Coral reefs

Article 'The Ocean is Feeling the Heat' by Lonny Lippsett. Includes images of a feeding Blue Whale, Coastal flooding, melting ice sheets.

The Ocean is Feeling the Heat

by Lonny LippsettA fever is rising in the ocean. Our rampant burning of fossil fuels has produced a heat-trapping blanket of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere that has warmed the Earth. But the situation would be much worse without ...
Beth Lenz (masked) poses for a selfie on a path to the White House

Knauss 2020: A coral biologist in Washington

by Beth Lenz I never thought I would find myself in D.C. working for Congress - let alone in a year like 2020. After living on Oʻahu for five years studying coral reef resilience, I defended my Ph.D. in the ...
Thumbnail image of yellow buoy floating in blue Hawaiian waters

Carbon dioxide measurements on the Oʻahu Coast

by Lucie Knor Aloha! My name is Lucie Knor and I am part of the longest-running time series project on carbon dioxide (CO2) in the coastal ocean. It is located right here in Hawaiʻi. There are currently four buoys installed ...
Google Earth image showing small round brown reefs with brighter rings around them

What can seascape-scale vegetation patterns on coral reefs tell us about reef health?

 Research Projects 2020-2022 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Elizabeth Madin Graduate Fellow: Zackery Rago Coral reefs worldwide are threatened by a variety of human impacts. Fishing is among the most pressing threats to reefs, because it occurs on most reef systems and alters the ...
A school of fish swim over a reef

Land-based pollutants on Hawaiian reefs

 Research Projects 2020-2022 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Megan Donahue Co-INVESTIGATORS: Kim Falinski Graduate Fellow: Honour Booth This research will examine land-based pollutants, such as metals and persistent organic pollutants (e.g., PCBs), in coastal ecosystems in Hawaiʻi. Ongoing habitat degradation and coastal development, along with ...
Podcast #11: DNA Detection

Podcast #11: DNA Detection

Dr. Brian Bowen, Cassie Lyons, and Mykle Hoban capitalize on a new technique of using free-floating environmental DNA sampled from above coral reefs to monitor their health based on the species present. Read more about their project here ...
Podcast #10: Metallic Phish

Podcast #10: Metallic Phish

Dr. Megan Donahue and Eileen Nalley look for traces of land-based, metallic pollutants in tissues of commonly eaten reef fishes and the mechanisms involved in their transport from land to fishes. Read more about their project here ...
Podcast #9: Mesophotic Mapping

Podcast #9: Mesophotic Mapping

Dr. Rob Toonen and Evan Barba explore sediment distribution across the sensitive ecosystems of the mesophotic zone and its connection to land use management decisions. Read more about their project here ...
Podcast #7: Growing Coral

Podcast #7: Growing Coral

Dr. Peter Marko and Claire Lewis are determining the optimal conditions for growth of the coral Pavona variens to aid in restoration efforts of Hawaiian coral reefs. Read more about their project here ...
Split field of view showing coral reef below the water surface and mountains and bay shore above.

Super corals in Kāneʻohe Bay provide hope for survival of coral reefs around the globe

May 16, 2019 (Honolulu, HI) – A journal article published this week by researchers at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology concluded that naturally occurring super corals in Kāne‘ohe Bay, O‘ahu are ...