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Undergraduates at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa were inspired to build a giant antenna to explore hundreds of miles above the planet. The antenna, known as an ionosonde, project began after a lecture from atmospheric sciences Professor Giuseppe Torri about phenomena that can occur in the ionosphere, one of the highest layers of the Earth’s atmosphere. The ionosphere …

Students build giant antenna to explore far reaches of Earth’s atmosphere Read More »

WASHINGTON, April 30, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expanding Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage (PRF) rainfall index insurance to include Hawaii beginning in 2025. The PRF insurance option protects livestock producers against feed loss due to lack of precipitation, providing producers on the Big Island of Hawaii with coverage for grazing acres. This …

USDA Expands Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage Crop Insurance to Hawaii Read More »

In Hawaii, one of the most important sayings is ola i ka wai, “water is life” — a phrase that not only sums up what it means to exist on an island, but what it means to live, period. But now, one of the largest of the island chain’s land masses is facing a triple threat …

Hawaii is “on the verge of a greater catastrophe,” locals say, as water crisis continues Read More »

Hawaiʻi’s communities and ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events, such as flash floods and wildfires. To gain a better understanding of the climate across the Pacific, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa atmospheric scientist Giuseppe Torri, will conduct research that leverages both scientific and traditional knowledge in Hawaiʻi with a $700,000 CAREER award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Beginning this …

$700K to investigate Hawaiʻi’s climate through scientific, Indigenous approaches Read More »

In preparation for the 2024 Olympic surfing competition, a new judging tower is being constructed in the reef lagoon at Teahupo’o, Tahiti. That construction poses a threat to the reef and its ecosystem, according to researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, UH Hilo, Arizona State University and community partners in Tahiti. The group published a study in Remote …

Researchers: Olympic tower construction could damage Tahiti reef ecosystem Read More »

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the way we work–not just for chatbots in customer service or conjuring fake images. AI excels at repetitive and redundant tasks; it can increase workflow efficiency and speed up data analysis. These types of tasks are not limited to office work; even the work of protecting natural resources from invasive …

For healthy reefs, productive watersheds, resource managers are turning to AI Read More »

To address pressing water-related issues affecting Hawaiʻi and beyond, the Hydrological Sciences Summit, hosted by the Water Resources Research Center (WRRC), kicked off at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa campus on February 15. The event brought together approximately 30 participants from North America and Hawaiʻi, both in person and via Zoom. “Hawaiʻi is facing a myriad of water problems from flooding to drought,” …

International summit addresses urgent water challenges Read More »

As artificial intelligence grows more advanced, state lawmakers are pushing to regulate the controversial technology in Hawaii. A number of AI-related bills are moving through the state Legislature this week, each one proposing some degree of state control over the future of the rapidly advancing technology. The most prescriptive of the bills, Senate Bill 2687, …

Legislature Tackles Artificial Intelligence Read More »