which is supported by a $5 million National Science Foundation grant, is the first technology to be evaluated under the HOWTEP platform. It is led by Assistant Professor Zhiyue Wang (WRRC and Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering), Professor and Director Tao Yan (WRRC and Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering) and Professor Daniel Yeh (University of South Florida).

Honu Hub is a decentralized wastewater treatment system designed to process sewage completely above ground. By packing its technology into a compact 52-square-foot space—roughly the size of a standard garden shed—the unit eliminates the need for expensive heavy machinery, extensive excavation and costly landscape restoration.

For many homeowners, replacing a cesspool with a conventional septic system costs between $30,000 and $50,000—a financial burden amplified by difficult terrain, high water tables and tight lot boundaries. Honu Hub was engineered as an affordable alternative designed to drastically lower these conversion costs.

“The WRRC team鈥檚 role in this is to help with research and development to improve the technology and study the fate and transport of emerging contaminants in this system,” Wang said.

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The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa has received a $2 million award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to lead a multi-institutional effort to develop artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled tools that can help detect environmental threats to food production systems before they become major problems. The effort comes as public health officials continue to investigate foodborne illness outbreaks tied to cyclospora, underscoring the need for faster, more proactive approaches to identifying potential threats in the food supply.

The $4 million NSF Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Track II Focused EPSCoR Collaboration (FEC) award is led by 糖心视频 Mānoa in partnership with the University of Nebraska鈥揕incoln. 糖心视频鈥檚 portion of the award is $2 million, with the four-year project starting September 1, 2026. This marks only the second time 糖心视频 has received an NSF EPSCoR Track II FEC award.

Team of experts to cross variety of fields

The project will combine AI, environmental sampling, advanced genetic analysis and high-resolution chemical analysis to identify and monitor potential risks to aquaculture, livestock and agricultural systems.

Led by principal investigator Tao Yan, director of the (WRRC) and professor in the , the project brings together researchers from across 糖心视频, including WRRC, College of Engineering, 糖心视频 Cancer Center, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology and College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience.

“Food production systems are increasingly challenged by microbial pathogens and chemical contaminants that can threaten animal health, food safety and economic sustainability,” Yan said. “By combining environmental surveillance with AI, we aim to develop early-warning technologies that can identify emerging risks before they reach critical levels. This collaboration will strengthen Hawaiʻi鈥檚 and Nebraska鈥檚 research capacity while preparing the next generation of scientists and engineers to address complex challenges in food security.”

Creating a proactive approach

Current monitoring methods often identify problems only after disease outbreaks occur or contaminants have reached harmful levels. The project aims to create a proactive approach by continuously analyzing environmental data to detect warning signs earlier.

Researchers will develop new AI models capable of interpreting complex biological and chemical data, including information from metagenomics (the study of genetic material collected from environmental samples) and high-resolution mass spectrometry, which identifies chemical compounds.

The research team will test the technologies in aquaculture and beef cattle production systems, with the goal of improving food safety, protecting animal health and increasing the resilience of food production systems.

The collaboration will support STEM education and workforce development by providing research opportunities for junior faculty members, graduate and undergraduate students, and K–12 participants. Outreach efforts will engage industry partners, regulators and communities to encourage adoption of new technologies.

The partnership builds research capacity in two EPSCoR jurisdictions (Hawaiʻi and Nebraska) while establishing a long-term collaboration focused on using AI and biotechnology to address food system challenges.

When a star reaches its final stages of life, it ends in a bright and powerful explosion called a supernova and scatters material across the universe. A new study led by a University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researcher discovered that the Moon鈥檚 mixed-up soil can be read as a cosmic time capsule for exploding stars.

Emily Costello, research scientist at the in the 糖心视频 Mānoa (SOEST), and co-authors developed a mathematical model to decode the history recorded in the lunar surface.

“Deep-sea deposits on Earth preserve interstellar debris, but only back about 10 million years,” Costello said. “The lunar regolith [soil], however, acts as a long-term cosmic archive that can preserve history spanning 80 to 100 million years or more. Understanding the physics of regolith mixing ensures that when future astronauts return deeper cores, we can properly read the scrambled layers to reconstruct the history of our Solar System’s journey through the galaxy.”

Finding order in chaos

Costello and co-authors developed a specialized mathematical model that unscrambles “impact gardening,” the continuous process where crater-forming impacts flip, mix and redistribute the Moon’s surface soil over time. This is a highly random process driven by meteorites ranging in size from microscopic grains of dust to giant asteroids.

“Our mathematical model treats lunar impact gardening as a competition between forces burying the soil and impacts digging it back up,” Costello said. “It also accounts for radioactive decay of the star remnants while mapping exactly when and where new stardust was delivered by episodic supernovas.”

Validating the model

Based on radioactive isotopes in deep-sea sediments on Earth and in lunar soil samples returned by Apollo, it is known that supernova explosions hundreds of light-years away scattered radioisotopes across the Earth and Moon. But once the radioisotopes arrived, they started getting mixed into the lunar surface by impact gardening.

The team discovered that the model can accurately predict the depth-concentration profiles of iron found in Apollo regolith samples. They then extended the model to predict how other heavy elements, such as plutonium, iodine, hafnium and curium, are buried over time.

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A new project led by the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 will use artificial intelligence (AI) to help predict how rising seas and stronger storms could threaten coastal freshwater supplies and ecosystems.

Associate Professor Jonghyun “Harry” Lee of the 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补 and has been awarded a under its Collaborations in Artificial Intelligence and Geosciences program. 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补 will serve as the lead institution on a three-year, nearly $1 million collaborative project, alongside the University of Texas at Austin, to advance AI applications in geoscience.

Rising seas, stronger storms, saltwater contamination of freshwater resources and coastal ecosystem degradation pose increasing threats to coastal communities. These environmental pressures impact drinking water supplies, agriculture, infrastructure, local economies and daily life for millions of people.

To address these challenges, the joint project will develop fast, accessible AI models to better understand how water exchanges between coastal aquifers and the ocean. By combining recent advances in AI with traditional environmental modeling, the team aims to predict critical coastal risks鈥攕uch as seawater intrusion into freshwater aquifers and freshwater flowing from land into the ocean鈥攆aster and more accurately.

“This project will improve our understanding and prediction of how groundwater and the ocean interact in Hawaiʻi鈥檚 coastal aquifers, helping communities better protect freshwater resources and coastal ecosystems from challenges, such as seawater intrusion and coastal inundation,” principal investigator Lee said.

Advancing coastal science through next-gen AI

The researchers will develop a new system that combines AI with proven physics models to better understand coastal water systems. This approach creates high-speed 鈥渟urrogate models鈥� capable of running complex simulations of groundwater and ocean interactions at a fraction of the cost, while preserving essential physics laws at the land-sea boundary.

Key features and goals of the project include:

• Flexible AI architecture: Combining different AI tools to analyze both long-term ocean patterns and short-term events, such as storm surges.
• Real-world testing: Validating models on benchmark applications in Hawaiʻi and Texas coastal systems.
• Near-real-time forecasts: Enabling rapid assessments of seawater intrusion and coastal groundwater discharge to support digital twin models of complex ecosystems.
• Practical decision tools: Providing actionable insights to guide water management, infrastructure planning and long-term coastal resilience.
• Open science and education: Developing open-source software, interactive visualization tools, and interdisciplinary training for students and early-career researchers.

“Students and postdocs working on this project will be supported by hands-on research and training at the intersection of groundwater hydrology, coastal science, computational modeling, and artificial intelligence, preparing them for careers addressing Hawaiʻi鈥檚 water and environmental challenges,” Lee stated.

The (COH) in the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa鈥檚 is marking its 50th anniversary, commemorating five decades of preserving the state鈥檚 history through first-person accounts. Since its founding, the center has archived more than 1,200 personal, multi-ethnic accounts from Native Hawaiian and local populations, spanning historic events, cultural traditions and everyday life.

Preserving Hawaiʻi voices

As one of the nation鈥檚 oldest oral history institutions, COH serves as a critical bridge between generations. Its collection features documented accounts of how past generations navigated major environmental, social and economic shifts. Today, this archive provides unique insights for policymakers, educators and youth who are addressing contemporary island challenges such as food security, shoreline preservation and cultural sustainability.

“Our textbooks offer facts, but it is the recorded voices of our k奴puna that capture the true resilience and spirit of Hawaiʻi,” said Mary Kunmi Yu Danico, COH director. “As our islands evolve rapidly, preserving this collective memory ensures that future generations have a cultural and historical roadmap to guide them.”

Join in anniversary events

In celebration of its 50th anniversary milestone, the center is hosting a series of educational workshops and outreach events across the state. The events open to the general public include:

• August to November: Oral history community consultation meetings.
• September 22, 2026: (Time TBA) Livestreaming of Museum of Korean Emigration Exhibit in Incheon, South Korea, on the Korean Prisoners of War at Honouliuli (research from National Parks Service).
• October 16, 2026: 4–9 p.m. Livestreaming of the 50th Anniversary Celebration. Music, Art, Poetry and Talk story. Opportunities to sponsor.
• Late October/Early November: (TBD) Kahoʻolawe Aloha ʻĀina Oral History Project launch (public talk in conjunction with the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana鈥檚 50th anniversary).
• November (TBD): Kauaʻi 1924 Hanapēpē Strike Event.
• November 9–22: Oral History Talks and Workshops: Video streamed on YouTube regarding Kosovo-Fulbright Specialist award.

To ensure these vital preservation efforts continue in perpetuity, COH is inviting the community —effectively preserving the past for the future.

For more information about the upcoming anniversary events, .

Related 糖心视频 News stories:

• Preserving Maui鈥檚 stories: 糖心视频 Center for Oral History lands $538K in new funding, August 13, 2026
• Lahainaluna boarding stories preserved in new 糖心视频 oral history collection, April 13, 2025
• 糖心视频 students preserve Waialeʻe鈥檚 cultural legacy through oral history project, December 4, 2023

Set to launch on August 30, NASA鈥檚 Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will begin a mission to capture sweeping views of the universe on a scale never before possible, studying billions of stars, distant galaxies, and worlds beyond our solar system. Decades of University of Hawaiʻi innovation are set to launch with it.

“Roman is going to completely transform our view of our home galaxy, the Milky Way,” said Dan Huber, an astronomer at the (IfA) at 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补 who will watch the launch at NASA鈥檚 Kennedy Space Center in Florida alongside several IfA colleagues.

糖心视频鈥檚 influence on the mission stretches from the telescope鈥檚 technology to the science it will produce. Technology developed by IfA researchers sits at the heart of Roman鈥檚 massive camera. 糖心视频 astronomers helped shape how the telescope will study the Milky Way, are building tools to turn its images into usable science, and will lead projects exploring exploding stars, mysterious dimming stars, and the expansion of the universe.

This work builds on the international reputation of the IfA, one of the world鈥檚 premier astronomy programs. 糖心视频 researchers have helped advance astronomy from Hawaiʻi for decades, including developing technology used on Maunakea, where astronomical research has consistently ranked among the world鈥檚 most scientifically influential.

Mapping the Milky Way

Roman鈥檚 mirror is the same size as that of its famous predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope, but its huge camera has a field of view 100 times larger. Its infrared vision will allow astronomers to peer through dust and survey huge areas of the sky much more efficiently.

Huber co-chaired the committee that helped define one of Roman鈥檚 three major surveys. Roman is expected to image more than 20 billion stars, providing an unprecedented look at the structure and history of the Milky Way. Huber will use tiny changes in stars鈥� brightness, known as “starquakes,” to help determine the masses and ages of stars near the center of our galaxy and uncover clues about how it formed.

糖心视频 eyes the universe

Five 糖心视频-led research programs were selected in the mission鈥檚 first highly competitive round, bringing more than $1 million to 糖心视频 researchers.

Two are led by Institute for Astronomy graduate students Cameron Pfeffer and Willem Hoogendam. Both will study supernovae鈥攅xploding stars used to measure vast distances across the universe.

“These students competed directly with senior researchers around the world and are among the few graduate students selected globally to lead Roman science programs,” said IfA astronomer Chris Ashall, a co-principal investigator on both student projects.

糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补 physicist David Rubin is also helping build core software that will turn Roman鈥檚 raw supernova images into precise measurements of the universe鈥檚 expansion.

Professor Eric Gaidos will lead another 糖心视频 program searching Roman data for rare stars that mysteriously fade for months at a time. Astronomers think some of these events happen when clouds of dust pass in front of aging stars, possibly revealing dramatic events in their planetary systems.

糖心视频 Institute for Astronomy researcher Kartheik Iyer will lead a Roman science program examining how galaxies form and evolve.

“Looking at the Milky Way in the context of large populations of galaxies allows us to understand exactly how our own galaxy is unique,” said Iyer, who recently joined IfA as an assistant professor. “That gives us perspective on how systems like our solar system and Earth fit into the larger landscape of the universe.”

Hawaiʻi technology in space

糖心视频鈥檚 connection to Roman began decades before launch.

Roman鈥檚 wide-field camera contains 18 advanced infrared sensors descended from HAWAII detector technology developed by IfA researchers led by Klaus Hodapp and the late Don Hall. Early versions were tested on the 糖心视频 2.2-meter telescope on Maunakea in the 1990s.

• Related 糖心视频 News story: Ground-breaking 糖心视频-designed sensors aboard NASA鈥檚 historic space telescope, December 20, 2021

The technology later reached the Hubble and James Webb space telescopes. Roman鈥檚 300-million-pixel camera represents its most advanced generation yet.

“It鈥檚 exciting to see 糖心视频 contributing to Roman鈥檚 supernova cosmology at every level, from that foundational pipeline to the individual science programs it will support,” Rubin said.

In a major boost for global health, the ‘s Body Composition Laboratory has earned an international designation from the (IAEA).

As one of only eight Collaborating Centres worldwide—and the only one dedicated to nutrition—the lab is set to pioneer cutting-edge research and training in body composition assessment, addressing critical factors like obesity in the global fight against cancer.

Led by laboratory Director and 糖心视频 Cancer Center Chief Scientific Officer John Shepherd, the laboratory will work with the IAEA through 2030 to standardize body composition assessment techniques, including methods to measure body fat, lean mass and total body water; host technical workshops; conduct collaborative research; and provide specialized clinical and technical training and resources to IAEA member countries. The need for such training is urgent because obesity is associated with approximately 20% of all cancers.

“The designation of Dr. Shepherd’s lab as an IAEA Collaborating Centre places it within a small but elite international network and reaffirms the quality of research conducted at the 糖心视频 Cancer Center,” said Chad B. Walton, 糖心视频 interim vice president for research and innovation. “It also helps to strengthen the distinct advantages that 糖心视频 has in serving the needs of the Pacific region while expanding opportunities to contribute to—and benefit from—global collaboration, knowledge sharing, and advances in cancer research through the IAEA network.”

International partnership expands Pacific reach

The IAEA is the world’s central intergovernmental forum for scientific and technical cooperation in the nuclear field. It designates Collaborating Centres to conduct research, development and training.

The IAEA presented the laboratory’s official plaque during an August 26 ceremony at the 糖心视频 Cancer Center.

“This designation represents a partnership, recognizing expertise that already exists here, while reflecting a shared commitment to extending this expertise to not only the Pacific but the wider global community,” Alford said.

The designation aligns with the 糖心视频 Cancer Center’s responsibility for its catchment area, which includes Hawaiʻi and the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands. As one of only 74 National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers, the 糖心视频 Cancer Center’s catchment area spans approximately 7 million square miles and includes more than 2 million people.

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A team of researchers led by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa has uncovered a faster way that large carbon-based molecules may form in space, helping solve a long-standing mystery about how some of the building blocks of the universe grow.

The study, and first-authored by chemistry graduate student Shane Goettl identifies a new chemical process that could explain the rapid formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)—large molecules made of carbon and hydrogen that are found throughout the universe, from dying stars to clouds of gas between stars.

Scientists have known these molecules are abundant in space, but existing theories could not explain how they formed quickly enough to match what telescopes observe or the material space missions returned from carbonaceous asteroids such as Ryugu.

Faster chemical process

The research shows that a newly identified chemical reaction can build these complex molecules much faster than previously thought. Rather than adding carbon atoms one at a time, the process allows several new chemical bonds to form in a single step, speeding up the growth of larger molecules.

The team demonstrated the process in laboratory experiments that recreated the extremely high temperatures found around aging stars and other energetic environments in space. The reactions produced several large PAHs that had been predicted, but were difficult to explain using older models.

The discovery could improve scientists鈥� understanding of how carbon evolves in the universe and how increasingly complex molecules are created. Those molecules are believed to play an important role in the chemistry of stars, planets and the material that eventually forms solar systems.

“This discovery changes how we think these large carbon molecules are built,” said Professor Ralf I. Kaiser. “For years, we knew they existed in enormous numbers throughout space, but we couldn鈥檛 explain how nature produced them so efficiently. We鈥檝e now identified a much faster pathway that helps connect the smallest carbon molecules to the complex structures found across the universe.”

The research was led by 糖心视频 Mānoa in collaboration with researchers in Taiwan (Agnes Chang) and the synchrotron facility SOLEIL in France (Laurent Nahon).

The Department of Chemistry is housed in 糖心视频 Mānoa鈥檚 .

While long-term data shows that Hawaiʻi is getting drier overall, short, intense downpours that cause sudden, dangerous flash floods are getting stronger in the islands, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

Published in the , the research from the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience (CTAHR) is the first comprehensive study to analyze extreme hourly rainfall patterns across the state over 50 years (1966鈥�2020). The team examined decades of hourly data from 117 rain gauges across Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Maui and Hawaiʻi Island, uncovering climate trends that traditional 24-hour daily averages often miss.

Bursts of intense rain

In steep, mountain-filled tropical watersheds like 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚, bursts of intense rain lasting one to six hours can overwhelm stream channels and storm drains before emergency alerts are even issued.

“If we want to understand extreme weather, like storms and floods, we really need to look at short-duration, high-temporal-resolution data rather than daily or monthly averages,” said Professor Yinphan Tsang of CTAHR鈥檚 Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management and the principal investigator.

The study鈥檚 major findings include:

• Common heavy rains, happening once every two years, are generally becoming less intense across the state.
• Short, sudden bursts of rain lasting one to three hours—the severe storms that usually occur only once every 20 to 100 years—are getting significantly stronger.
• Storms lasting 6 hours or longer are weakening more noticeably than shorter one- to three-hour storms.

Researchers noted that rainfall trends vary widely even between neighboring areas. Because of 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 unique mountains and island terrain, rainfall intensity can increase in one neighborhood while decreasing just a few miles away.

Researchers also identified two distinct peaks when Hawaiʻi is most vulnerable to extreme hourly rain events: October through December and February through March. These heavy rains are overall driven by cold fronts, Kona storms and other winter weather systems moving through the islands. The extreme events occurring from February through March, near the end of the wet season, were unexpected and could take people by surprise. Other systems, such as tropical storms, could also bring extreme rainfall during the summer season.

Vital data for climate adaptation

The findings offer updates for emergency responders, county planners and infrastructure design.

The study was a collaborative effort at 糖心视频 Mānoa bringing together experts from CTAHR, the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, the College of Social Sciences and the Water Resources Research Center. The research was primarily compiled by Maxime Gayte with co-authors including faculty members Professor Yinphan Tsang, Professor Pao-Shin Chu (Hawaiʻi State Climatologist), Professor Thomas W. Giambelluca, Jr., Researcher Yu-Fen Huang, and Researcher Hanpei Zhang.

A University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo graduate student studying a surprising connection between ʻ艒pelu (mackerel scad) and kohol膩 (humpback whales) earned top honors at the 2026 Hawaiʻi Conservation Conference. Her research could help scientists better understand how recovering humpback whale populations contribute nutrients to Hawaiʻi‘s marine food webs and fisheries.

Breeann Andrade received the Graduate Student Presentation Award for Best Outstanding Oral Presentation for research examining whether ʻ艒pelu change their feeding habits during humpback whale season, including whether they consume skin naturally shed by the whales.

Andrade, who earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in marine science from 糖心视频 Hilo, is now a graduate student in the university鈥檚 graduate program. During whale and non-whale seasons, she is studying ʻ艒pelu collected from Hilo, Kona and Maui Nui, the region encompassing Maui, Molokaʻi, 尝腻苍补ʻ颈 and Kahoʻolawe. In the lab, she analyzes what the fish eat and looks for chemical clues that can help reveal where their nutrients come from.

“I feel honored that this project allows me to uplift ʻike k奴puna/kuʻuna (ancestral knowledge/tradition) and the ancestors that were researchers long before me on a larger scale,” Andrade said. “I want the information to make its way back to the people who can use it, and not just stay in academia, because I do believe that caring and taking care of Hawaiʻi is a k膩kou (we) thing.”

More 糖心视频 standouts

Andrade was not the only 糖心视频 student recognized at the conference. students Charlotte Bender, James Lee, Keala Kaaloa and Xander Nakamura earned the Outstanding Undergraduate Student Poster Presentation Award for a decade of student-led research monitoring Manu o K奴 nesting on their campus. Their work has helped document nesting changes, guide tree trimming around active nests and contribute information to conservation databases.

To learn more about Andrade鈥檚 research and how she studies ʻ艒pelu in the field and lab, go to .

—By Susan Enright

Three University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 (JABSOM) students are exploring ways to expand access to specialized orthopedic care across the Pacific, where patients often travel hundreds or thousands of miles for treatment.

Students Philip Lee, Sasha Rovinsky and Mason Caldwell published their research in the . The study examines approaches Pacific Island nations are using to strengthen local orthopedic care.

Bringing care closer to home

The researchers identified three primary approaches: overseas referrals, traveling surgical teams and “train-in-place” programs, in which experienced orthopedic surgeons work with local physicians over several years to develop surgical expertise.

While each approach has strengths, the researchers say combining them could create a more sustainable regional system.

“There’s a lot of effective approaches to addressing disparities in the Pacific, but we rarely examine whether these efforts translate into sustainable solutions,” Lee said. “We designed this project to show that investing in a multi-modal approach—especially a train-in-place model—can improve patient outcomes and provide a more cost-effective solution for local governments.”

Caldwell, who grew up in Guam, has seen the challenges firsthand. Guam serves as a referral center for patients throughout Micronesia, including those from Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae and other outer islands.

“We have access to U.S. referral networks. We can send people to Hawaiʻi, and we also act as our own little hub within Micronesia,” Caldwell said.

The research also highlights Hawaiʻi’s role in strengthening healthcare across the Pacific. JABSOM students regularly complete clinical rotations throughout the region, building relationships with physicians and communities while gaining firsthand insight into healthcare challenges.

The project brought together experts from JABSOM, Stanford University, the University of California San Francisco, the American Red Cross and the Pacific Islands Orthopaedic Association (PIOA).

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A new study by University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers shows that nearly 23% of short-finned pilot whales that stranded over 13 years in the main Hawaiian Islands ingested several pounds of plastic ropes, netting, fishing gear and plastic bags that were discarded in the ocean.

Published in Marine Pollution Bulletin, was led by the 糖心视频 Health and Stranding Lab within the . Researchers examined the stomachs and digestive tracts of 13 stranded short-finned pilot whales; necropsies of three adult males revealed large masses of tangled plastic debris inside their stomachs.

Staggering amount of plastic

The recovered debris was estimated at 4 to 12 pounds per whale, yielding a staggering 6,283 to 35,543 distinct plastic pieces larger than 5 millimeters—about the width of a standard pencil eraser—per individual.

“The presence of human-made materials in the stomachs of these ocean sentinels serves as a stark reminder of the impact of global plastic pollution,” said Kristi West, director of the 糖心视频 Health and Stranding Lab and corresponding author on the study. “It is a clear message of the importance of keeping these materials out of our ocean.”

The debris was primarily abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear, such as monofilament lines, ropes and netting. Sheet plastics, including garbage or carrier bags, were the next most common items. Plastic longer than 200 millimeters—or about 8 inches, about the length of an iPad—contributed more than 70% of the overall debris weight across all three whales.

A vulnerable species

Pilot whales in Hawaiʻi were found to be highly vulnerable to ingesting marine debris. A squid diet and the proximity of the Hawaiian Islands to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, located northeast of the archipelago, may increase the risk of marine debris ingestion in these animals.

Although the whales demonstrated normal body conditions, and the debris was not identified as the direct cause of death, researchers warned that plastics cause nutritional stress and have toxic chemicals that accumulate in whale and dolphin tissues.

Data collection spanned seven years, supported by 25 lab members and funding from the Commander, United States Pacific Fleet, Environmental Readiness Division, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Prescott Grant program.

Despite the ongoing overhaul of federal science funding that has rocked university research across the country, the University of Hawaiʻi has secured its second highest extramural funding record amount of $647.3 million in fiscal year 2026 (FY 2026). While it represents a slight decrease of 11.8% from last year鈥檚 record-setting total of $734 million, it also marks the fifth consecutive year that 糖心视频 has topped half a billion dollars in extramural funding.

“The true measure of this investment is not just the funding secured, but the discoveries made, students trained and communities strengthened because of this work,” 糖心视频 President Wendy F. Hensel said. “糖心视频 research addresses some of the most pressing challenges facing Hawaiʻi and the world, and these achievements reflect the dedication of our researchers and the importance of sustaining a strong research enterprise for generations to come.”

Extramural funding is defined as investments from external agencies such as the federal government, industry and non-profit organizations that support research and training activities conducted by university faculty and staff. Projects funded by extramural funds support research and innovation that helps to provide solutions to improve the quality of life not only in Hawaiʻi, but across the nation, and around the world.

“During this extremely difficult period of federal funding for university research, achieving a fifth consecutive year of securing over half a billion dollars in extramural funding is something that both the University of Hawaiʻi and the state of Hawaiʻi can really be proud of,” said 糖心视频 Interim Vice President for Research and Innovation Chad B. Walton. “It is a clear testament to the effort, dedication, and true nature of our dedicated and hardworking faculty, staff, and students that continues to successfully fuel the 糖心视频 research enterprise鈥攁 major contributor to Hawaiʻi鈥檚 economy.”

A strong research community

Leading the way for 糖心视频 in FY 2026 was 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补, the research flagship of 糖心视频鈥檚 10 campus system, with an extramural award amount tally of $516.0 million. The 糖心视频 System brought in $88.4 million, 糖心视频 Community Colleges totaled $21.1 million, 糖心视频 Hilo received $17.9 million, and 糖心视频 West Oʻahu totaled $3.9 million.

“I am extremely proud of the 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补 research community for their efforts and remarkable resilience during this unprecedented period in federal research funding,” said 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补 Chancellor Vassilis L. Syrmos. “Their dedication and commitment to their craft has once again positioned 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补 to be a major contributor to 糖心视频鈥檚 extramural funding and reaffirms our on-going commitment to become the premier global flagship in the Asia-Pacific region.”

Syrmos, who also oversees federal relations for the 糖心视频 System, noted that the uncertainties surrounding federal and state research funding will continue to have a profound and long-lasting impact on university research across the nation, including key 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补 projects in the areas of agriculture, astronomy, climate resilience, conservation and health that are vital to the state.

The following are examples of 糖心视频 programs that attracted the attention of funders:

• The 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补 College of Social Sciences received a $12.5 million award from the Office of the Governor鈥擲tate of Hawaiʻi for the Social Science Research Institute to serve as the lead unit in expanding virtual care statewide as part of Hawaiʻi Rural Health Transformation Program funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
• The National Science Foundation awarded $4.1 million to 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 College of Engineering to continue its efforts in recruiting high-quality scholars for cybersecurity careers including recruitment of Native Hawaiian and female students. These efforts have led to jobs in the cyber security workforce in Hawaiʻi as well as nationally.
• The 糖心视频 System Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation received a $2.8 million award from the U.S. Department of Defense to work with industry, communities and state and federal government agencies to build Hawaiʻi鈥檚 innovation economy with an emphasis on blue economy technologies and advanced manufacturing.
• The College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience at 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补 received a $2.8 million award from the National Institutes of Health to provide data for state and local nutrition programming policy aimed at reducing food insecurity and health disparities among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders and other underserved communities.
• The Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources awarded $1.9 million to 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 College of Natural Sciences to mitigate threats to the health and resilience of the Olowalu reef, which is a critical resource for fishers, recreational users, community groups, and businesses in West Maui.
• The School of Ocean Earth Science and Technology at 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补 received a $1.6 million award from the U.S. Department of Defense to explore the feasibility of using techniques such as desalinization to develop and maintain resilient drinking water supplies for its bases, such as Marine Corps Base Hawaiʻi, and their surrounding communities.
• The 糖心视频 Cancer Center received a $1.5 million award from the National Cancer Institute to continue work under a Specialized Program of Research Excellence, which conducts translational research to help alleviate lung cancer and breast cancer, which are highly relevant to Asian Americans, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders.

According to Syrmos, more than $340.1 million in awards were received from the federal government in FY 2026. He attributed much of it as a direct result of the close working relationship between 糖心视频 and Hawaiʻi鈥檚 congressional delegation, which includes U.S. Senators Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono and U.S. Representatives Ed Case and Jill Tokuda.

U.S. Senator Brian Schatz
“This new funding is great news for the 糖心视频, its students, and our state. It will support important research, create opportunities for students, and strengthen programs that benefit communities across Hawaiʻi. While the White House continues to threaten federal funding for universities across the country, we’ll keep doing everything we can to protect 糖心视频 and the important work it does.”

U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono
“Despite ongoing attacks on federal funding for higher education and public schools, 糖心视频 remains a beacon of innovation both in Hawaiʻi and around the world. Investing in 糖心视频 doesn鈥檛 just benefit thousands of students鈥攊t fuels our state鈥檚 economy and shares our cutting-edge research with the world. I will continue to advocate for 糖心视频鈥檚 federal funding requests and work closely with university leadership to protect its federal funding for years to come.”

U.S. Representative Ed Case (Hawaiʻi 鈥� First District)
“This funding for our flagship university is critical on several levels for our Hawaiʻi. First, it is a testament to 糖心视频鈥檚 growing research and innovation talent and international recognition. Second, it reflects the advanced partnerships that 糖心视频 has forged over the years in successfully identifying and jointly pursuing funding opportunities. And finally, it increases the university鈥檚 contributions to our island economy. In spite of its success, challenges remain, and I stand with our Congressional delegation to continue supporting the mission and advances of 糖心视频.”

U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda (Hawaiʻi 鈥� Second District)
“Achieving another landmark year reflects the extraordinary talent across the University of Hawaiʻi. These federal investments tackle our state’s unique challenges鈥攆rom advancing rural healthcare and sustainable agriculture to protecting ocean resources. With White House budget cuts threatening these vital programs, our work is far from over. We must stand with our partners and fight to protect the funding that fuels this essential work.”