Marine Biology

ʻIolani School senior Maddux Springer graduates Saturday with $10,000 in his pocket. He won an award for his study of the relationship between high wastewater levels and fatal tumors in green sea turtles in Kāneʻohe Bay.

U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda of Hawaiʻi updates us on the Farm Bill and other Hawaiʻi issues; Neal Milner discusses the impact the Gen Z gender gap could have on the upcoming election; CyberHawaii talks about kūpuna with STEM expertise mentoring the next generation; and an ʻIolani student shares the research that won him a $10,000 prize

An ongoing National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration survey aims to track a group of false killer whales about 575 miles southeast of Oʻahu. NOAA will use the results to inform updates to the current management area.

Molokaʻi educator Gandharva Mahina Hou Ross has been selected from applicants worldwide for a month-long deep sea exploration this summer. He'll help translate the scientific discoveries of E/V Nautilus into educational opportunities. HPR's Catherine Cluett Pactol has more about his voyage.

Concerns over the construction of a three-story judging tower at a famous Tahiti surf break for the 2024 Paris Olympics sent a team of scientists from Hawaiʻi to Teahupoʻo. Construction has begun, but the timeline for completion remains uncertain. HPR's Kuʻuwehi Hiraishi explains what the controversy has meant to the surfing and science communities.

You've heard of organ transplants, but what about the benefits of sound transplants? For coral reefs, an acoustic footprint called a soundscape is a critical indicator of their health. The Conversation spoke to Nadège Aoki, the graduate student who led the new study, about using sound to rehabilitate coral reefs.

A recent study from University of Hawaiʻi researcher Steven Minaglia, a channel swimmer himself, found a striking association between cookiecutter shark bites and moonless nights. Speaking to The Conversation's Maddie Bender, Minaglia said he's going to keep a close eye on swimmers for recurring patterns.

Public input is being sought for a proposed marine sanctuary within the existing Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, is proposing a 580,000 square-mile sanctuary within marine portions of the monument.

Scientists say there has never been another instance of a large urban fire burning next to a coral reef anywhere in the world. They don't know how chemicals and metals from burned plastics, lead paint and lithium-ion batteries will affect delicate reef ecosystems. But research now underway could provide the community a sense of how the ocean that shapes their lives is weathering the disaster.

Surfrider Foundation Hawaiʻi released its new Blue Water Task Force Water Quality Report this week. The Conversation talked with the foundation’s Hawaiʻi Regional Manager Lauren Blickley about the most polluted beaches in our state and other results of the 2023 report.