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Water resources

The Hilo Wastewater Treatment Plant effluent pipe extends approximately one mile offshore outside of the Hilo break wall.

Bacteroides: The clingy bacteria that mammals just can’t shake

by Nicolas VanderzylEvery parent knows the feeling: sneaking away to the restroom, yearning for a few minutes to yourself, only to be interrupted in seconds by light knocks and fifty questions. But alas, even if you aren’t a parent, you ...
Sandy coastal water bounded by rocks is rippled by upwelling groundwater

Picking apart “dirty” groundwater sources

by Casey McKenzieWhen discussing contamination of water resources, our minds likely first jump to imagining polluted creeks and lakes, or rivers that lead to the ocean. We typically picture in our minds the bodies of water that are visible to ...
Shallow coastal waters in a rocky baylet show patterns of upwelling water

Using, valuing, and caring for groundwater dependent ecosystems in Kona, Hawaiʻi

by Veronica GibsonGroundwater is an important resource. This is especially true on the leeward Kona coast of Hawaiʻi Island, where groundwater is the primary source of water for both humans and ecosystems. Virtually no surface runoff or perennial streams exist ...
Looking down on coastal pool whose waters glow bright green

Tracing the Pollution Problem

by Shayla WaikiWho would have ever thought that the little girl who grew up playing in the waters around Hawaiʻi Island would soon be doing research along those very shorelines that were so influential to her? I was raised in ...
Water leaks out of patch of sand down to the nearby waves

Why Thermal Cameras are Cool

by John CameronWith all the measures implemented this past year to avoid COVID-19 infections, and to detect those infected, remote thermometers cropped up everywhere, raising general awareness of temperature and how we measure it. Dramatic, highly colorful photos of people ...
View of low-lying rocky coastal area

A model situation

by Brytne Okuhata Imagine this: you take a deep breath and jump into the ocean. The water surrounds you and flows through your hair. You come back up to the surface and soak in the beauty around you. But invisible ...
Crispin gives a shaka while sitting on his surfboard in calm waters

My lifelong question

by Crispin NakoaI grew up in and around the ocean. When I was little, almost every weekend was spent fishing on my dad’s boat out of Kawaihae Small Boat Harbor on Hawaiʻi Island. We often caught ono and mahimahi and ...
Three-foot high wooden walls enclose a small plot of soil and plants.

When the Unmentionable becomes Unavoidable

by Joachim SchneiderA cesspool is nothing more than a hole in the ground that receives wastewater from all parts of the household. In the case of many cesspools, this wastewater leaches into the surrounding groundwater and surface water, causing environmental ...
flying drone with sunset clouds in the background

Wai, from mauka to makai

by Michael Mathioudakis It is a peaceful Saturday morning on windward O‘ahu as my co-pilot Daniel and I wait for the sun to peak over the horizon. We are FAA-licensed pilots gearing up to fly our octocopter, an aircraft equipped ...