The University of Hawaiʻi has been designated as a new Pacific Reef Research Coordination Institute (Pacific RRCI) by the (NOAA) to support coral reef conservation in the Pacific through research, collaboration and public education.

The Pacific RRCI will be housed in ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½â€™s , under the aegis of the , and will perform the following critical functions: conduct federally directed research to fill national and regional gaps; collaborate with relevant states and territories, Indigenous groups, coral reef managers, non-governmental organizations, and other coral reef research centers; assist in the implementation of the NOAA’s National Coral Reef Resilience Strategy and coral reef action plans; build non-federal capacity for management and restoration practices; and conduct public education and awareness programs.

“This new institute combines ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½â€™s strengths in cutting-edge, ocean-related research and our collaborative, place-based approach to working with resource managers throughout Hawaiʻi and the Pacific to protect our vital coral reefs,” said Chad B. Walton, ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ interim vice president for research and innovation. “At the same time, it provides us with further opportunities to develop our region’s next generation of researchers and managers in the field of conservation futures.”

To restore and preserve coral reef ecosystems in the U.S. from natural and human-related effects, the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 was reauthorized and modernized by the Restoring Resilient Reefs Act of 2021, which was included in the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act that became law in 2022. The reauthorized law required the designation of two RRCIs, one each in the Atlantic and Pacific basins, was required. The RRCIs were chosen from 32 preselected coral reef research centers and were designated based on the results of technical merit and panel reviews. The Restoring Resilient Reefs Act of 2021 was introduced and sponsored by Hawaiʻi Senators Brian Schatz and Mazie K. Hirono, and Congressman Ed Case.

The ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½-led institute will be guided by experienced reef researchers from ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ Mānoa’s Kewalo Marine Laboratory and the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ Hilo’s Marine Sciences program, and the University of Guam’s Marine Laboratory. It will support research, monitoring, capacity building and outreach for coral reef management throughout the U.S states and territories of American Samoa, Guam, Hawaiʻi, and the Northern Marianas Islands and with the Freely Associated States of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

“Many people worked many years to make this vision for collaborative reef research across the Pacific a reality,” said Suzanne Case, director of the Office of Land and Ocean Conservation Futures. “We’re excited to jump in with scientists and communities and agencies across the region to take it forward.”

To celebrate Charles Darwin’s 217th birthday, the University of Hawaiʻi (CTAHR) Insect Museum in Gilmore Hall buzzed with scientific discovery on February 12. Darwin Day 2026 honored the importance of evolution and science in daily life showcasing a dynamic range of research from across the islands.

Scientists from the Kewalo Marine Laboratory showcased “tide pool critters,” including corals and various marine invertebrates.

“Darwin Day is about raising awareness of how science has a positive impact on everybody’s lives,” said Dan Rubinoff, ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ Insect Museum director and CTAHR professor. “It’s really fun for us because it’s collaborative. We have so many other labs sharing their research with the public in this context”.

The Honolulu Zoo Society presented an educational display of skulls and “biofacts” to illustrate the impact of the environment on animal evolution.

The event also featured planthoppers from the ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ Chong Lab, mantis shrimp from the ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ Porter Vision Lab, Darwin’s finches presented by Luke Campillo, Native Hawaiian plants from Lyon Arboretum and endemic snails from the Bishop Museum.

Education and outreach

The event is part of the museum’s broader mission to support research and engage the public through tours and seasonal outreach events.

“We want people to take away that science is important and that they should support it,” Rubinoff said.

For more information on the museum and its collections, .

A University of at Mānoa graduate’s new research reveals that plastic pollution poses a significant, unseen threat to endangered coral reefs. The study found that chemicals leaching from plastics disrupt the two most critical processes for reef survival—the reproduction of adult corals and the settling of their larvae.

The work by Keiko Wilkins, who recently earned her PhD from the ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ Mānoa , is among the first to demonstrate these hidden dangers, which may help explain why some reefs are failing to recover after mass–bleaching events.

“When people think of threats to coral reefs, microplastics are often unnoticed,” said Wilkins. “Not only do corals eat microplastics, microplastic–associated chemicals may have hidden impacts. My research highlights this issue, urging us to see plastic pollution as a complex stressor to our reefs.”

Unseen threat

Coral reefs in and around the world are vital ecosystems facing extreme pressure from climate change. Wilkins’ work, conducted at the , was published in two parts.

showed that plastic leachates—chemicals released from plastics into the water—significantly reduced fertilization rates in corals.

demonstrated that these same chemicals negatively affected the ability of coral larvae to settle onto reefs, a step essential for replenishing coral populations.

“Keiko’s research is timely and essential in supporting efforts at the protection of coral reefs and all who depend on them,” said Bob Richmond, director of the Kewalo Marine Laboratory and Wilkins’ advisor. “Her results provide proof of the unseen, damaging effects of plastic pollution and the need to urgently address this problem if we are to leave a legacy of vital coral reefs for future generations.”

Scholarship support, real-world impact

Wilkins conducted much of her research with support from a highly competitive NOAA Nancy Foster Scholarship. This allowed her to collect coral samples in protected areas, including the Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary and the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.

The scholarship also supported her outreach and education efforts, through which she has connected with communities and schools across American Sāmoa to share her findings and raise awareness about the health of our oceans. She is now investigating how many microplastic particles are being ingested by corals in these regions.

As a kid, Maya Singh heard from her family stories about the ocean and land in Fiji that inspired her passion for the outdoors and, ultimately, for environmental science.

“I grew up in British Columbia, Canada, but my family is from Fiji,” said Singh, who will be graduating this month from the University of Hawaiʻi at ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ with a bachelor’s degree in (GES). “My grandpa would tell me stories of him and his brothers catching shrimp outside and playing in the ocean and rivers. It really inspired me to want to live closer to the ocean.”

With a passion for the environment and ocean, Singh moved to Hawaiʻi after graduating high school to pursue a degree at the ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ . For her senior research, Singh worked with mentor and Assistant Prof. to support coastal management and preservation on ³¢Äå²Ô²¹ʻ¾±. She developed a beach carrying capacity tool to determine the maximum number of visitors a beach can hold without surpassing the limits of acceptable environmental or social change at the beach.

As the culmination of this research effort, Singh wrote a senior thesis and presented her findings at the Spring 2025 GES Symposium, a showcase of the research conducted by graduating GES students.

“This tool was developed as a means to understand the changes at the beach and how we can best preserve the beach for future generations,” said Singh. “The thing I enjoy most about conducting this research is being able to work with the community and make a difference. Talking to the local community in the field and connecting with high school students to share the research we are conducting and why it’s important is very fulfilling.”

Meet more amazing ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ spring graduates

Supported by funding from the ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ , Singh also worked with Keiko Wilkins, a doctoral candidate in Bob Richmond’s research group at , to investigate how plastic pollution threatens marine ecosystems. Specifically, she tested the effects of microplastics on sea urchin fertilization. Singh also assisted with collecting and preparing coral samples for Wilkins’s dissertation research on microplastic effects on corals in the Pacific Ocean.

The academic and research experiences Singh has had through the GES program have solidified her commitment to pursuing a career in Hawaiʻi in environmental science after graduation. Eventually, she hopes to continue with her education by working toward a graduate degree in oceanography.

—By Marcie Grabowski

With 2024 officially the hottest recorded year in human history—surpassing the critical 1.5°C threshold above pre-industrial levels—climate change remains a global crisis. In response to these growing concerns, a University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa professor taught a course on climate change for government, private sector and academic leaders in Cairo, Egypt, in January.

Bob Richmond, research professor and director of the , focused on climate change impacts to Egypt and the broader Middle East—North Africa region. Egypt has experienced associated problems of flooding, drought, extended periods of elevated temperatures, bleaching of coral reefs in the Red Sea and human health consequences.

“The need for scientists who can clearly communicate across audiences, from K–12 students and community stakeholders to national leaders and policy makers has never been greater,” said Richmond, who teaches a graduate seminar in communicating science. “All the cutting-edge data in the world is of little use if it’s not accessible to our communities. This was a great opportunity to engage leaders from other nations to address an existential problem for all of humanity.”

Topics included causes and needed interventions, actions and solutions that could be undertaken at multiple levels, from individuals to nations. The course was held at the American University in Cairo and was funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The course was co-led by Seham Elmrayed, an epidemiologist, who highlighted the disease and human health impacts. Richmond led discussions on environmental consequences, the environmental health—human health connections and the need for international cooperation to address the climate change crisis.

Richmond’s invitation came via the American Bar Association as a request for scientists who could communicate across professional target audiences that included members of governmental judicial, executive and legislative branch members, academia and the private sector.

A judge from the U.S. 9th Circuit Court in California, who recommended Richmond, had participated in a Pacific Judicial Council environmental conference held in Palau in November 2024, where Richmond organized the science presentations for the regional judiciary.

The University of Hawaiʻi at ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ played a pivotal role in the Pacific Judicial Council’s (PJC) Environmental Conference held in Palau, which featured discussions on the judiciary’s role in addressing pressing environmental challenges in the Pacific region. Faculty and students from the (KML), and (NREM) served as speakers and panelists at the October event.

Speakers included Nicole Yamase, who earned her PhD from ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ in marine biology in 2022, and Alexi Meltel, a ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ PhD candidate in marine biology, conducting her dissertation research in Palau and at KML. Yamase is Pohnpean, and the first Micronesian woman to earn her PhD in marine biology. Meltel, who is Palauan, will be the second.

Experts noted that many of those challenges are now being addressed through lawsuits, and it is critical that the courts have the required knowledge to guide their decision-making.

“The fact that the Pacific Judicial Council is engaging with regional scientists is truly wonderful and cause for optimism that accurate science can lead to critically important outcomes that affect our natural resources and all who depend on them ecologically, economically and culturally,” said Research Professor and Director of KML Bob Richmond, who served as the conference organizer for the scientific panels.

The three-day conference focused on climate change, marine pollution, fisheries and economics as well as the intersection between law and science including recent court decisions.

“This conference provided invaluable education and training on the use of science as the core of decision making and action on the most pressing issues facing the Pacific, such as the protection of the marine environment and climate change,” said Professor Sherry Broder from the William S. Richardson School of Law, who provided the legal framework and context for addressing environmental problems in the courts. “Understanding how to use science as the basis for decision making in policy and law contributes to the development of protections of the environment.”

The audience included more than 100 judges, justices, legislators and leaders from across the Pacific, including Guam, Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Samoa, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands.

“It was a unique and somewhat intimidating experience to translate science for justices, judges, and lawyers in the region,” said NREM Professor Kirsten Oleson, who presented on the economic impacts of environmental damage and degradation. “I enjoyed discussions about how science and law intersect. Many people seemed to appreciate learning how we rigorously assign monetary metrics to nature’s benefits. It is important to give them confidence in the numbers when, for instance, dealing with damage liability or safeguarding the public trust.”

The marine tubeworm Hydroides elegans is a major problem for the shipping industry, as it coats the hulls and propellers of ships, as well as piers, nets of mariculture facilities, and the pipes that bring cooling sea water to electrical and industrial facilities. But what causes this marine invertebrate—that starts as a tiny, swimming larva—to settle onto a surface and transform?

A , led by Marnie Freckelton, a postdoctoral researcher at the , a unit of the (PBRC) in the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (SOEST), revealed that the carbohydrate portion of a complex molecule, called lipopolysaccharide, produced by specific bacteria is a signal to the tubeworms that they have found the “right spot,” when settling on ships or marine facilities.

The bacterial communities that rapidly coat newly submerged surfaces in the seas create a biofilm and produce chemical signals that are detected by swimming larvae. The new research is groundbreaking in its analysis of the chemicals from specific biofilm bacterial species that interact with the larvae of this tubeworm and induce them to settle and transform.

“In this way, biofilm bacteria initially establish and then maintain communities of animals and plants on the ocean bottoms by recruiting their larvae and spores to the sites,” said Freckelton. “The research provides strong evidence for the bacterial-molecular basis of the formation and maintenance of all benthic marine communities in the world’s seas.”

Mysteries remain

The team of scientists, including Michael Hadfield, senior author on the paper and emeritus professor in PBRC, noted that many other—in fact, most—biofilm bacterial species do not induce settlement in the tubeworm larvae. And even among different strains of the same bacteria collected from different habitats, some will induce settling and others will not.

“Looking to the future, we are interested in an in-depth structural understanding of the parts of these molecules that induce settlement and metamorphosis in marine species and how they interact in the larvae,” said Freckelton. “We also plan to test the larvae of other marine invertebrates, such as coral, for patterns in their settlement cues.”

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The is leading a team of higher-education institutions across the Pacific with a $5-million grant that aims to support Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders pursue degrees in marine and environmental sciences. These groups are highly underrepresented in STEM disciplines. Over the five-year grant period, institutions expect to help approximately 250 scholars and culturally connected students, allowing them to serve their local communities.

The grant was awarded from the U.S. National Science Foundation to a consortium of Pacific Island institutions of higher education. The grant will buoy students attending ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ Mānoa, Palau Community College (PCC), American Samoa Community College, the College of Micronesia – FSM, the College of the Marshall Islands and Northern Marianas College.

“The project addresses a primary cause of low enrollment of island-based students in STEM: financial challenges and the associated need to work while also attending classes,” said Bob Richmond, director of the ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ Mānoa (KML) in the . “Removing this barrier is a way to support the recruitment and retention of talented students with bright minds, cultural connections and passion into these fields who might otherwise not have access to higher education opportunities.”

The program will be led by Richmond; Lauren Wetzell, education specialist and doctoral student at the College of Education; Noelani Puniwai, associate professor at the ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ Mānoa ; Kaho Tisthammer, research associate at KML; Patrick Tellei, president of PCC; and Vernice Yuji, chair of PCC’s Science Department.

Throughout the Pacific, there is a need for well-educated scientists who are prepared with the skills and knowledge necessary to address a multitude of challenges including sustainability, ecosystem conservation, climate change adaptation, food security and natural hazard preparedness.

“Providing scholarships for students who are from Hawaiʻi and from the Pacific to stay and work and be connected is a huge investment into the future of the Pacific and this is where we should be putting our efforts into,” said Puniwai.

Major step forward

This new project builds on existing, successful partnerships between these institutions that supported the strengthening of their marine and environmental science associate degree programs over the past 18 years. The new scholarship program is seen as a major step forward in building on past successes in regional capacity development for Indigenous students.

“It will address the fact that there aren’t many Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian students in these fields even though we’re people of the ocean and we’re out here in the Pacific,” said Alexi Meltel, a Palauan PhD student at KML. “So hopefully with this grant we’ll be able to get more students into those fields and into long careers.”

To support students who are often the first in their families to attend college, the project will provide guidance in critical activities, such as navigating challenging degree programs, understanding STEM career paths, developing key skills for academic success and addressing barriers to achievement.

Educational research led by Wetzell will further the team’s understanding of how to scale up mentorship practices in culturally meaningful ways such as implementing a dual mentorship model. This research design differs from other mentorship studies in that it concerns the experiences of STEM students who have been historically underrepresented in higher education.

With training in marine and environmental sciences, students can become skilled professionals who can address national and regional needs in critical STEM areas including ocean health, natural resource assessment, protection, restoration and resilience in the face of climate change, and other challenges to environmental and natural resource sustainability.

A leading institution in exceptional marine biology—the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s (KML) celebrated its 50th anniversary in August.

KML, housed in the ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ Mānoa , began operations in 1972. Over the past five decades, KML has supported cutting-edge research focused on the study of unique marine organisms of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific, their evolution and development, ecological relationships, responses to both anthropogenic and natural stressors and their conservation biology.

“We are delighted to celebrate this milestone of 50 years at the Kewalo Marine Lab,” said Bob Richmond, director of KML. “Our research spans from molecules to ecosystems and has brought millions of dollars to Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Islands to support research and train students at all levels. We bridge science to policy, and knowledge to action in order to protect the marine biodiversity and marine resources of ecological, economic, and cultural value. We are excited for the future of KML as we continue excellence in both basic and applied research and keep Hawaiʻi at the forefront of experimental marine biology.”

Originally founded as a research laboratory, KML supports visiting scientists from the continental U.S. and international research community in the development and application of laboratory-based research approaches and tools, including microscopy, microbiology, molecular biology including multi-omics, ecotoxicology and developmental biology. The research at KML sits at the cutting-edge of conservation and environmental microbiome studies by embracing Native Hawaiian and Pacific culture, traditional knowledge and practice—linking lessons learned from marine systems to ahupuaʻa (from ridge to reef) and human health.

“One of the objectives of KML is to perpetuate place-based knowledge and ecological-based studies that confront challenges facing Pacific Islands and return this knowledge to communities,” said Kiana Frank, assistant professor at KML. “KML has helped to build resources that have increased the participation of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities in STEM education, restoration and conservation efforts, as well as promoted effective engagement between students, community, researchers and policy makers.”

KML’s training supports research by undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and K–12 students for visits and science fair projects. The lab has been the home of several training programs funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health targeting Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students—groups underrepresented in the STEM disciplines—based in Hawaiʻi and throughout Micronesia.

Faculty have also supported Hawaiʻi-based science education in partnership with the Polynesian Voyaging Society, Kamehameha Schools and the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education. They have also partnered with and supported governmental and local community-based organizations in efforts to conserve ±á²¹·É²¹¾±ʻ¾±â€™s precious marine resources of ecological, economic and cultural value.

“This milestone emphasizes how important marine science, especially marine biology, is in Hawaiʻi,” said Michael Hadfield, emeritus professor at KML. “While there has been a lot of news about the roles of ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ biologists in oceanography and coral-reef studies, the fundamental research in cell biology, developmental biology and symbiosis has often been overlooked. We stand out at KML and are proud to recognize 50 years of excellent research in Hawaiʻi and beyond.”

See more stories on Kewalo Marine Laboratory.

More on KML history

KML was conceived in the mid-1960s by then ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ Vice President Robert Hiatt and ‘s (PRBC) second director, Terence Rogers. The goal was to develop a state-of-the art facility for carrying out experimental marine biology on model organisms for studying basic questions in biological science.

During that time, a $550,000 grant was secured from the National Science Foundation for building funds. The site at Kewalo Basin was leased from the state, and the building was designed by Honolulu architect Richard Dennis. KML’s original five faculty were hired prior to the lab’s opening and worked in labs behind the until construction was completed.

Since 1972, KML has earned an international reputation for excellent research in biological sciences and has played a vital role in fulfilling ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½‘s mission in marine biological research. KML faculty and researchers have helped make ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ a well-known and respected institution among scientists worldwide for pushing the frontiers of marine biological discovery.

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To support dissertation research on the effects of microplastics on coral reef health and resilience, a doctoral student in the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa has been awarded a highly competitive .

Keiko Wilkins’ work will help to establish a baseline of current conditions of microplastic ingestion by corals within the three NOAA national marine protected areas within the Pacific Island region: Papahāumokuākea Marine National Monument, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary and the National Marine Sanctuary of American Sāmoa. Her work will also help to better understand how different species of corals retain plastics as well as determine potential ecological threats posed by microplastic-associated chemical contaminants.

“I am very grateful for the opportunity to be a Foster Scholar and NOAA National Marine Sanctuary Ambassador,” said Wilkins, who joined the Richmond Lab at the in the (SOEST) in fall 2020. “Microplastic pollution is not a new term to most people, but they are often surprised to learn that corals eat microplastics too. As plastic pollution in our oceans continues to increase, we need a better understanding of how corals are being impacted. I am excited to share my findings and bring more attention to microplastic pollution as it affects coral reefs and those who depend on them.”

• See more ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ News stories on coral reefs.

As part of the scholarship program, Wilkins will also complete an outreach project to support the local communities that border the protected areas. Through a grant to the Richmond Lab from the National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technological Education program Partnership for Advanced Marine and Environmental Science Training for Pacific Islanders, she will be sharing her research and analytical methods with faculty and students at five regional community colleges in the Pacific Islands.

“Keiko is an outstanding graduate student who is not only performing extremely important and timely research of value to Hawaiʻi, the Pacific Islands, and coral reefs worldwide, but as a member of a highly under-represented minority group in the marine and environmental sciences, is an excellent role model for others who are interested in pursuing STEM careers,” said her doctoral research advisor Bob Richmond, a research professor and director of the Kewalo Marine Laboratory. “Indeed, she has been actively engaged at the national level in supporting diversity and inclusivity in STEM fields and has proven to be an outstanding mentor and inspiration to other students.”

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–By Marcie Grabowski

Most bottom-dwelling marine invertebrate animals, such as sponges, corals, worms and oysters, produce tiny larvae that swim in the ocean prior to attaching to the seafloor and transforming into juveniles. A study published in the and led by University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers revealed that a large, complex molecule, called lipopolysaccharide, produced by bacteria is responsible for inducing larval marine tubeworms, Hydroides elegans, to settle to the seafloor and begin the complex processes of metamorphosis.

“This is a major milestone in understanding the factors that determine where larvae of bottom-living invertebrates settle and metamorphose,” said Michael Hadfield, senior author on the paper and emeritus professor in the ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ Mānoa (SOEST). “It is the key to understanding how benthic (underwater) communities are established and maintained on all surfaces under salt water, that is, on 71% of Earth’s surface.”

Finding the right spot to settle

Most invertebrate larvae are capable of staying in the larval stage for extended periods of time until they find a right spot. In the study, led by Marnie Freckelton, a postdoctoral researcher at the , a unit of the (PBRC) in SOEST, the research team asked the question: how do ‘right spots’ cue larvae to settle and metamorphose?

Metamorphosis is a profound change in the animal’s form—from a small swimming larva to an animal with a very different anatomy anchored to the seafloor. Although researchers have known that biofilms, thin layers comprised of bacteria, diatoms and small algae that blanket submerged surfaces, induce metamorphosis of a wide range of marine invertebrate larvae, the mechanism of induction remained poorly understood.

In laboratory experiments with larval tubeworms, the team found that they would not settle on clean surfaces. They required a cue from a surface biofilm.

“The team isolated a single bacterial species, Cellulophaga lytica, that could, when formed into surface biofilm, induce the worm larvae to settle, and then we asked: what is it about that particular bacterium that causes the larvae to settle and metamorphose?” said Freckelton.

With a series of enzyme experiments, the researchers eliminated protein-based bacterial compounds as potential settlement inducers. From there, they investigated, one-by-one, various lipid-containing compounds and identified the trigger—lipopolysaccharide, which forms the outer coat of most marine bacteria.

Selective response to local bacteria

They studied the biofilm-bacterial communities from many different habitats to learn what bacterial species were present and how they compared across communities. They discovered that, although thousands of bacterial species make up the biofilm in any given marine habitat, they vary significantly from one location to another.

“In fact, we have different strains of the same bacterial species obtained from Kāneʻohe Bay and Pearl Harbor, and the Hydroides larvae settle only in response to the one from Pearl Harbor,” said Hadfield, who has been a researcher at the Kewalo Marine Lab in PBRC since 1968. “Furthermore, we found in our lab that larvae of the coral Pocillopora damicornis, which is abundant in Kāneʻohe Bay, will settle only in response to the Kāneʻohe Bay strain of the bacterium. This is a breakthrough, because it tells us about the specificity of certain bacteria that guide and maintain a community of animals where they occur.”

This work is an example of ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ Mānoa’s goal of (PDF), one of four goals identified in the (PDF), updated in December 2020.

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–By Marcie Grabowski

Japan has proposed discharging treated nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean, and an independent panel of global experts on nuclear issues was developed to support Pacific nations in their consultations. Robert Richmond, a research professor at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (SOEST) and director of the Kewalo Marine Laboratory, was to join the panel.

In 2011, a massive earthquake and tsunami in Fukushima, Japan damaged the Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. To prevent further damage and overheating, workers pumped water through the remains. Last year, Japan announced its intentions to begin discharging the accumulated radioactively contaminated cooling water into the Pacific Ocean starting in 2023, claiming that after treatment, it is safe to do so. Some Pacific nations are concerned about whether that can be done safely.

The , made up of 18 independent Pacific Island countries, created the expert panel to provide independent technical advice as part of the ongoing dialogue with Japan officials and representatives of the nuclear power plant in Fukushima where the wastewater has accumulated since the tsunami.

“At this point, we’re unanimous in saying we don’t see enough information to support dumping the radioactively contaminated water into the ocean,” said Richmond, who has conducted marine conservation research in the Pacific for more than four decades. “Our first recommendation to the group is to take that option off the table for now.”

Trans-boundary issue

Through the movement of ocean currents and transport by pelagic fishes that can take up and accumulate radionuclides (a radioactive and unstable form of an element), more widespread distribution can and will take place.

“This is truly a trans-boundary issue,” said Richmond. “Fish don’t respect political lines, and neither do radionuclides or pollutants in the ocean. I really commend the members of the Pacific Islands Forum for recognizing that this is an issue that they need additional information on.”

, Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Henry Puna emphasized, “Our ultimate goal is to safeguard the Blue Pacific—our ocean, our environment and our peoples—from any further nuclear contamination. This is the legacy we must leave for our children.”

Richmond has studied the uptake of radioactive Ru-106 in crayfish as an indicator of leakage from nuclear power plants while working at the Department of Radiation Biology and Biophysics at the University of Rochester Medical School and spent two years performing research on Enewetak Atoll, home to the U.S. nuclear testing program from 1948–58. He presented at the in Palau. This event, co-hosted by the Republic of Palau and the U.S., offered a key moment for countries, civil society and industry to commit to concrete and significant actions to protect the ocean. Richmond emphasized the need for adequate and accurate information for decision makers to make sound decisions to protect and conserve marine habitats and life, and all those who depend on ocean resources.

“This is not the first nuclear incident, and it won’t be the last,” said Richmond. “Perhaps this can be an opportunity to try different approaches that have never been tried before. Maybe this could be a learning opportunity to really set the bar for the future of not continuing to use our oceans as the dumping ground.”

“Maybe this could be a learning opportunity to really set the bar for the future of not continuing to use our oceans as the dumping ground.”
—Robert Richmond

Additional panel members are Ken Buesseler, senior scientist and oceanographer of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; Arjun Makhijani, president of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research; Antony Hooker, associate professor and director, Centre for Radiation Research, Education and Innovation, the University of Adelaide; Ferenc (Jacob Rolf) Dalnoki-Veress, scientist-in-residence and adjunct professor at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.

The panel recently shared a detailed set of initial recommendations to the Secretariat that will be available soon.

This research is an example of ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ Mānoa’s goal of (PDF), one of four goals identified in the (PDF), updated in December 2020.

–By Marcie Grabowski

Palau is an island nation with strong ties to Hawaiʻi, a rich history of the application of traditional ecological knowledge to natural resource sustainability, and similar challenges tied to climate change, coral reef protection and fisheries management. Alexi Meltel, a second-year graduate student in the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa , recently traveled to Ngermid Bay, Palau to examine the protein and gene expression patterns of Porites lobata (lobe corals).

Ngermid Bay is a unique place to study corals because of its higher sea surface temperatures and reduced pH, which are predicted to affect most coral reefs by the year 2050 (or sooner) due to climate change. Despite these conditions, the bay still has very diverse coral communities.

Meltel is interested in determining if there’s a difference in the protein expression patterns of P. lobata between three sites within the bay when compared to populations of P. lobata from a reference site with more oceanic influences. Because protein expression can be used as a diagnostic tool for evaluating coral responses to different stressors, it is valuable for managers to know which proteins are being up- or down-regulated in these corals to allow them to live in highly stressful conditions encountered in Ngermid Bay.

“In addition to protein expression, I also want to know which particular genotypes make the populations of P. lobata within the bay so resilient, in comparison to populations from a reference site,” said Meltel. “During my trip to Palau, I collected tissue and skeleton samples from P. lobata colonies at the three sites within Ngermid Bay, and one site from outside.”

Connecting research across Pacific Islands

Cultural and research exchanges between Hawaiʻi and Palau have yielded positive outcomes in key areas such as ocean health, fisheries, adaptation to climate change and blending modern science with traditional practices.

“Conducting my research in Palau is important to me because I can contribute to the knowledge about Palau’s corals,” said Meltel. “Being able to do my research about my home island is also very gratifying for me because I feel like I’m doing my part to protect Palau’s oceans for future generations.”

Previous studies show that the corals in Ngermid Bay have locally adapted to their environment. With Meltel’s research, she hopes to identify what makes these corals so resilient, and how this information can be applied to enhancing reef resilience through active restoration activities, when needed.

“Lessons learned in Palau are broadly applicable to Hawaiʻi and other Pacific Islands,” said Robert Richmond, Meltel’s advisor at the Kewalo Marine Laboratory in Honolulu. “Lexi’s journey highlights the value of research programs and experiential learning as means of engaging students in STEM education.”

This work was done in collaboration with the Palau International Coral Reef Center.

This research is an example of ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ Mānoa’s goal of (PDF), (PDF) and (PDF), three of four goals identified in the (PDF), updated in December 2020.

Larval fish are spawned in a given location and may be recruited into their next life stage—larger, older fish—in the same place or a distant location. The recruitment of rabbitfish in Guam and groupers in Palau has historically been unpredictable. A , co-authored by a University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (SOEST) research professor, found that patterns of ocean currents and weather determine the success or failure of recruitment from one spawning event to another in these Micronesian islands.

The team of researchers, including Robert Richmond, research professor and director at the in SOEST; Eric Wolanski, James Cook University; and Yimnang Golbuu, Palau International Coral Reef Center, assessed the past 30 years of fish catch information as well as satellite data of ocean currents. They used those data in a high-resolution biophysical model of Guam and Palau to map the fate of fish larvae after spawning. Their model included the consideration of ocean weather and El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), as well as the swimming behavior of mature fish larvae.

Ocean eddies impact fish recruitment

Throughout the years, patterns of recruitment of rabbitfish in Guam and groupers in Palau could not be explained based solely on the impacts of ENSO currents. Rather, the scientists found that ocean circulation patterns caused by huge oceanic eddies were just as important as the ENSO in Micronesia.

“For Guam, the results explained the substantial change from year to year of the rabbitfish catch,” said the researchers. “Fish recruitment can be zero after one spawning event and can be extremely high at the next spawning event, depending on both the ocean weather and the ENSO conditions at that time. For Palau, we found that the three spawning grounds of groupers (Ebiil Passage, the Western Passage and the Southwest Passage) were connected, which historically made the Palau grouper population resilient.”

Cooperative conservation approach

The researchers also found that up to 99% of the fish larvae are exported from Guam and Palau, hence, these larvae provide key fish population connectivity among the islands of Micronesia. They mapped the patterns of connectivity of grouper fish larvae in Micronesia and discovered that there are two major stocks with high connectivity, one cluster being the island-to-island cluster of Irian Jaya-Palau-Yap-Mindanao, and the other cluster being within the Federated States of Micronesia.

“The likely connectivity of reef fish populations among Micronesian Islands demonstrated by this study supports government efforts at regional cooperation in implementing conservation initiatives and sustainable management of their fisheries,” added the researchers. “Most notably of this regional, cooperative approach is the establishment of the Micronesia Challenge, with the different governments in Micronesia coming together and agreeing to effectively conserve their marine resources through a network of marine protected areas, as a legacy for their future generations.”

This effort is an example of ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ Mānoa’s goal of (PDF), one of four goals identified in the (PDF), updated in December 2020.

More than 120 baby Hawaiian bobtail squid born from a mother squid collected at Maunalua Bay were sent to the International Space Station in June to help scientists understand how astronauts’ health is affected during long space missions. The squid were launched into space as part of ±·´¡³§´¡â€™s SpaceX 22nd resupply mission and are scheduled to return in July.

Jamie Foster, a University of Hawaiʻi alumna who completed her doctorate in 2000 under the guidance of ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ Professor Margaret McFall-Ngai, a professor at the University of Florida, and principal investigator for a NASA research program (UMAMI), will be investigating how squids are affected by spaceflight.

“The goal of the UMAMI project is to better understand the effects of microgravity, or spaceflight, on the beneficial interactions between animals and microbes,” said Foster. “Beneficial interactions with microbes are critical for animal health. Studying the bobtail squid helps us understand fundamental ways bacteria initiate relationships with their animal hosts.”

Hawaiian bobtail squids have one host and one microbial species, in comparison to humans, which have one host and more than 1,000 microbial species. When baby squid are born, they pick out their symbiont (the bacteria they partner with), and that partner has to drive the development of the tissues it associates with and has to stay in balance to keep animals healthy. This process is the same in humans.

Foster is trying to determine how the squid’s symbiont-induced development is perturbed in space, to help address health problems that astronauts face during long space missions, such as compromised immune systems and the potential for microbes to become more pathogenic.

“We know that when astronauts go to space, it is not uncommon at all for them to have immune problems, and changes to their microbiota,” said McFall-Ngai, who has been studying squid since 1989. “You have microbes that keep you healthy on your skin and in your digestive system, and there is something about microgravity that disturbs that balance. In sending these squid into space, Jamie hopes to find basic evolutionarily conserved principles that can be applied to the human microbiome.”

Kewalo Marine Lab hub for squid research

McFall-Ngai learned of the Hawaiian bobtail squid as a graduate student, and has spent her professional career of more than 30 years studying the species.

“This particular little squid lends itself to studying symbiosis everywhere from ecology and evolutionary biology all the way up to molecular mechanisms,” said McFall-Ngai. “You can do just about any level of biology with this animal.”

Today, there are many labs across the U.S. and Europe that study squid-vibrio symbiosis, all of which have originated out of ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½.

“The community we have is very tightly woven,” added McFall-Ngai. “Jamie got her degree at the University of Hawaiʻi, she comes here often, and she works with the people here and other academics who have come through ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½. Hawaiʻi is like the nexus, the center, of the studies.”

“I first thought of the idea for UMAMI while a graduate student at ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½,” added Foster. “My work with Dr. Margaret McFall-Ngai showed me the importance of beneficial microbes in animal health, but there were no comparable studies being done in the field of space biology. I thought the Hawaiian bobtail squid would be a perfect model organism for this type of spaceflight research. It took 10 years before the first squid went to space in 2011 and another 10 years for the UMAMI mission, but each mission builds on the previous research, and I hope there will be more opportunities for this UMAMI mission to continue.”

This research is an example of ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ Mānoa’s goal of (PDF), one of four goals identified in the (PDF), updated in December 2020.

Nearly every organism hosts a collection of symbiotic microbes—a microbiome. It is now recognized that microbiomes are major drivers of health in all animals, including humans, and that these symbiotic systems often exhibit strong daily rhythms.

New research led by scientists revealed that, in the mutually beneficial relationship between with the Hawaiian bobtail squid, Euprymna scolopes, and the luminescent bacterium, Vibrio fischeri, an immune protein called “macrophage migration inhibitory factor” or “MIF,” is the maestro of daily rhythms.

This finding, , could provide important clues on factors affecting human microbiome rhythms, as the MIF protein is also found in abundance in mammalian symbiotic tissues.

To survive, the nocturnal Hawaiian bobtail squid depends on V. fischeri, which gives it the ability to mimic moonlight on the surface of the ocean and deceive monk seals and other predators, as it forages for food. The symbiotic bacteria also require nutrition, especially at night when they are more numerous and their light is required for the squid’s camouflage.

The research team, led by Eric Koch, who was a graduate researcher at the (PBRC) in the ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ Mānoa (SOEST) at the time of the study, determined the squid regulates production of MIF as a way to control the movement of specialized immune cells, called hemocytes, which provide chitin for bacteria to feed on.

At night, when the team found MIF was low in the squid’s light organ, hemocytes were allowed into the regions where the bacteria reside and chitin was delivered. During the day, MIF was very high, which inhibits the hemocytes from entering the symbiotic tissues and dumping their chitin at the wrong time.

This cycling of nutrients has cascading effects on all of the other rhythms associated with the symbiotic system—perhaps affecting overall health, development or reproduction.

• Related ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ News story: Glowing bacteria in Hawaiian bobtail squid cause changes throughout host, March 5, 2019

Characterizing animal microbiomes

For nearly three decades, PBRC professors Margaret McFall-Ngai and Edward Ruby have used the squid–bacterial symbiosis system to characterize animal microbiomes. The PRBC labs are located in the Kewalo Marine Laboratory.

“We had recognized daily rhythms in the squid-vibrio symbiosis since 1996, but how the rhythm is controlled was not known,” said McFall-Ngai. “This study brought the whole thing into sharp focus, allowing us to understand how the rhythm works and how it matures in the animal.”

Such discoveries can pave the way for understanding how microbiomes function—what they do and how they do it—in other organisms and environments.

.

–By Marcie Grabowski

A released by the stated, while the management of local and regional stressors threatening coral reefs is critical, these efforts on their own will not be enough in the face of global climate change.

The report co-authors, including , research professor and director at in the (SOEST) at the , explored the state of science on a variety of approaches to sustain coral reefs in rapidly deteriorating environmental conditions. He assessed the interventions’ benefits and goals, feasibility, risks and infrastructure needs.

Worldwide, coral reefs have an estimated value of $1 trillion and nearly 500 million people depend on these vital ecosystems for wave protection, fisheries and tourism, cultural heritage, and food and livelihoods. Over the past few decades, however, about 50 percent of coral reefs have been lost and the rate of loss has increased with the impacts of climate change.

“Quitting cigarettes is a positive step, but is insufficient if one already has lung cancer,” said Richmond. “The same is true for reefs—stopping stressors now is key, but only part of the solution. Interventions are needed and we are running out of time.”

This report is the first in a two-phase study evaluating the risks and benefits of implementing novel ecological, genetic and environmental interventions that could enhance the recovery and persistence of coral reefs.

For the full story, see the .

—By Marcie Grabowski

As a child growing up on Hawaiʻi Island, Narrissa Spies thought the classroom and beach were two separate and distinct places. Today, this 35-year-old graduate student in at the knows that protecting coral reefs is both her future job and life’s passion.

“I grew up in a house that didn’t have electricity, so for us going to the beach during the day was an amazing way to escape,” said Spies. “I didn’t realize as a child that I could do those types of things as a career, that I could investigate sea creatures, turn over rocks, as my job.”

Thanks to a $45,000 fellowship from the Kohala Center, a Waimea-based nonprofit, Spies is spending the 2017–18 academic year finishing her doctorate on how coral are able to withstand multiple stressors resulting from human activities.

, her faculty advisor and director of the , says Spies is more than a brilliant scientist: She is a cultural practitioner who will inspire future ocean researchers.

“For many scientists, the coin of the realm is the peer-reviewed publication. They say, ‘Okay, my job is done, I’ve published the paper,‘” said Richmond. “For Narrissa and her generation, that is no longer sufficient. ‘We’ve done the science, we’ve published the paper and now we have to put that knowledge to work.’ And that’s what distinguishes her from a lot of other people.”

Spies grew up in Hilo and Kawaihae, where her childhood aspiration was to become a medical researcher. She began her studies at , graduating from with a bachelor of arts in and , and a .

Today, you’ll find Spies at the Kewalo Marine Lab, near Kakaʻako Waterfront Park, where she is on schedule to earn a doctorate in zoology in Spring 2018. She continues her research after receiving yet another honor—a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to engage high school students in the natural sciences as a career path.

By demonstrating her high level of success, this role model will increase the number of Native Hawaiian professionals with a cultural affinity for protecting fragile natural resources.

“I feel it’s important to educate students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) because these are our resources in Hawaiʻi,” said Spies. “And who better to care for these resources than people who grew up here, and can understand how important they are to our local community.”

Experts say the world’s coral reefs are in severe decline. Coral bleaching reached historic levels over the last several years. This important ecological, economical and cultural resource is at risk.

That is why about 2,500 delegates including three Pacific heads of state met in Hawaiʻi in June for the 13th .

The meeting’s convener, the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s director of the helped to bring the meeting to the state for the first time.

“The idea was to bring it to Hawaiʻi, not only to showcase all that we have to offer but also as a wakeup call to the people of Hawaiʻi,” said Richmond.

According to Richmond, coral reefs are valued at $9.9 trillion dollars worldwide and 500 million people depend upon them for biodiversity, coastal protection, fisheries, medicine and tourism and recreation. The estimated value of Hawaiʻi’s reefs is $36 billion dollars with $360 million in annual revenue tied to them.

The good news is that Hawaiʻi is also rich in coral-reef related human resources. One of these is , the director of ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ Mānoa’s Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, who is researching assisted evolution for corals and is the current president of the .

Gates helped to present the society’s highest honor, the Darwin Medal, to the ’s senior ichthyologist emeritus John Randall, who earned his PhD at ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ Mānoa and has named more fish than anyone in the world over his distinguished career.

Right now, the world’s reefs need all the help they can get from the scientific community and the 70 nations that were represented at the symposium.

“So we can’t sit around and just talk about it any more,” said Richmond. “It’s a real call to action not only from science to management, but from knowledge to action and that’s where the leaders are really helping to communicate with us about let’s stop talking about it and let’s start doing it.“

—By Kelli Trifonovitch

For more than 100 years, marine biologists have sought an understanding of how the minute larvae of marine invertebrate animals—cast out into the vast ocean—find and settle in the right ecological settings for survival, growth and reproduction. A grant, totaling more than $870,000, from the to the will support research to understand the mechanisms by which marine biofilm bacteria—bacteria that live in slime films on the surfaces of all objects submerged in the sea—induce the settling of larvae of marine invertebrate animals.

With this grant, a ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ research team will focus on a small tube worm, Hydroides elegans, that settles onto marine surfaces in warm ocean waters around the world where they form masses of hard, calcified tubes. The team, led by professor at the , in the at ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ Mānoa, includes larval biologist (Kewalo Marine Laboratory), microbiologist (Daniel K. Inouye Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education, Department of Oceanography, Sea Grant) and natural products chemist (Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy, ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ Hilo).

Bacteria initiate dramatic transformation

In the last two decades there has been growing recognition that bacteria are likely the factor that causes many free-floating larvae to settle and transform, yet very little is known of the diversity of bacteria that stimulate larvae to settle and less is known of the mechanisms through which these bacteria act.

“We have isolated specific strains of bacteria from marine biofilms that induce the worm’s larvae to settle and metamorphose. Using these bacteria, our goals are to determine what factors produced by the bacteria cause the larvae to stop swimming, stick to the surface and undergo the dramatic physical changes that make up the process of metamorphosis,” said Hadfield.

During the two-year project, Hadfield and colleagues will also study the larva’s receptor or response system. Understanding the relationship between the tube worm and bacteria will shed light on the complex phenomena that lead to the establishment and maintenance of healthy marine seafloor communities throughout the ocean.

Larvae are very particular in selecting surfaces on which they will settle—which is why different communities of invertebrate animals live on sandy beaches, rocky coasts, pilings and other surfaces in enclosed harbors.

“For many—probably most—of these animals, biofilm bacteria are the key. This research holds promise to reveal the basis for differential larval settlement in the sea,” said Hadfield.

Real world application

The current project arose from long-running research in Hadfield’s laboratory. In the lab, Hadfield has studied the biology of marine larvae and long ago established Hydroides elegans as a useful model organism for studying larval settlement and “biofouling”—the accumulation of undesirable organisms on marine surfaces.

Larva of barnacles, tube worms, oysters and other organisms settle on ship hulls, pilings and in the pipes used to draw cooling water into electrical plants and factories resulting in millions of dollars in loss annually in these maritime trades. Knowing why larvae settle in particular places is an important first step in ensuring they do not settle where they are not wanted.

Moreover this work may have real-world application to areas such as mariculture, where the goal is to successfully raise larvae of clams and oysters and have them settle on a particular surface, as well as for the development of methods to deter larval recruitment onto the hulls of ships and other marine surfaces.

—By Marcie Grabowski