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Tonga Eruption Spawns Massive Phytoplankton Bloom

In January 2022, the largest underwater volcanic eruption of this century led to a dramatic phytoplankton bloom north of the island of Tongatapu, in the Kingdom of Tonga.

Waikīkī Beach Studies Reveal Why Shoreline Is Chronically Eroding

Waikīkī Beach is at the center of Hawaiʻi’s tourism hub, with a valuation of $2.2 billion, according to a 2016 study.

Reef Halos May Enable Coral Telehealth Checkup Worldwide

Coral reef halos, also known as grazing halos or sand halos, are bands of bare, sandy seafloor that surround coral patch reefs

Disease Carried By Cats, Pigs Kills 2 Spinner Dolphins In Hawaiian Waters

Two spinner dolphins died from toxoplasmosis after becoming infected with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, according to researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Health and Stranding Lab.

Climate Change Forecasts More Rainbows

Climate change will increase opportunities to see rainbows, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

ʻAhi Recovery Up, More Fish Caught Thanks To No-Fishing Zones

Carefully placed no-fishing zones can help to restore tunas and other large, iconic fish species, according to a study published in Science led by two University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers.

Hawaiian Corals Select Algae Partnerships To Help Survive Climate Change

Corals live symbiotically with a variety of microscopic algae that provide most of the energy corals require, and some algae can make coral more resilient to heat stress.

50% Of Earth’s Coral Reefs Face Climate Change Threat By 2035

Under a worst-case scenario, half of coral reef ecosystems worldwide will permanently face unsuitable conditions in just over a dozen years, if climate change continues unabated.

Mars Rover Discovery May Shed Light On When Water Existed There

Using NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover, a team of scientists including several from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, discovered that Jezero Crater is largely made up of igneous (formed by volcanic magma) rock, rather than sedimentary rock; and that water has altered minerals in the crater floor rock. This discovery will help determine when water existed on Mars, and ultimately, whether the red planet was ever habitable to microbial life.

UH Research To Help Meteorologists Better Predict Dangerous Storms

Support for groundbreaking studies on torrential rainfall, lightning and severe thunderstorms in Hawaiʻi and Colorado is the focus of a long-term partnership between the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) and philanthropist Jonathan Merage.

Elusive Atmospheric Wave Detected During Tonga Volcanic Eruption

The catastrophic eruption of the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai volcano in 2022 triggered a special atmospheric wave that has eluded detection for the past 85 years.

Kona’s Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems’ Deep Value Described

The social and cultural values of groundwater dependent ecosystems (GDEs) on the west coast of Hawaiʻi Island were described in a new article published in Ecology & Society by University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers.

Over Half Of Known Human Pathogenic Diseases Can Be Aggravated By Greenhouse Gas Emissions

More than half of known human pathogenic diseases such as dengue, hepatitis, pneumonia, malaria, Zika and more, can be aggravated by climate change.

Microbes From Hawaiʻi Volcanic Environments May Explain Early Life On Earth, Mars

Bacterial communities in centuries-old lava caves and tubes on Hawaiʻi Island are more diverse than scientists expected, and may help us understand how life might have existed on Mars and early Earth.

Humpback Whales May Steer Clear Of Hawaiʻi Due To Climate Change

Humpback whales may one day avoid Hawaiian waters due to climate change and rising greenhouse gasses, according the findings of a new paper published in Frontiers in Marine Science by a team of researchers including three University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa graduate students—Hannah von Hammerstein and Renee Setter from the Department of Geography and Environment in the College of Social Sciences, and Martin van Aswegen from the Marine Mammal Research Program in the Institute for Marine Biology.

New Insights Into Micronesian Migrations Discovered By Researchers With UH Ties

Ancient DNA (aDNA) reveals five streams of migration into Micronesia and matrilocality (patterns of marriage in which the groom resides with the bride’s parents) in early Pacific seafarers.

Deep-Sea Mining Noise Pollution Will Stretch Hundreds Of Miles

A study on underwater noise pollution from seabed mining operations found that noise from one mine alone could travel approximately 500 kilometers (roughly 311 miles) in gentle weather conditions, which could affect the understudied species that live in the deep sea—the largest habitat on Earth. There could also be cumulative impacts where multiple mines operate.

Newcomers May Change Ecosystem Functions – Or Not

In a study tracking climate-induced changes in the distribution of animals and their effects on ecosystem functions,

When Is Migration Successful Adaptation to Climate Change?

A new study by an international team from Africa, Asia and Europe has put forward three criteria for evaluating the success of migration as adaptation in the face of climate change:

A Just World on a Safe Planet: First Study Quantifying Earth System Boundaries

Humans are taking colossal risks with the future of civilisation and everything that lives on Earth, a new study published in the journal Nature shows.