The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and Hawaiʻi Community College co-hosted , a dynamic, multi-day Earth Day celebration. Guided by the theme “Huli ka lima i lalo, ola” (hands that are turned down to do work, bring life), the event featured demonstrations, conservation efforts and speaker presentations designed to encourage the community to m膩lama ʻ膩ina (care for our land).

A centerpiece of the celebration took place on L膩 Honua (Earth Day) at 糖心视频 Hilo featuring an Earth Day Fair for K–12 students and a Conservation Career Fair for college students.

Amy Fullerton, a second-grade teacher from 笔腻丑辞补 Elementary School, emphasized the necessity of the event. “We need to teach the students about how important our earth is because it’s their future.”

Students were thrilled to engage in interactive activities outside the traditional classroom setting. From building their own water systems to learning about how camouflage helps animals in the wild to creating artwork using traditional Hawaiian materials and methods.

For 糖心视频 Hilo faculty, engaging with the keiki provided a joyful change of pace. Professor Kerri Inglis spent the morning teaching children how to make ti leaf lei. Representing Hui M膩lama Makanalua, an organization dedicated to honoring and remembering the residents of Kalaupapa on Molokaʻi, Inglis reflected on the university’s long-standing tradition to mark L膩 Honua.

“We’ve all come to really appreciate our connections, and so taking the time once a year to celebrate Earth Day is important,” said Inglis, who chairs the Social Sciences Division in the . “It’s an opportunity to express gratitude for where we are and recognize that we’re responsible not just to this island, but our Earth is an island that we need to take care of as well.”

For more, go to .

Kauaʻi Community College is combining high-tech innovation with cultural preservation, offering five students paid internships while supporting local nonprofit efforts to protect Indigenous data across the island.

These interdisciplinary projects allow students to gain specialized skills, earn academic credit and explore new career pathways through hands-on experience. They are part of the University of Hawaiʻi‘s Office of Indigenous Knowledge and Innovation, which has established several Indigenous Data Hubs (IDH).

In one vital project, students are partnering with the nonprofit I Ola Wailuanui to aid in the restoration of Malaehaʻakoa heiau. Using drone technology, interns created 3D models of the historical site, which are now being used to inform and guide restoration efforts.

“Building pilina (connection) with Malaehaʻakoa and listening to what its needs are for restoration and integration into modern-day functioning has been integral,” said Kauaʻi CC IDH Coordinator Kamalani Chock. “When we interact with the space, we treat the heiau as an ancestor that can help the community cultivate mana (power). What the process of mana cultivation means in the 21st century is what we’re meditating on.”

Digitizing artifacts

A second project involves students digitizing fragile artifacts at Kauaʻi CC’s Kikuchi Center. They are photographing from 360 degrees and transforming those images into a 3D model with an associated texture map, making them accessible for study and public engagement on the .

“I think it’s important to expand the scope of potential career pathways on the island,” Creative Media Program Coordinator Joseph Tremonti said.

“Projects like this allow students to develop skills that can be applied to cultural heritage work, archives, and museum studies—fields where access to fragile materials is often limited. This opens up exciting opportunities for our students.”

Chock, who also teaches agriculture and natural science courses through Nā Pua Noʻeau (a pre-K–college enrichment program), emphasized the importance of connecting education directly to community needs.

“I think the future of education must be holistic,” Chock said. “It can’t be siloed into singular disciplines. Instead, it should recognize how these fields intersect and work together in our communities—especially in ways that support community health and well-being.”

An invasive algae already well-established in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands is raising concern among researchers as it threatens to spread into the main Hawaiian Islands. Scientists from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) have identified a potential ally in slowing its advance: sea turtles.

Hawaiian green sea turtles (honu) have been documented for the first time actively grazing on Chondria tumulosa, an aggressive invasive red alga that has spread rapidly across reefs among three of the northernmost atolls in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM).

The findings, recently published in the journal by researchers, suggest that honu may play a meaningful role in controlling this ecologically damaging species—while also potentially spreading it.

“After these exciting finds, our multi-partner effort to prevent this seaweed from taking hold in the Main Hawaiian Islands must include a plan to increase numbers of threatened, native green sea turtles, as well as ramping up efforts to identify all routes that could allow Chondria to spread to Oʻahu,” said Celia Smith, 糖心视频 Mānoa‘s professor and senior author of the study.

Dangers of C. tumulosa

First detected at Manawai (Pearl and Hermes Atoll) in 2016, C. tumulosa has since expanded to more than 101 square kilometers of reef habitat (nearly the size of Kahoʻolawe), including Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll) in 2021 and Hōlanikū (Kure Atoll) in 2022. The alga forms dense mats more than 6 centimeters thick that can smother live coral and displace native reef species, making it one of the most pressing threats to the monument’s reef ecosystems.

Turtles take a bite

Using a stationary GoPro camera deployed on a reef at Midway Atoll in June and July 2025, the research team captured approximately 50 minutes of footage showing three honu grazing on C. tumulosa mats. One female took up to 18 bites in a 95-second burst, leaving disruptions 5–15 cm in diameter across the algal canopy—substantially larger than what urchins or fish could achieve. A complementary necropsy of a stranded adult female confirmed C. tumulosa fragments throughout her digestive tract, accounting for roughly 25% of the material in her esophagus and crop.

“These turtles are consuming a meaningful amount of this alga in a single foraging session,” said Tammy Summers, USFWS staff biologist and co-author of the study. “It鈥檚 exciting because it points to honu as a native megaherbivore with the potential to suppress C. tumulosa biomass—but it also raises important questions about whether fragments excreted during their migrations between atolls could accelerate the alga鈥檚 spread.”

The findings carry immediate management implications. Because 96% of Hawaiian green sea turtles nesting occurs at Lalo (French Frigate Shoals) before individuals disperse to foraging grounds across the archipelago, the authors recommend eDNA monitoring at Lalo to track potential spread of C. tumulosa beyond its known range.

The study was a collaboration between 糖心视频 Mānoa‘s School of Life Sciences and USFWS Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, and was funded by USFWS Invasive Species Strike Team funds through a cooperative agreement with 糖心视频 Mānoa. Smith leads the Limu Lab at 糖心视频 Mānoa, where research on C. tumulosa physiology, distribution and ecology has been ongoing for several years. Other authors on the paper are Caroline Pott from USFWS and Angela Richards Donà from the School of Life Sciences.

This work was accomplished under permit numbers PMNM-2025-001, USFWS 274 Recovery Permit TE72088A-3, Recovery Sub-permit TE163899-2, NOAA Permit 21260, and 275 State of Hawaiʻi, Department of Land and Natural Resources Special Activity Permit 2026-01.

The School of Life Sciences is housed in 糖心视频 Mānoa‘s .

Related 糖心视频 News stories on 糖心视频 Mānoa research on C. tumulosa:

• Nuisance alga detected beyond Papahānaumokuākea for the 1st time, December 16, 2024
• Early detection system for nuisance alga infesting Papahānaumokuākea reefs, September 25, 2022
• Algae species discovered infesting NW waters has been identified, July 7, 2020

The University of Hawaiʻi has been designated as a new Pacific Reef Research Coordination Institute (Pacific RRCI) by the (NOAA) to support coral reef conservation in the Pacific through research, collaboration and public education.

The Pacific RRCI will be housed in 糖心视频鈥檚 , under the aegis of the , and will perform the following critical functions: conduct federally directed research to fill national and regional gaps; collaborate with relevant states and territories, Indigenous groups, coral reef managers, non-governmental organizations, and other coral reef research centers; assist in the implementation of the NOAA鈥檚 National Coral Reef Resilience Strategy and coral reef action plans; build non-federal capacity for management and restoration practices; and conduct public education and awareness programs.

“This new institute combines 糖心视频鈥檚 strengths in cutting-edge, ocean-related research and our collaborative, place-based approach to working with resource managers throughout Hawaiʻi and the Pacific to protect our vital coral reefs,” said Chad B. Walton, 糖心视频 interim vice president for research and innovation. “At the same time, it provides us with further opportunities to develop our region鈥檚 next generation of researchers and managers in the field of conservation futures.”

To restore and preserve coral reef ecosystems in the U.S. from natural and human-related effects, the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 was reauthorized and modernized by the Restoring Resilient Reefs Act of 2021, which was included in the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act that became law in 2022. The reauthorized law required the designation of two RRCIs, one each in the Atlantic and Pacific basins, was required. The RRCIs were chosen from 32 preselected coral reef research centers and were designated based on the results of technical merit and panel reviews. The Restoring Resilient Reefs Act of 2021 was introduced and sponsored by Hawaiʻi Senators Brian Schatz and Mazie K. Hirono, and Congressman Ed Case.

The 糖心视频-led institute will be guided by experienced reef researchers from 糖心视频 Mānoa鈥檚 Kewalo Marine Laboratory and the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, 糖心视频 贬颈濒辞鈥檚 Marine Sciences program, and the University of Guam鈥檚 Marine Laboratory. It will support research, monitoring, capacity building and outreach for coral reef management throughout the U.S states and territories of American Samoa, Guam, Hawaiʻi, and the Northern Marianas Islands and with the Freely Associated States of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

“Many people worked many years to make this vision for collaborative reef research across the Pacific a reality,” said Suzanne Case, director of the Office of Land and Ocean Conservation Futures. “We鈥檙e excited to jump in with scientists and communities and agencies across the region to take it forward.”

The one-year anniversary of the official designation of Papahānaumokuākea as a National Marine Sanctuary was celebrated on March 3, a historic milestone in the ongoing protection of one of the most sacred and ecologically significant places on Earth. In recognition of this anniversary, the (PMDP), (SAC) and the (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant) are starting the new, community-centered initiative, Papahānaumokuākea: Bringing the Place to the People.

Papahānaumokuākea is a place of profound cultural, ecological and ancestral significance. Yet for many, it remains distant and abstract. The project seeks to bridge that distance by fostering meaningful, community-led engagement that deepens public awareness, stewardship, trust and cultural connection to the Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary. Beginning in summer and fall 2026, PMDP, SAC and Hawaiʻi Sea Grant will host community talk story sessions on Hawaiʻi Island (Hilo and Kona), Maui, Lānaʻi, Molokaʻi, Oʻahu and Kauaʻi.

This initiative centers Native Hawaiian voices, values and leadership, elevating cultural resource conservation and protection as foundational to the sanctuary鈥檚 past, present and future. Their vision is a living, island-to-island exchange where communities do not simply learn about Papahānaumokuākea, but actively shape how its story, stewardship and future are carried forward.

Rooted in listening

These gatherings are not presentations delivered to communities, they are conversations rooted in listening. This initiative allows SAC, whose kuleana is to represent the communities, to learn directly from each island community and amplify their voices. The sessions will explore how Western science and Indigenous knowledge systems can be meaningfully integrated, community perspectives on stewardship and management, cultural resource protection priorities, opportunities for youth engagement and leadership, and how communities wish to remain connected to Papahānaumokuākea.

Community organizations, cultural practitioners, educators and schools, conservation groups, youth leaders, kupuna and ʻike holders, and interested individuals are invited to express their interest in hosting, partnering or participating in a talk story session on their island. The initiative is an invitation to listen, learn and steward together.

The initiative was funded by the . Find more information on .

The , a beacon of marine education and conservation for over a century, is marking its 122nd anniversary in March. Under the new leadership of Interim Director Judy Lemus, the institution is embarking on a period of revitalization, with innovative exhibits, strategic collaborations, and a continued commitment to the unique aquatic ecosystems of Hawaiʻi and the tropical Pacific.

The aquarium will host a 122nd birthday celebration on March 19, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day kicks off with a community coastal cleanup followed by a suite of family-friendly activities.

A new chapter

Lemus brings a wealth of experience in marine facility management, research, and education. Lemus served for four years as the interim director of the (HIMB) within the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (SOEST) and is currently the interim associate dean for academic affairs in SOEST. Her primary focus at the aquarium is on operational improvements and enhancing the institutionʻs role in education, marine conservation, collaborative research, and community engagement.

“Managing the Waikīkī Aquarium is about more than just animal husbandry; it鈥檚 also about our engagement with the public and contribution to conservation of Pacific species, and our role as a public outlet for 糖心视频 research,” said Lemus. “As we celebrate 122 years, we are not just honoring our history, but building the systems, facilities, and stories that will carry us through the next century.”

One major accomplishment under her leadership has been the successful return of Hōʻailona, the beloved Hawaiian monk seal, to his refurbished enclosure.

New and upcoming exhibits:

• The Aquaculture Tank: In partnership with Biota, a local aquaculture company, this exhibit will feature fish and coral raised entirely in aquaculture facilities at the Oceanic Institute and Waikīkī Aquarium. This “no-collection” model highlights sustainable trade and will also showcase 3-D structures from HIMB researcher Josh Madin鈥檚 Lab that facilitate coral growth.
• The Edge of Reef Redesign: Formerly an iconic outdoor exhibit, the Edge of Reef was dismantled to make way for a critical infrastructure project. A redesign is planned for this exhibit with support from 糖心视频, the 糖心视频 Foundation, and the Friends of the Waikīkī Aquarium.
• New Tank for Mullet and More: The large tank that previously featured mullet, a species revered in Hawaiʻi as a staple food and in loko ʻia (Hawaiian fishpond) aquaculture, is being dismantled to make way for a modern habitat. The new enclosure may house mullet and possibly other compatible species such as rays or sea turtles.
• The aquarium is planning new collaborations with a variety of 糖心视频 faculty and labs to help bring their work to broader audiences.
• AZA Accreditation: The aquarium is starting a Pathway Toward Membership program with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the gold standard in accreditation for zoos and aquariums, with the goal of achieving AZA accreditation for Waikīkī Aquarium in about 5 years.

.

A $2-million gift from Jeff Bezos and Lauren S谩nchez Bezos is supporting University of Hawaiʻi-led research aimed at restoring fire-prone grasslands on Maui and reducing the risk of future wildfires, building on and long-term recovery following the devastating 2023 fires.

Much of Maui鈥檚 former sugar plantation lands are now unmanaged and dominated by invasive species, such as guinea grass, that create more fire-prone vegetation and intensify wildfire risk. Several 糖心视频 units are collaborating to address that vulnerability through land stewardship research designed to inform policy and guide on-the-ground management decisions.

The effort brings together researchers from the (糖心视频ERO) housed in 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 , the , and the Ecosystems and Land Care Program in the Department of (NREM) in the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience. The work will be conducted with watershed partners, ranchers and ʻ膩ina (land)-based organizations across Hawaiʻi.

“Insufficient investment in land care across former plantation lands has left large areas of Maui vulnerable to wildfire,” said Kimberly Burnett, a specialist with 糖心视频ERO. “This work builds on evidence that actively managed lands, including forests, well-managed rangelands and agriculture, can significantly reduce fuel loads and support outcomes like erosion reduction, food production, biodiversity and community resilience.”

Data-driven strategies for wildfire prevention

In the early stages of the project, researchers will work closely with partners to co-develop research questions and products that are directly useful for land managers and decision-makers. Anticipated outcomes include statewide wildfire risk and probability maps to help guide fire reduction strategies across a range of land uses, as well as analyses of different wildfire mitigation scenarios over space and time.

Those scenarios may include forest restoration, green breaks, agroforestry, grazing and mowing, with researchers assessing the benefits and costs of each approach.

“We want to look at options beyond just mowing brush given how well these different actions align with other things people value and contribute to public safety,” said Clay Trauernicht, a specialist with NREM.

The project will also examine policy and market-based tools that could help finance and support land-use transitions that advance multiple ecosystem services, including wildfire risk reduction, across Hawaiʻi.

The gift builds on existing support from the Bezos Maui Fund to restore the island鈥檚 watersheds and reduce wildfire risk, and reflects a broader strategy that links environmental recovery with community resilience. That land-based work is complemented by a separate $1.5-million investment to support Lahainaluna High School graduates enrolled at 糖心视频 who continue to face economic hardship following the fires.

“We are profoundly grateful to our donors for their continued commitment to Maui,” said 糖心视频 Foundation CEO and Vice President of Advancement Tim Dolan. “Their support is making a lasting difference for the people and places that define this community.”

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo will lead a new $1.2 million, three-year grant funded by NASA to better understand how 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 coastlines can withstand climate change while expanding hands-on research and workforce development opportunities for students across the 10-campus 糖心视频 System.

John Burns, an associate professor of will co-lead the project with Haunani Kane, assistant professor of at the 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补 .

“We are very excited to connect students from across the 糖心视频 system through applied research experiences that help build educational pathways into careers in science and conservation,” said Burns.

The team will study how sea level rise and warming oceans are affecting coral reefs and nearshore areas. Students will learn satellite mapping, drone surveys, reef modeling and data analysis. They will also work with faculty, community partners and NASA scientists.

Burns directs 糖心视频 贬颈濒辞鈥檚 , where he creates detailed three-dimensional maps of reefs. Those maps show how storms, bleaching and human activity change reef structure and health over time.

—By Susan Enright

A live ramie moth (Arcte coerula) caterpillar was discovered on Kauaʻi last month, marking the first detection of this invasive species on the Garden Isle.

The discovery from a community report to the Kauaʻi Invasive Species Committee has sparked a swift response from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, the Department of Land and Natural Resources, and the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity.

Growing threat to native ecosystems

Ramie moth caterpillars are prolific feeders known to quickly defoliate māmaki (Pipturus albidus), a native Hawaiian plant vital to our forests and culturally significant for its use in lāʻau lapaʻau, traditional Hawaiian healing practices.

“We are really worried about this because we’ve seen it spread from Maui to the Big Island in 2020, then to Oʻahu in 2024, and now to Kauaʻi,” said Michelle Au, a graduate student at the 糖心视频 Mānoa (CTAHR) who has been tracking the pest since 2019.

Au highlighted the broader ecological risk: the caterpillars also feed on other endemic nettles including endangered species like maʻoloa (Neraudia angulata). The ramie moths also compete for the same resources with native species such as the Kamehameha butterfly and endangered endemic land snails.

Finding natural predators

As the moth continues its rapid expansion across the islands, Au’s research has focused on the detection of resident natural enemies that could help manage this pest. “We’ve been looking for predators and parasitoids already in our environment that may expand its host range and attack the eggs, caterpillars, and adults of the ramie moth, helping to manage populations from devastating levels,” Au said.

Au’s research monitors specimens at various field sites to determine what percentage of ramie moth eggs reach adulthood, which then will lay eggs and inflict future damage.

Community help needed

“I rely heavily on public reports of this pest, especially for new detections,” Au said. “The biggest thing for us right now, especially for Kauaʻi, is to raise awareness in order to track the spread of this pest.”

Officials ask the public to report sightings with photos to or email ipmlab@hawaii.edu. 糖心视频 CTAHR’s extension page on the for more information.

The University of Hawaiʻi and the U.S. Army Reserve鈥檚 9th Mission Support Command (9th MSC) have entered into a new Intergovernmental Support Agreement (IGSA) to advance environmental stewardship, conservation and regulatory compliance at Army Reserve facilities throughout the Pacific region.

“The University of Hawaiʻi is excited to further expand our environmental stewardship role through this agreement with the U.S. Army Reserve鈥檚 9th MSC,” said 糖心视频 Interim Vice President for Research and Innovation Chad Walton. “We are extremely proud to have been selected as a trusted partner in support of the Army Reserve鈥檚 mission in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific through our expertise in environmental sciences and stewardship.”

The agreement, signed at Fort Shafter on December 1, establishes a collaborative framework for 糖心视频 experts to provide environmental compliance, conservation and pollution prevention support to the 9th MSC, ensuring alignment with Department of Defense (DOD), federal, state, territorial and local environmental requirements.

“This partnership underscores 糖心视频鈥檚 commitment to applying its expertise in service to our community and environment,” said Suzanne Case, director of the , which is overseeing the IGSA. “By working alongside the Army Reserve, we are helping to safeguard our environment in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific, while supporting mission readiness.”

The new agreement reflects a growing model of military-academic partnerships, where institutions of higher education provide specialized expertise to strengthen DOD operations while creating new applied learning and workforce opportunities for students and researchers.

“Our partnership with the University of Hawaiʻi strengthens our shared mission to preserve Hawaiʻi鈥檚 environment and serve the community,” said Brig. Gen. Katherine A. Trombley, commanding general of the 9th Mission Support Command.

The 9th Mission Support Command is America鈥檚 Army Reserve of the Pacific. Under the operational control of U.S. Army Pacific Command, it provides trained and ready forces to overseas contingency operations. The command has 3,500 soldiers and 160 civilians located in three different countries, three states, three American territories and seven time zones throughout the Pacific.