August 2016
SOEST welcomes our new undergraduate and graduate students. The 3-day orientation for undergraduates included a ridge hike, a visit to the Kapapa Lo'i o Kanewai (taro patch at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa's Hawai'inuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge) and a tour of the  Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) at Coconut Island.

Watch the highlights video  here!

Oceanography researchers discovered impressive abundance and diversity among the creatures living on the seafloor in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ)--an area in the equatorial Pacific Ocean being targeted for deep-sea mining of copper, nickel, cobalt and manganese, among other metals. More than half of the species they collected were new to science, reiterating how little is known about life on the seafloor in this region. Further, the study revealed more than half of the species observed rely on the nodules-the very part of the habitat that will be removed during the mining process.
The Jonathan Merage Foundation has embarked on a long-term partnership with SOEST to explore how long-range lightning data can potentially improve storm forecasting. Floating storm balloons at low levels into a hurricane will provide crucial data on the energy exchange that governs hurricane intensity. The project began this summer in Colorado with the launch of the first storm balloon.
"It was a picture perfect first release," said Professor Steven Businger, chair of the SOEST Atmospheric Sciences Department and project lead.

Kīlauea volcano on the island of Hawaiʻi has been erupting for more than 30 years, making it the one of longest-flowing volcanoes on Earth. Because of its remarkable and frequent activity, Kīlauea is one of the best studied volcanoes on Earth. Geology professor Michael Garcia has been leading studies of the chemistry of lavas from this volcano for 40 years, adding to the extensive knowledge base on this volcano. 

Watch the PBS NewsHour story featuring Garcia and graduate student Kendra Lynn.

Atmospheric Sciences assistant professor, Christina Karamperidou, recently participated in a National Science Foundation-sponsored workshop on Expert Witness Training at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law in Minnesota.
"We recognize that in the coming future we're probably going to have a lot of legal disputes and policy scenarios that are going to be about the climate," Jim Hilbert, a Mitchell Hamline professor who co-directs the program, told Minnesota Public Radio. "If scientists are unable to communicate their science effectively, we end up with policy making decisions that are suboptimal."
Under the leadership of Geology professor Bruce Houghton, Geology undergraduate student Warren McKenzie spent a month on the R/V Roger Revelle over Havre volcano in the Kermadecs sampling and mapping the largest recorded submarine eruption. McKenzie also took part in a graduate field school where he spent several weeks trekking on volcanoes in Kamchatka. "It was my second time doing the course and it was an incredible experience," said McKenzie. 

The video he created from these experiences won first place in the SOEST Student Video Contest.
UHM undergraduate student Leah Shiruzu has been working with Rosie Alegado, assistant research professor at UHM Oceanography and Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education to assess the microbial diversity in He'eia Fishpond in windward Oahu. Read her story on the Real Science at SOEST! student blog about bridging old and new by applying genetic sequencing to the study of traditional sustainable aquaculture.
Stay informed on the SOEST Events page.