Bidigare awarded Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Research

Robert Bidigare has been awarded a 2007 UH Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Research. A professor of oceanography, his research concerns bio-optics, pigments, the foundation of the marine food web and the effects of UVB radiation. He has won best paper awards from the Geochemical Society and the Japanese Phycological Society. Bidigare is also a member of SOEST’s Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB), Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education (C-MORE), and Center for Marine Microbial Ecology & Diversity (CMMED). Congratulations, Bob!

Read more about it in the UH News page. Image courtesy of UH.

The Science of Global Climate Change discussion

International Pacific Research Center researchers Kevin Hamilton, Shang-Ping Xie, and H. Annamalai talk with host Jay Fidell (2nd from right) on the Hawaii Public Radio “ThinkTech” show about the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report and what the findings mean for climate globally and for Hawai‘i.

Listen to the mp3. See the IPRC News page for more climate research news. Image courtesy of IPRC (click for larger version).

Great white shark mating grounds in North Pacific?

Researchers have discovered a remote spot in the eastern North Pacific that great whites may be using as a mating ground, according to a recent paper in the journal Marine Biology. “It’s just not an area that a shark would logically go to from California to find something to eat,” said SOEST Young Investigator Kevin Weng, who conducted the study at Stanford University with project leader Barbara Block.

Read more about it in the Discovery Channel web site and DailyIndia.com. Image courtesy of Getty Images (via Discovery Channel).

Tracking and recording humpbacks whales by satellite

Alison Stimpert of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) Marine Mammal Program and her colleagues put sucker-devices onto nine Atlantic humpback whales that allowed them to record the whales’ vocalizations — including unusual clicks that sound more like the sounds created by toothed whales, and which may be used in finding prey — as they track their movement by satellite.

Read more about it at New Scientist Environment Blog (scroll down to the article, which has links to sound files). Image courtesy of J.R. Mobley, NMFS Permit #810.

SOEST mounts ocean-forecasting project

Islanders wanting to know what is happening in the ocean — from sewage leaks to sailing and shipping conditions — will be able to find that information on the Internet within a few years. An ocean observing and forecasting system similar to a weather forecasting service or the new Hawaii Beach Safety site is the goal of a three-year, $7.2 million federal grant to SOEST. Dean Brian Taylor pointed out that, “It’s meant to be hands-on … products that are practical and relate to school kids and [the public.]”

Read more about it in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Image courtesy of Steven Businger.

SOEST ocean programs rank among top 10 in nation

A listing of graduate programs based on faculty productivity ranks the marine biology and biological oceanography and physical oceanography programs at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa as among the top 10 in the nation. “In both those areas we have some of the best faculty in the nation. So I’m not surprised,” said Brian Taylor, dean of SOEST.

Read more about it in the Honolulu Star Bulletin. Photos, courtesy of many people and groups, are taken from our 2006 News Archive.

For more news, visit our News and Awards & Honors pages, and read the weekly SOEST Bulletin.

Remember: Hurricane season is June 1st through November 30th.

Information on disaster preparedness can be found on the Hawai‘i State Civil Defense web site. Information on what the UH Mānoa is doing in emergency management and links to other emergency agencies can be found at Mānoa Campus Emergency Management Program web site.

Also at SOEST

• Hawaii Beach Hazard Forecast Site. The Coastal Geology Group and the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association have created a beach safety web site to help reduce the number of drownings and perilous ocean rescues by informing beach-goers about relative beach hazards.
• Job Opportunities: Current listings of employment opportunities at SOEST, and links to other job postings at the University of Hawai‘i.
• Dean Brian Taylor’s remarks at the welcome reception held in his honor by UH Mānoa Chancellor Denise Konan are available online. They are an outstanding introduction to the future of research, technological innovation, and education at SOEST.
• SOEST Logos to Download. We have several versions and formats online (including GIFs, JPGs, and EPSs) of both the SOEST logo and UH Mānoa seal; they are available for use by SOEST personnel in their publications and on their web pages.
• SOEST Emergency Page. Our SOEST emergency web site will provide information about what to do in case of storms, floods, and other emergency information. Now available are a Hurricane Checklist PDF, a Powerpoint presentation on how to survive a tsunami, and links to information about avian flu.

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