News Archive

  • Environmental science graduate investigates microplastic deposition on O‘ahu
    Posted to SOEST News on May 21, 2025 by Marcie Grabowski Ian Chung in Waikiki, O’ahu This past weekend, graduates of the Global Environmental Science (GES) undergraduate program at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa took with them a bachelor’s degree and real-world, hands-on experiences with research that benefits communities and ecosystems in Hawai‘i and beyond. Through the GES … Read More
  • Kīlauea volcano ash prompts largest open ocean phytoplankton bloom
    Posted on UH News on April 17, 2025 When the Kīlauea volcano erupted in May 2018 on Hawaiʻi Island, an enormous amount of ash was released into the atmosphere in a plume nearly 5 miles high. A new study by an international team of researchers—including from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa School of Ocean and … Read More
  • Christina Comfort Receives Prestigious ARCS Award
    ARCS AWARD—University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Department of Oceanography PhD candidate Christina Comfort is a recent recipient of the prestigious Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Scholar Award for her research on coastal water quality. ARCS Foundation Honolulu Chapter is an all-volunteer, non-profit women’s organization that provides financial support to outstanding University of Hawai‘i graduate … Read More
  • Celebrating Gabrielle Ellis and Gratitude to Lucia Leong for the Oceanography Graduate Student Fellowship
    We are thrilled to celebrate Gabrielle Ellis, who recently defended her dissertation—a remarkable achievement in her academic journey! This milestone was made possible in part by the Lucia and Gregory Leong Oceanography Graduate Student Fellowship, which provided Gabrielle with the crucial support needed to dedicate the past two years to groundbreaking research in oceanography. The … Read More
  • Faculty contribute to ocean science forecast report for next decade
    Posted to SOEST News on March 28, 2025 by Marcie Grabowski Major investments are needed for core research in ocean science and to upgrade and replace infrastructure to support use-inspired, basic research in ocean studies, said a new report published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). For over two years, Shimi Rii, faculty … Read More
  • Hawaiʻi State Legislature honors late oceanographer Klaus Wyrtki
    Klaus Wyrtki, a pioneering oceanographer and former professor at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, has been honored by the Hawaiʻi State Legislature for his groundbreaking contributions to oceanography and climate science. Wyrtki, who died in 2013, was a leading expert in ocean circulation and its impact on global climate patterns. The certificate recognizing Wyrtki’s legacy was presented on … Read More
  • Malte Stuecker appointed director of the International Pacific Research Center
    Posted to SOEST News on January 31, 2025 by Marcie Grabowski Malte Stuecker Malte Stuecker, associate professor in SOEST, was appointed as director of the International Pacific Research Center (IPRC), with a start date of February 1, 2025. Stuecker, who has a dual appointment in IPRC and the SOEST Department of Oceanography, is focused on the dynamics, predictability, and impacts … Read More
  • Professor Andrea Kealoha recognized in “Where I work” for Nature Magazine
    Following the August 2023 Lāhainā wildfires on Maui, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Oceanography Professor Andrea Kealoha immediately began work to monitor the health of coastal waters near Lāhainā. The above article showcases one of the many interviews she participated in. For the official article from Nature.com see here.
  • Research by Kate Feloy selected as featured article by AGU’s editorial board
    Remote control eddies: upwelled nutrients boost productivity around Hawaiian Islands Posted on October 30,2024 by Marcie Grabowski Beyond colorful coral reefs and diverse nearshore ecosystems, Pacific Ocean waters surrounding the Hawaiian Islands have comparatively little marine life and low biological productivity. New research published by University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Mānoa oceanographers showed that eddies on the … Read More
  • Malte Stuecker recognized by AGU for contributions to Earth and space science
    Posted on September 18, 2024 by Marcie Grabowski Malte Stuecker Malte Stuecker, associate professor in SOEST, won the James B. Macelwane Medal from the American Geophysical Union (AGU) for his significant contributions to Earth and space science. As part of the award, he will also become an AGU Fellow. AGU, the world’s largest Earth and space science … Read More
  • Community Connections: Blake Stoner-Osborne makes deep-sea wonders visible and accessible
    Blake Stoner-Osborne (far right) offered hands-on activities, such as a lancetfish dissection, during a visit to an Oʻahu high school. Credit: Sonia Rowley. When Blake Stoner-Osborne was in elementary school, a classroom visit from marine biologists working at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) taught him that a … Read More
  • UH Mānoa launches Uehiro center, pioneering oceanography research
    The Uehiro Center for the Advancement of Oceanography at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa officially launched with a one-day symposium with research findings and future goals of the center’s oceanographic research, presented by its faculty and graduate students on December 8. The center was founded in 2022 by a gift from the Uehiro Foundation … Read More
  • Oceanographer Angelicque White invited to speak at NSF Frontiers Symposium
    SOEST oceanography professor Angelicque White has been invited to speak at the 2023 National Science Foundation (NSF) 5th Annual Frontiers in Ocean Sciences Symposium on Thursday, June 22, 2023 from 6:30 to 11:00 am HST (12:30 to 5:00 pm ET). In celebration of June as World Ocean Month, the NSF Frontiers in Ocean Sciences Symposium … Read More
  • UH News Image of the Week: PhD Student Eleanor Bates conducting result during HOT Cruise
    This week’s UH News Image of the Week is from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Fernando Santiago-Mandujano, an oceanography research associate in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology. Santiago-Mandujano shared: “Eleanor Bates and Blake Watkins preparing for a night water-sampler deployment onboard the UH Research Vessel Kilo Moana during a recent … Read More
  • SOEST awards honor OCN faculty excellence in teaching, research and mentorship
    In recognition of excellence in teaching, research and mentorship, three faculty members were honored with SOEST awards at a ceremony on April 26, 2023. “The highpoint of my week happened this morning,”  said Chip Fletcher, interim Dean of SOEST after the SOEST awards ceremony. “I was honored to recognize Drs. Rosie Alegado for teaching excellence, … Read More
  • Join Us for the First Ever Department of Oceanography Graduate Symposium (DOGS)!
    On behalf of Nā Kama Kai, you are formally invited to the inaugural Department of Oceanography Graduate Symposium (DOGS). This conference is the first of its kind in our department, created for students by students. Our theme this year is From people to ecosystems: exploring connections and learning community and describes the efforts of our … Read More
  • Rosie Alegado awarded the Board of Regents Medal for Excellence for Teaching
    Congratulations Dr. Rosie Alegado for being awarded the Board of Regents Medal for Excellence for Teaching. As stated by the Dean of SOEST, Dr. Chip Fletcher, “You bring honor and recognition to the entire school with this achievement, and you extend what has now become a tradition of outstanding instruction across many SOEST units and academic programs.”
  • Malte Stuecker awarded international early career research medal
    Malte Stuecker, assistant professor in the Department of Oceanography and the International Pacific Research Center, is the recipient of the 2023 Early Career Scientist medal in physical ocean science from the International Association for the Physical Sciences of the Oceans (IAPSO). IAPSO is one of the eight associations of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG), established in 1919. … Read More
  • Congratulations to Gabrielle Stedman on receiving the 2023 George and Mona Elmore Award!
    It is a great pleasure to announce that Gabrielle Stedman has been awarded the 2023 George and Mona Elmore Award in Oceanography from the ARCS Foundation Honolulu Chapter. The award of $5,000 is presented to a Oceanography graduate student who demonstrates the potential to make significant contributions to scientific discovery or innovation. The recipient may use the funds in … Read More
  • Our Marine Sciences Building has gotten a makeover!
    Big things are happening at the Department of Oceanography at UH Mānoa. Changes are afoot! We are thrilled to announce that the Marine Sciences Building main floor has gotten a makeover. We’re deeply honored to include a stunning photograph by legendary North Shore photographer Clark Little and a profound quote by Nainoa Thompson. Thank you … Read More