UH ocean plastics experts featured in new documentary, KULEANA
At the KULEANA release party (from L to R): Chris Dickerson, Jeff Drazen, Jonathan Whitney, Margaret McManus, and Jamison Gove.
Members from the University of Hawaiʻi (UH) at Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) and John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) were featured in the new documentary KULEANA, which premiered at the 45th Hawaiʻi International Film Festival (HIFF) on October 23, 2025. KULEANA is a documentary that brings together science, sports, and stewardship to inspire action in protecting Hawaiʻi and the world ocean from plastic debris.
Contributing to the film were several leading oceanographers from SOEST including Jeff Drazen (professor), Jamison Gove (alumni and research affiliate), Nikolai Maximenko (senior researcher), Margaret McManus (chairwoman of the Department of Oceanography and director of the Uehiro Center for the Advancement of Oceanography), and Jonathan Whitney (alumni, former postdoctoral researcher, and research affiliate); and a scientist at JABSOM’s Yanagimachi Institute for Biogenesis Research, Rodrigo Weingrill. The UH Mānoa experts joined filmmakers, professional athletes, and community partners at the festival for the premiere of KULEANA.
“KULEANA powerfully captures how plastic pollution is infiltrating the lives of ocean animals, with Hawaiʻi standing at an epicenter of this global crisis,” said Whitney, marine ecologist at NOAA, who co-led a study with Gove and McManus showing that prey-sized plastics are invading larval fish nurseries. “Our research revealed an invisible threat at the foundation of ocean food webs, and it’s an honor to collaborate with talented filmmakers who can bring these scientific stories to life for the world to see.”
“The film explores our shared responsibility to care for the ocean,” said McManus. “Our department’s scientific expertise helped inform both its message and storytelling. I am so proud to see our department’s passion and knowledge for ocean science reflected in such a meaningful project.”
The film highlights that plastic pollution has become a human health concern. A central scene follows professional surfer Kai Lenny as Weingrill’s team tests his blood, finding 33 microplastic particles in just 2 milliliters. With an average adult having about five liters of blood, Weingrill estimated that Lenny would have “around 80,000 particles in all his blood.”
“I think the message is to educate our communities to prevent this exposure,” said Weingrill, who was selected for the film for his research on microplastics, including studies showing an accumulation of microplastics in human placentas in Hawaiʻi. He suggested making small lifestyle changes such as using glass or stainless-steel containers instead of plastic, to reduce daily plastic use.
KULEANA was directed and produced by Georgia Scott, narrated by Woody Harrelson and hosted by Chris Dickerson, former professional baseball player. HIFF also scheduled additional screenings of the documentary for November 1, at Kauaʻi Community College and November 9 and 15, on Maui.