A new book Ignite: A Decolonial Approach to Higher Education Through Space, Place and Culture looks closely at the role of colonization on the culture and values of higher education institutions. The book includes a chapter by faculty from the University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant), UH Mānoa’s School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology and Center for Teaching Excellence and Kuaʻāina Ulu ʻAuamo.

The chapter “Kūlana Noiʻi: a Kanaka ʻŌiwi-centered Indigenist axiology for conducting research with communities,” examines the nuances and complexities of community-researcher partnerships and details the process used to develop written guidelines (Kūlana Noiʻi) that help ensure reciprocal, place-based research in Hawaiʻi. It stresses the importance of Indigenist ethics, which require that all who engage with Kūlana Noiʻi take the rights of Indigenous peoples as the highest priority.

The authors of the chapter, Rosie ʻAnolani Alegado and Katy Hintzen from Hawaiʻi Sea Grant’s Ulana ʻIke Center of Excellence; Brenda Asuncion and Miwa Tamanaha from Kuaʻāina Ulu ʻAuamo; and Daniela Bottjer-Wilson from the UH Mānoa Center for Teaching Excellence, initially envisioned Kūlana Noiʻi out of a need expressed in the ahupuaʻa (traditional land division extending from the mountain to the sea) of Heʻeia for a set of guidelines to help ensure that research projects in this area engage in equitable and reciprocal partnerships.

“Kūlana Noiʻi is rooted in the collective knowledge, insight and many years of effort contributed by communities, organizations and experts across Hawaiʻi,” said Alegado. “We co-developed as Kūlana Noiʻi is a starting point for deeper conversations between researchers and community partners that when applied along with hard work, may lead to more just and generative relationships.”

Community-based ethical research training

Since Kūlana Noiʻi was first released, more than 600 researchers, community members and resource stewards have been trained through more than 40 workshops on building and nurturing pilina (relationships) and Aʻo aku, aʻo mai / Aloha aku, aloha mai (knowledge given, knowledge received / Love given, love received). A series of workshops with the UH Center for Teaching Excellence is described in the book chapter as exemplary learning moments—faculty from close to 40 diverse departments requested regular, community-based ethical research training as part of their professional development.

While the Kūlana Noiʻi is a uniquely Hawaiian perspective, it is also relevant to challenges faced by research institutions, conservation managers and community stakeholders. Kūlana Noiʻi trainings on the continental U.S. have demonstrated that a common need in community-based research is understanding the significance of place in shaping individual identities and community connections in different regions, as well as involving the people that care for place in the decision-making process.

Ignite: A Decolonial Approach to Higher Education Through Space, Place and Culture is available in hardback or e-book through Vernon Press and other booksellers.

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For island and remote communities in the U.S., developing resilient electricity infrastructure and energy systems can be fraught with challenges. In Hawaiʻi, the University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant) was awarded $400,000 to collaborate with the Hawaiʻi State Energy Office (HSEO) to inform the state’s energy future. The project team will work to build trusted, long-term relationships with the remote communities most impacted by energy grid fragility and in need of multiple options for making the energy transition.

“Our team aims to help communities approach renewable energy in the overall context of hazard and emergency preparedness, rather than as a stand-alone issue. We are looking forward to building on existing outreach programs to further build individual community resilience,” said Amy Wirts, Hawaiʻi Sea Grant’s coastal lands program coordinator and one of the project leads on the grant.

NOAA’s National Sea Grant College Program (Sea Grant), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office, is supporting projects in Alaska, Guam and Hawaiʻi that will examine how adoption of ocean renewable energy could support sustainable energy systems. Nationwide, Sea Grant and DOE recommended three projects for a total of $800,000 to conduct community engagement activities that will help illuminate community values, perceptions and cultural contexts around energy innovation and resilience.

By placing communities at the center of technology advancement efforts and gleaning on-the-ground information about local, place-based energy transitions, the results of these projects will be critical to helping inform DOE programmatic efforts that catalyze innovative energy solutions.

“It is critical to support these communities as they engage in the process of identifying, planning and developing the local clean energy resources that meet their long-term needs,” said Jonathan Pennock, director of Sea Grant. “Sea Grant is excited to partner with DOE’s Water Power Technologies Office to assist communities in effectively engaging with emerging energy technologies intended to secure a sustainable, resilient and equitable future.”

Community-based energy planning

The projects’ overall goal is to develop information pathways and build trusted relationships, and to support community-based energy planning to unlock ocean energy development. The three main elements of the Hawaiʻi project are: (1) expand the existing HSEO Energize Kākou community engagement program to include ocean energy and rural communities; (2) further develop the HSEO Clean Energy Wayfinders outreach program; and (3) build capacity for community and local organizations to directly engage with underserved communities to support energy transition.

Ocean energy systems can harness energy from the power of ocean waves, tides and currents, or even the differences in salt levels, temperatures and pressure. These resources are incredibly predictable, meaning ocean energy technologies have the potential to be important contributors to a reliable and clean electricity grid.

The project leads from Hawaiʻi Sea Grant include Amy Wirts, Katy Hintzen and Darren Okimoto. See the full list of project descriptions (PDF).

Read also on Hawai’i Sea Grant News and UH News.

Three graduate students from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa are spending one year focusing on critical marine policy issues in Washington, D.C. representing the UH Sea Grant College Program as John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellows.

Gina Selig, Sarah Tucker and Emily Young were selected out of a highly competitive pool of applicants from across the nation to serve in either the legislative or executive branch of government.

“The Knauss Fellowship offers graduate students the invaluable opportunity to put their academic knowledge to practice in tackling marine, coastal and Great Lakes management and policy challenges at the federal level,” said Jonathan Pennock, National Sea Grant College Program director.

Gina Selig

Throughout Selig’s scientific career, she has sailed on multiple expeditions in the Pacific Ocean supporting deep-sea exploration and research as well as hydrographic surveying in remote parts of Southwest Alaska, which makes the opportunity to spend a year in the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Office of Polar Programs (OPP) an extremely valuable learning experience.

“I’m truly honored and grateful for the opportunity to work in NSF’s Office of Polar Programs as the environmental policy fellow. I feel lucky to be placed in this unique position that has such an important role in protecting and preserving Antarctic wildlife and ecosystems,” said Selig, who is finishing a Master’s degree from the SOEST Department of Oceanography. “The position not only aligns with my interests in the management of marine and terrestrial protected areas and assessment of environmental impacts, but also provides a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience this incredible ecosystem and witness the transformative work of OPP firsthand with a deployment in Antarctica.”

Sarah Tucker

Tucker’s interest in ocean science and conservation is motivated by her ability to share its curiosities and importance with others, which was a focus of her PhD work in marine biology examining the ecological and genomic diversity of the world’s most abundant organisms: the marine bacteria SAR11. She also investigated phytoplankton communities within and adjacent to the Heʻeia National Estuarine Research Reserve and their roles in water quality and food web dynamics.

“Working in the Arctic Research Program and communications at GOMO, the Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing Program at NOAA, aligns with my interests in ocean biogeochemistry and observations while expanding my knowledge of ocean policy and climate change impacts,” said Tucker, who completed her doctoral degree in marine biology at the Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology in 2022. “Because the Arctic is warming much faster than the rest of the planet, and this poses many societal, scientific and policy challenges, there are lots of opportunities to explore new ideas and collaborations.”

Emily Young

Throughout her academic career, Young has been deeply involved in science communication, teaching and outreach activities, all of which have significantly shaped her career pathway towards the fellowship. Her role at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), within the Department of the Interior, provides her with the opportunity to develop climate science expertise in the context of offshore and deep-sea habitats.

“One of the most valuable aspects of the Knauss fellowship is being granted the opportunity to dive into something new,” said Young,who completed her doctoral degree in oceanography in 2023. “My role as ‘climate science liaison fellow’ at BOEM allows me to build on my existing expertise in offshore, deep-sea habitats, while also developing new expertise in climate science. At the same time, I’m learning how the federal government operates, and witnessing firsthand how science is incorporated into decision-making.”

Read more on Hawai’i Sea Grant News and UH News.

Researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa have been awarded $10.7 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study how human health is impacted by exposure to microbes, how microbiomes are impacted by environmental and social-economic gradients in Hawaiʻi, and how an animal’s microbiome confers persistent health (using invertebrate hosts).

“We want to develop the best and the brightest of the next generation of researchers that are experts in studying environmental microbiomes and their interaction with humans,” said Principal Investigator Anthony Amend, a professor with the Pacific Biosciences Research Center (PBRC).

Building on Phase 1

The latest grant from the NIH Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) is considered a Phase 2 grant. Five years ago, a $10.4-million Phase 1 grant enabled the UH Mānoa Integrative Center for Environmental Microbiomes and Human Health (ICEMHH) to emerge as a recognized center of excellence in understanding the ways environmental microbiomes impact human health using approaches that range from the molecular and chemical to the ecological.

In addition to substantial scientific outputs, including 35 publications and more than $22 million in extramural investigator grants, Phase 1 investigators helped to establish world-class field sites on multiple islands that leverage Hawaiʻi’s uniquely steep environmental gradients, and to develop tractable, local, model host systems to understand microbiome impacts in host health and physiology.

COBRE Phase 2 builds upon Phase 1 and encompasses four research projects:

1. Mohammad Arif, an assistant researcher in plant and environmental protection sciences, is studying sources of food-born pathogens and mechanisms of how they establish on crops.
2. Ellinor Haglund, an assistant professor of chemistry, is researching microbiome interactions with the hormone leptin in Drosophila (fruit fly) obesity.
3. Andrea Jani, an assistant researcher in PBRC is examining the interaction between microbiome and disease in Drosophila models.
4. Corrie Miller, an assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and women’s health, is researching factors influencing the vaginal microbiome and its role in preterm births.

Life sciences at the heart

The “heart” of ICEMHH is the Isabella Aiona Abbott Life Sciences Building (LSB), which houses teaching and research labs, as well as three core facilities for microscopy, genomic analysis and an insectary. The building also holds the labs of five graduated, current and proposed COBRE researchers, as well as the core facility directors. Approximately 65% of the total research space is occupied by ICEMHH personnel and facilities.

“What the COBRE does is allow us to combine the ecology and then environmental diversity of Hawaiʻi and these Hawaiian systems with human health concepts,” said Jani. “That’s something that’s big and complex and that takes a lot of collaborative effort to do.”

Applications for infectious diseases

Jani’s lab is in the LSB. She is being mentored by Phase 1 researcher Joanne Yew, who also oversees the Microbial Genomics and Analytical Laboratory core facility.

“The COBRE energizes the state of microbiome research at the university,” Yew said. “So that means that it will attract people to come here and do microbiome research—attract and build the intellectual environment.”

Jani is researching how the fruit fly microbiome responds to infection.

“Fruit flies allow us to study this infection process of infectious disease, to understand conceptually what causes the microbiome to be stable or not stable in the face of infection,” Jani said. “And then we can take especially some of the ecological principles, the ecological factors that contribute to stability, and start to apply those to humans.”

Beyond direct advances to human and environmental health, the COBRE grant also benefits Hawaiʻi residents in other ways.

“Our Phase 1 investigators were awarded more than $22 million in external grants, mostly from federal agencies, and that all comes back to the state in terms of salaries and expertise,” said Amend. “It’s really a boon for—not just the university—but for the people of Hawaiʻi as well.”

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Waikīkī is the economic hub of Hawaiʻi’s tourism industry and is threatened by flooding from sea-level rise, king tides, groundwater inundation, overflow of the Ala Wai canal and more. In an effort to address these challenges, an interdisciplinary academic research team from the University of Hawaiʻi hosted a virtual interactive discussion in June with 220 people in attendance for Envisioning Sea Level Rise Adaptation Strategies for Waikīkī, Part III.

This marks the third public presentation of sea-level rise adaptation strategies for prototypical low-rise residential and high-rise residential and commercial buildings. The team depicted adaptation strategies in the years 2050 and 2100 for a beachfront study site at Fort Derussy U.S. Army Museum and Waikīkī Shore Condominium.

The renderings show potential flood adaptation options for coastal and open space areas, transportation, utilities and a high-rise mixed-use building.

“This project is a great opportunity to educate and inform the community of the future of our coasts, infrastructure and the environment,” said Gerry Failano, a UH Mānoa School of Architecture graduate research assistant. “Working with people from different backgrounds has taught me a great deal of the need to work together to address the effects of sea-level rise and climate change in Hawaiʻi and around the country.”

A mix of professionals and community members participated in the discussion, including government employees, urban planners, consultants, architects, Hawaiʻi residents, land and business owners, hotel and restaurant industry stakeholders, and those with cultural or historical interests.

“The diverse perspectives allowed for a dynamic environment to brainstorm innovative solutions for our collective future,” said Georgina Casey, a School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) climate resilience specialist focusing on sea-level rise. “This project has allowed me to think critically about new possibilities and how we can envision a resilient future for Waikīkī.”

“I think this type of cross-disciplinary pollination of ideas has great potential to drive implementation forward for a more resilient Waikīkī,” said Eric Teeples, a doctor of architecture student.

Merging science, design

This research merges science with design to create conceptual architectural renderings to visualize sea-level rise adaptation strategies. The goal is to encourage discussion, contribute to design guides, pilot projects and new policies to prepare the community for future flooding.

“By prioritizing sustainable design and interdisciplinary research, this project contributes to a larger purpose of creating a resilient community and drives meaningful change,” said Josephine Briones, a climate change adaptation specialist.

“We are grateful for the participants’ feedback on each adaptation strategy as the renderings sparked conversation of prioritization, coordination, cost, and phasing,” said Wendy Meguro, the principal investigator for the project, and an associate professor with a joint appointment in the UH Mānoa School of Architecture and Hawaiʻi Sea Grant.

“Sea-level rise is an all-hands-on-deck issue that asks us to imagine our best futures, and work collaboratively to achieve them,” said Chip Fletcher, co-investigator and interim dean of SOEST. “The coastal cities of tomorrow will not look like the cities of today, now is the time to design, fund, and implement our dreams.”

Additional contributors include Desiree Malabed, a bachelor of environmental design student; rendering tutors Chris Lomboy and Andrew Tang; and design reviewers from Hawaiʻi Sea Grant, Melanie Lander, Dolan Eversole and Eileen Peppard. This research is a collaboration between the School of Architecture, Environmental Research and Design Laboratory; Hawaiʻi Sea Grant, Center for Smart Building and Community Design; SOEST, Climate Resilience Collaborative.

For more information, presentation slides, and recordings visit the Hawaiʻi Sea Grant project website. An updated project booklet and participant feedback report from the June 2023 webinar will also be available soon.

This research project is an example of UH Mānoa Strategic Plan goal to leverage our research strengths to lead the response to pressing issues facing the state and region in sustainability and resilience.

Read also on UH News.

A new tool uses facial recognition technology to identify individual whales and dolphins in the wild across 24 species. The research was led by University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) PhD student Philip Patton and published in Methods in Ecology and Evolution.

“From a conservation standpoint it is really useful to be able to recognize the same individuals over time because you can see what areas the individuals use,” said Patton. “You can also use this information to estimate population size and population trends.”

This multi-species photo-identification model based on a state-of-the-art method in human facial recognition was created for a Kaggle competition organized by Happywhale.com that challenged engineers to develop a tool that could individually identify whales and dolphins using an algorithm. The algorithm engineers developed can identify characteristics such as scarring, pigmentation, size and more on individual dolphins and whales.

Accelerating information gathering process

The UH Mānoa Marine Mammal Research Program studies these species using photography to inform management and conservation efforts for marine mammals in Hawaiʻi.

“When we go out and do these surveys like taking pictures of them out in the field, using an algorithm like this we can really speed up the information gathering process,” said Patton. “Once we get back to the lab we can run our photos through the algorithm and it will tell us who is there and then we immediately have some information to judge things like population, space use, etc. which are important for conserving Hawaiian whales and dolphins.”

Ecologically, dolphins are very social, and this new tool provides a way to observe dolphin social behavior in a non-invasive way.

“You can actually learn a lot of information from just recognizing the same individual over time and noting where you saw it,” said Patton.

The publication is the product of a massive collaboration, with 56 researchers from around the globe sharing their valuable image data—representing six continents and 24 species—to advance cetacean research and conservation.

The study included HIMB graduate students Liah McPherson and Jens Curry, and Patton’s faculty advisor Lars Bejder. Funding for Patton’s work came from the NOAA Quest Fellowship.

Read also on UH News, The Maui News, and West Hawai’i Today.

A marine science summer program developed by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) is celebrating 10 years of serving Hawaiʻi’s high school students and recent graduates. Since its inception in 2013, the Research Experiences in Marine Science (REMS) program has increased access to marine science fields for about 150 participants, of which approximately 60 have continued on to higher education. This year’s program ran from June 5–July 14.

“My experience at REMS has opened my [prospects] for what I want to do in the future, I now have another option and opportunity,” said Kaissen Poepoe, 2023 REMS student and rising junior at Waiʻanae High School.

This summer’s REMS cohort included 22 high school students and recent graduates. The high schools represented in REMS this summer include student who attended: James B. Castle High School, Kahuku High and Intermediate School, Kapolei High School, Waiʻanae High School, Kalani High School, Mililani High School, University Laboratory School, Hālau Kū Māna Public Charter School and Kamehameha Schools.

Waiʻanae High School rising seniors Branzon Kahalewai-Sapigao and Jayse Uyehara appreciated the unique curriculum offered by REMS. “This is a great experience – it fills you with all sorts of amazing knowledge and helps guide you through life while building your character [and] making you a better person,” said Kahalewai-Sapigao. Uyehara added: “I came into this program not certain of what I was going to get out of it. But after these 6 weeks, I leave with a smile on my face, knowing there is a place where people are looking for ways to help our community. Whether it be studies on fish or [bringing] back cultural practices, it is just beautiful knowing the people here are determined to help our communities with marine science.”

REMS focuses on marine conservation-driven science that incorporates Hawaiʻi’s unique ecology and culture to better engage local high school students and recent high school graduates in STEM. During the program, students participate in field- and laboratory-based science modules and conduct research alongside professional scientists, science educators, and near-peer mentors who encourage the students to explore solutions to environmental challenges through research questions developed in partnership with community.

“Developing meaningful and authentic opportunities for Hawaiʻi’s students that inspire and sustain their interest in STEM pathways is essential for overcoming some of the barriers to access that continue to hinder diversity in STEM fields,” said Malia Rivera, REMS principal investigator and faculty specialist at HIMB.

From participant to mentor

Seaenna Correa-Garcia’s first immersive experience with marine science was at 16 years old as a Mililani High School junior in 2015. Her experience in REMS became the catalyst in choosing to pursue marine science as a career. Now in the UH Mānoa’s Marine Biology Graduate Program, Correa-Garcia currently serves as a graduate student instructor in REMS.

“My hope in continuing this journey is that I could serve as a mentor for students similar to the mentors I had, which helped bring me to where I am today,” said Correa-Garcia.

Correa-Garcia became an undergraduate marine science student in California and would return home during summers as an undergraduate mentor for REMS. In 2017 and 2018, she served as mentor for more than 50 REMS students, assisting participants in the design and execution of their research projects, and providing overall program support.

“Playing an active role as a student leader, mentor and undergraduate intern within REMS, I had the opportunity to help promote and experience professional, academic, and personal growth within myself and each student,” said Correa-Garcia. “My involvement within REMS specifically has been the inspiration for my future aspirations in marine science conservation and education.”

Coming full circle

Since 2013, more than 20 UH graduate students have served as instructors, and ten undergraduate interns, most having participated in REMS as high school students, have assisted in running the program.

In her graduate studies, Correa-Garcia is working to integrate Native Hawaiian Indigenous knowledge of native limu in restoration efforts within ancient Hawaiian fishponds with the newly developed aquaculture institute at Waikalua Loko Iʻa, a partnership with the Pacific American Foundation and UH Sea Grant.

“After completing my graduate education, I hope to continue working with local high school students, fostering educational pathways specifically in place-based education, marine science research and conservation,” said Correa-Garcia. “I hope to pursue a PhD degree and eventually would like to become a leader of a program such as REMS.”

Current REMS student and rising Junior of Kahuku High and Intermediate School Kemy Castillo shared a similar sentiment regarding REMS: “My experience in REMS […] helped me be more certain that I wanted to be a marine biologist in the future. And to do it all over again would be the best thing ever.”

Read also on UH News.

A local ʻohana of like-minded ocean lovers, scientists, water enthusiasts and fishers launched Fish Pono—Save Our Reefs, a public education campaign with the vision of bringing awareness to the importance of replenishing herbivore fish populations to foster healthy coral reefs.

Five University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa faculty, staff and alumni are supporting this effort. Fish Pono scientific advisors include Alan Friedlander and Kawika Winter of the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, Mark Hixon of the School of Life Sciences, as well as alumnus Randy Kosaki of the NOAA Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Photography on the Fish Pono website was provided by UH alumnus Jeff Kuwabara, who directs the UH Mānoa Marine Option Program, and waterman Keoki Stender.

When herbivores—our reef’s lawnmowers—such as uhu (parrotfishes), nenue (chubs), kala, kole, manini, other surgeonfishes and sea urchins are in low abundance, coral reefs are overgrown with seaweeds and begin to suffocate and die. These ever-important lawnmowers, especially the uhu, must be abundant and thriving for seaweeds to remain in check, our corals to survive and flourish, and our beaches to get their essential, desperately needed sand (uhu poop sand).

“As our islands experience serious effects of poor water quality and climate change, including severe coral bleaching, a simple effort of giving uhu and other herbivore fishes a break, taking only what you need to feed your immediate family for that day, will save our coral reefs,” Kosaki said. “Scientists have found that uhu and important surgeonfishes are particularly overfished, and highly populated islands like Oʻahu are at less than 5% of their original herbivore fish abundance.”

Raising awareness

Ongoing Fish Pono television and radio PSAs feature well-known ocean enthusiasts, including navigator Nainoa Thompson of the Polynesian Voyaging Society, champion spearfisher Kimi Werner, waterman and ocean safety expert Brian Keaulana, and bodysurfing champion Mark Cunningham. The PSAs were filmed around Oʻahu and offer testimony of the importance of saving our coral reefs by saving our uhu and friends. The television and radio PSAs can be found on the Fish Pono website.

“Herbivores allow corals to replenish and grow, and thus save our coastlines and coastal fishing for future generations,” Winter said.

Hixon added, “Coral reefs are extremely valuable to Hawaiʻi, providing subsistence and recreational fishing, coastal protection, surfable waves, tourism, medicines and spiritual connection.”

Read also on Maui Now, Big Island Now, Kauai Now, and UH News.

Living at the edge of darkness, the community of microbes and tiny animals in the ocean’s twilight zone upcycle nutrients to ensure their survival. A study led by researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa revealed that small, free-floating animals called zooplankton rely mainly on an even smaller class of organisms, called microzooplankton, to consolidate the sparse waste products in the water and transform it into higher-quality food. The study was published in Limnology and Oceanography.

“Zooplankton have, at times, been termed ‘gatekeepers’ of the deep sea because their feeding behavior determines which materials reach the ocean’s deep interior,” said Connor Shea, lead author of the study and doctoral student in the SOEST Department of Oceanography. “So, it is important to understand how these animals source their food because it helps us understand how the ocean processes and stores carbon dioxide from Earth’s atmosphere.”

The twilight zone, about 200–1,000 meters below the ocean surface, is the layer where the well-lit surface ocean transitions to the ocean’s dark interior. In this zone, it is too dark for plants to grow, so the communities that live there are almost entirely reliant on material produced in the overlying water to survive.

To obtain their food, microzooplankton, which are about the size of a human red blood cell, recycle old organic material that settles from above—mostly fragments of excrement from animals living at shallower depths. This process concentrates nutrients in an environment that is otherwise a food desert for other, larger organisms.

Food web structure

Shea and his co-authors collaborated with a large, interdisciplinary team of scientists through the EXPORTS program to investigate the dynamics of the zooplankton community in the subarctic Northeast Pacific Ocean, in the Gulf of Alaska. The team collected samples of zooplankton and analyzed nitrogen isotopes within them. The analysis allowed the researchers to make inferences about how the food web is structured.

“We discovered how the community of zooplankton living in the twilight zone of the Northeast Pacific makes a living, despite inhabiting a notably unproductive region where the supply of food from the surface is exceedingly low,” said Shea.

The zooplankton, which are about the size of a sesame seed and often smaller, eat the microzooplankton, which are relatively nutritious compared to the detritus they feed on. In this way, the food web is highly efficient and organized around the recycling of relatively low-quality food that exists in this environment.

“Although we know that microzooplankton exist below the well-lit surface ocean, they are not very abundant, and so it has previously been difficult to evaluate whether they are an active component of the community,” said Shea. “So, it was exciting to find that they were key contributors to this deep sea food web.”

Regions of the ocean where the plankton community is more efficiently utilizing organic matter, such as the study area, are places where the ocean has a naturally lower capacity to absorb some of the carbon dioxide produced by humans. “So understanding how zooplankton communities process carbon, which, to them, represents food and energy, helps us to understand the role of the ocean in absorbing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,” added Shea.

Read more on UH News, Phys.org, and Hawaii News Now.

Three subject areas in SOEST earned international recognition, according to the 2023 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject and placed in the nation’s top 20: 

• Geophysics: No. 19 U.S., No. 44 worldwide
• Geology: No. 19 U.S., No. 44 worldwide
• Earth and marine sciences: No. 20 U.S., No. 51–100 worldwide

In total, more than 25 University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa subject areas earned international honors, including a top 10 national performance by the Department of Linguistics, and a ranking of No. 18 U.S. and No. 51–100 worldwide for the Department of Anthropology:

UH Mānoa also received the following broad subject area rankings: arts and humanities (No. 33 U.S., No. 125 worldwide), natural sciences (No. 50 U.S., No. 225 worldwide), social sciences and management (No. 71 U.S., No. 393 worldwide), and life sciences and medicine (No. 100 U.S., No. 400 worldwide).

UK-based QS is considered one of the most highly regarded ranking entities in higher education. QS selected 1,594 institutions to evaluate out of more than 25,000 colleges and universities for its 2023 World University Rankings by Subject using the following factors: academic and employer reputation, research citations per paper, international research network and the h-index, which measures the productivity and impact of an academic researcher or department.

International recognition

These rankings are the latest in a series of high marks from QS. In QS’s latest World University Rankings released in June 2023, UH Mānoa placed No. 66 nationally and No. 386 out of more than 25,000 colleges and universities worldwide (or the top 2%).

Recent rankings

UH Mānoa also received these notable rankings:

• World’s top 2.5% in the Global 2000 list by the Center for World University Rankings, May 15, 2023
• Sixteen graduate programs recognized in the 2023–24 U.S. News and World Report’s Best Graduate Schools rankings, April 24, 2023

For more information on rankings, see the Mānoa Institutional Research Office website.

Read also on UH News.