A massive brown plume has scientists worried despite protective measures aimed at preventing toxic runoff. A group of scientists raced into the ocean off Lahaina on Wednesday morning to quickly gather samples from a massive brown plume that surrounded the fire-scorched West Maui town. Wearing waders, gloves and respirators, they filled buckets and test tubes …

Heavy Rain Washed Fire-Related Contaminants Into The Ocean Off Lahaina. How Bad Is It? Read More »

Two University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa students, Cherryle Heu and Roderick “RJ” Tabalba, have clinched the grand prize in the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Michael H. Freilich Data Visualization Competition. Their user-friendly data visualization tool is aiding Hawaiʻi ranchers in navigating the challenges of drought. Heu, a master’s student in the Department of Natural Resource and Environmental Management and Tabalba a PhD student in the Information and Computer Sciences …

Top prize goes to grad students for their drought data tool Read More »

A team of researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and UH Mānoa are leading the charge to explore the relationship between hooved animals and the spread of Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death (ROD). Maps of hard hit districts on Hawaiʻi Island were recently released online from a collaborative study involving community, county, state and federal experts and show the destructive role animals such as cattle and pigs …

Feral cattle, pigs exacerbate spread of Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death on Hawaiʻi Island Read More »

Research on the trillions of microorganisms that make up a person’s or ecosystem’s microbiome can lead to medical breakthroughs to treat diseases like inflammatory bowel syndrome and diabetes and discoveries that transform conservation efforts. According to a study published in Nature Microbiology and co-authored by a University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa associate professor, microbiome samples from Indigenous …

New study shows need for inclusive approach to Indigenous microbiome research Read More »

by Marcia Grabowski Climate change in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Islands worsens inequities and threatens unique island ecosystems, cultural resources, human health, livelihoods, the built environment, and access to clean water and healthy food. These are among the findings of the U.S. National Climate Assessment, released by the Biden Administration which involved five University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers. The …

Climate actions centered on Indigenous knowledge can improve resilience Read More »

The 2023 hurricane season officially draws to a close Thursday, extending to five years a run of average to below-average Central Pacific hurricane seasons. However, this year’s season will be forever remembered for its link to the origin of the deadly Maui wildfires. That connection is so strong that the Central Pacific Hurricane Center will …

Hurricane season was average but deadly Read More »

A $500,000 grant will help the University of Hawaiʻi provide Hawaiʻi’s healthcare community with facilitated access to open-source artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) tools. This initiative stands at the forefront of addressing the health disparities affecting minority and marginalized communities in Hawaiʻi. UH was selected for the competitive subaward from the NIH—AIM AHEAD program (The National Institutes of Health’s—Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning …

UH to use AI to advance health equity with $500K grant Read More »