An innovative mass-timber public space designed for the Kakaʻako Ma kai shoreline was presented by University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa students at the 2026 International Mass Timber Conference in Portland, Oregon. “The Hale” integrates Indigenous architectural principles with modern sustainable materials to propose a new model for public gathering spaces in Honolulu.

The project was originally developed in a first-semester graduate design studio by architecture students Edwin Sun, Jayden Uowolo and Dylan Martos. Reimagining the traditional Hawaiian “place of shelter” as a contemporary civic space, the design adapted cross-laminated timber and glue-laminated timber systems for long-term performance in tropical marine environments.

“I鈥檓 incredibly grateful for the opportunity to present my team’s work at the International Mass Timber Conference and represent the School of Architecture,” said Uowolo. “This experience pushed me to think more deeply about how traditional Pacific Island ideas can shape contemporary design, while also connecting me with a global community of designers, builders and thinkers. I left with a stronger understanding of how culture, material systems and industry all connect in the making of architecture.”

Addressing coastal challenges

The project addressed coastal challenges by elevating the structure to mitigate projected sea-level rise, storm surges and salt exposure. It also incorporated climate-specific durability strategies such as marine-grade coatings, protected steel connections and rainscreen façades integrated with cross ventilation.

Supported by School of Architecture Dean Mo Zell and guided by professors Ben Parker and Ho Kyung Lee, the students’ research also explored using locally harvested softwoods to strengthen regional supply chains and reduce transportation-related carbon emissions.

“Opportunities like this are so valuable to students,” said Parker. “They give them early exposure to the critical topics professional architects are discussing, and provide chances to network and connect with firms as they plan their own future careers. These events also enrich the school and the profession, as the exchange helps everyone to integrate education and research with real-world concerns.”

For decades, scientists have worked to improve predictions of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a climate powerhouse that can cause droughts, flooding, marine heatwaves and more around the world. Researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa a study showing that they can skillfully predict El Niño and La Niña 15 months ahead of time using only observations of the ocean surface temperature and height—no complex climate model needed.

“We found that it can predict El Niño and La Niña surprisingly well, with useful skill up to about 15 months ahead,” said Yuxin Wang, lead author of the study and postdoctoral researcher with the in the 东精影业 Mānoa (SOEST). “Accurately predicting ENSO more than a year in advance is important because it can provide early warning, allowing communities, governments and resource managers to take actions and make adaptations to reduce the potential impacts from El Niño and La Niña.”

“Our simpler, data-driven empirical climate model, built only from ocean observations related to two core climate memories known for over 50 years, achieves ENSO forecast skill comparable to, and in some cases better than, many of today鈥檚 more complex climate models and leading AI-based approaches,” added Wang.

Building on past discoveries

Klaus Wyrtki, a pioneering oceanographer at SOEST in the 1960s through 1990s, was the first to show that sea level changes can reveal heat build-up in the tropical Pacific, which led him to propose using tide gauge observations to predict El Niño. Klaus Hasselmann, a German oceanographer and Nobel laureate, showed that the ocean can retain a memory of past climate conditions through large-scale temperature patterns, including sea surface temperature patterns outside the tropical Pacific that can still influence ENSO.

Building on these two principles, the SOEST team developed the “Wyrtki-CSLIM,” short for Wyrtki CycloStationary Linear Inverse Model, a computer model to predict ENSO.

Predicting future ENSO

The Wyrtki-CSLIM currently predicts the development of a strong El Niño, more than 2°C warmer than normal over the equatorial eastern Pacific, toward the end of this year. This up-to-date is available online at the 东精影业 Sea Level Center.

“Our Wyrtki model is predicting a stronger El Niño than most of the other statistical models, and it is in line with the much more sophisticated dynamical models,” said Matthew Widlansky, study co-author and associate director of the 东精影业 Sea Level Center. “However, it is important to note that all models have uncertainties, and the climate impacts of each El Niño event are different.”

This new research also offers a clear direction for other ENSO forecasting systems.

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Kauaʻi Community College is combining high-tech innovation with cultural preservation, offering five students paid internships while supporting local nonprofit efforts to protect Indigenous data across the island.

These interdisciplinary projects allow students to gain specialized skills, earn academic credit and explore new career pathways through hands-on experience. They are part of the University of Hawaiʻi‘s Office of Indigenous Knowledge and Innovation, which has established several Indigenous Data Hubs (IDH).

In one vital project, students are partnering with the nonprofit I Ola Wailuanui to aid in the restoration of Malaehaʻakoa heiau. Using drone technology, interns created 3D models of the historical site, which are now being used to inform and guide restoration efforts.

“Building pilina (connection) with Malaehaʻakoa and listening to what its needs are for restoration and integration into modern-day functioning has been integral,” said Kauaʻi CC IDH Coordinator Kamalani Chock. “When we interact with the space, we treat the heiau as an ancestor that can help the community cultivate mana (power). What the process of mana cultivation means in the 21st century is what we’re meditating on.”

Digitizing artifacts

A second project involves students digitizing fragile artifacts at Kauaʻi CC’s Kikuchi Center. They are photographing from 360 degrees and transforming those images into a 3D model with an associated texture map, making them accessible for study and public engagement on the .

“I think it’s important to expand the scope of potential career pathways on the island,” Creative Media Program Coordinator Joseph Tremonti said.

“Projects like this allow students to develop skills that can be applied to cultural heritage work, archives, and museum studies—fields where access to fragile materials is often limited. This opens up exciting opportunities for our students.”

Chock, who also teaches agriculture and natural science courses through Nā Pua Noʻeau (a pre-K–college enrichment program), emphasized the importance of connecting education directly to community needs.

“I think the future of education must be holistic,” Chock said. “It can’t be siloed into singular disciplines. Instead, it should recognize how these fields intersect and work together in our communities—especially in ways that support community health and well-being.”

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (CTAHR) is reopening the (ADSC). Local farmers will once again have access to soil and plant testing here in Hawaiʻi at a reasonable cost, instead of sending samples to the U.S. continent.

The center鈥檚 reopening also allows CTAHR to offer free soil and plant testing through July 21, 2026 to farmers whose land and crops were affected by Kona low flooding in March and April.

Every affected farmer can submit up to three free samples for each of the following services:

• Soil nutrient analysis: To determine if essential minerals were leached.
• Plant tissue nutrient analysis: To assess the current nutrient uptake and health of surviving crops.
• Plant disease diagnostics: To identify plant pathogens/outbreaks that may impact crops following flooding.
• Insect identification: To monitor for shifts in pest populations following the storms.

The ADSC will continue to provide soil and plant testing services at reasonable prices to farmers who were not affected by the floods.

“The reopening is a pivotal moment in CTAHR鈥檚 mission to support stakeholders and food security across the state,” said CTAHR Dean Parwinder Grewal. “Fortunately the timing of the reopening also means we can deliver more support to farmers recovering from the floods. We are providing these tests at no cost for the next three months to help our agricultural partners get back on their feet.”

“ADSC has reopened with an improved customer experience, including online payments, rapid turnaround of results, and interpretation of results and recommendations by CTAHR experts,” Parwinder said.

Brian Miyamoto, executive director of the Hawaii Farm Bureau, noted, “The reopening of the ADSC, along with three months of free testing, comes at a crucial time and helps farmers move forward with recovery and replanting. CTAHR is truly stepping up for our farmers, and we appreciate their leadership and commitment to supporting 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 agricultural community during this critical time.”

CTAHR is working to further expand its services to include seed testing, heavy metal testing, animal health diagnostics and food nutrient content analysis for food product labeling. ADSC is also expanding its seed production capacity and will add clean seedling production, which are young plants that are free from germs or disease.

Order soil, plant tests online

Farmers can order tests, find sampling instructions, and a list of CTAHR facilities on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi Island, Maui, Molokaʻi and Kauaʻi accepting samples at the .

Temporary in-person collection site until July 21, 2026

To increase accessibility for 翱ʻ补丑耻鈥檚 heavily affected north shore community, a temporary collection site has been set up at Twin Bridge Farms in Waialua:

• Soil and plant samples can be dropped off at Twin Bridge on Mondays between 8 a.m and noon
• Soil samples can also be dropped off on Thursdays between 8 a.m. and noon.

Farmers should call CTAHR at (808) 453-6050 or ugc@hawaii.edu to confirm they are dropping off samples at Twin Bridge Farms.

Permanent collection sites

Drop off sites for samples on Oʻahu are:

• The Urban Garden Center in Pearl City on Mondays from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., 955 Kamehameha Hwy., behind the Home Depot.
• Farmers should contact (808) 453-6050 or ugc@hawaii.edu to confirm they plan to drop off samples.
• 东精影业 惭ā苍辞补鈥檚 Sherman Lab, room 115, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., 1910 East-West Rd., Honolulu HI 96822.
• Farmers should call (808) 956-5437 or adsc@hawaii.edu to confirm they plan to drop off samples.

Visit the ADSC of drop off locations, including the neighbor islands.

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers revealed that Waikīkī is facing a fundamental shift in flood hazards as sea levels rise—transitioning from a flooding that is driven primarily by rainfall to events increasingly dominated by tidal processes. The team identified two key pathways that will become more significant with sea-level rise, both of which will increase public exposure to sewage-contaminated waters. The study was published in .

“Our findings make clear that current flood management strategies for Waikīkī are incomplete,” said Kayla Yamamoto, climate modeling analyst at the in the 东精影业 Mānoa (SOEST). “Most planning focuses on surface damage and economic loss from storms, but largely ignores the contamination dimension. Our results show that contaminated flooding will become more frequent, more extensive, and eventually a daily occurrence rather than a storm-driven one. There are currently no effective management strategies in place to address this.”

Simulating future scenarios

The team used an open-source, physics-based flood model to simulate how multiple flood sources interact in Waikīkī. The team used an advanced flood model that, unlike previous models, integrates all sources of flooding—rain, tides, underground water behavior, and storm drains—to provide a single, complete view of the hazard

“What we found is that during extreme rainfall like we鈥檝e been experiencing, high tides and elevated water levels in the Ala Wai can combine to create conditions where contaminated water flows back into low-lying streets and sidewalks,” said Shellie Habel, study co-author and coastal geologist with the Coastal Research Collaborative and . “As sea level rises, it will take less extreme rainfall and tides to cause similar flooding in the future.”

The two key pathways they identified were: storm drain backflow, where polluted water from the Ala Wai Canal is forced into streets and public spaces in Waikīkī through drainage systems, and groundwater emergence, which brings sewage and other contaminants from aging and leaking sewage infrastructure to the surface.

The model simulations show that storm drain backflow is projected to occur even when there is no rainfall:

• 1 foot of sea-level rise: Storm drain backflow occurs during extreme tides, even without rain.
• 2 feet of sea-level rise: Storm drain backflow occurs during moderate daily tidal conditions.
• 4 feet of sea-level rise: Groundwater emergence (bringing sewage to the surface) begins to occur without rain.

Researchers compared their model simulations against tide gauges, canal water level sensors, groundwater monitoring wells, and photographs of street-level flooding during three real recent storm events, including a major 50-year Kona storm in December 2021, a moderate storm in April 2023, and a five-year Kona storm in May 2024.

Implications for Waikīkī, beyond

The Ala Wai Canal is one of the most polluted waterways in Hawaiʻi, containing sewage, heavy metals and pathogens such as Vibrio and MRSA. Exposure to these waters is a documented risk, with MRSA infections linked to Hawaiʻi waters already contributing to an estimated 200 deaths per year in the state. Because Waikīkī is a primary economic engine where residents and visitors are in constant contact with coastal waters, the anticipated flooding represents a growing public health and environmental crisis.

Many coastal cities around the world rely on estuarine waterways to drain their stormwater, and face the same combination of aging infrastructure, rising seas and contaminated waters.

“Our modeling framework is transferable, and we hope this study serves as a wake-up call to modernize stormwater and wastewater infrastructure, integrate contamination risk into coastal flood planning, and build early warning systems before these thresholds are crossed,” Yamamoto said.

An invasive algae already well-established in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands is raising concern among researchers as it threatens to spread into the main Hawaiian Islands. Scientists from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) have identified a potential ally in slowing its advance: sea turtles.

Hawaiian green sea turtles (honu) have been documented for the first time actively grazing on Chondria tumulosa, an aggressive invasive red alga that has spread rapidly across reefs among three of the northernmost atolls in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM).

The findings, recently published in the journal by researchers, suggest that honu may play a meaningful role in controlling this ecologically damaging species—while also potentially spreading it.

“After these exciting finds, our multi-partner effort to prevent this seaweed from taking hold in the Main Hawaiian Islands must include a plan to increase numbers of threatened, native green sea turtles, as well as ramping up efforts to identify all routes that could allow Chondria to spread to Oʻahu,” said Celia Smith, 东精影业 Mānoa‘s professor and senior author of the study.

Dangers of C. tumulosa

First detected at Manawai (Pearl and Hermes Atoll) in 2016, C. tumulosa has since expanded to more than 101 square kilometers of reef habitat (nearly the size of Kahoʻolawe), including Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll) in 2021 and Hōlanikū (Kure Atoll) in 2022. The alga forms dense mats more than 6 centimeters thick that can smother live coral and displace native reef species, making it one of the most pressing threats to the monument’s reef ecosystems.

Turtles take a bite

Using a stationary GoPro camera deployed on a reef at Midway Atoll in June and July 2025, the research team captured approximately 50 minutes of footage showing three honu grazing on C. tumulosa mats. One female took up to 18 bites in a 95-second burst, leaving disruptions 5–15 cm in diameter across the algal canopy—substantially larger than what urchins or fish could achieve. A complementary necropsy of a stranded adult female confirmed C. tumulosa fragments throughout her digestive tract, accounting for roughly 25% of the material in her esophagus and crop.

“These turtles are consuming a meaningful amount of this alga in a single foraging session,” said Tammy Summers, USFWS staff biologist and co-author of the study. “It鈥檚 exciting because it points to honu as a native megaherbivore with the potential to suppress C. tumulosa biomass—but it also raises important questions about whether fragments excreted during their migrations between atolls could accelerate the alga鈥檚 spread.”

The findings carry immediate management implications. Because 96% of Hawaiian green sea turtles nesting occurs at Lalo (French Frigate Shoals) before individuals disperse to foraging grounds across the archipelago, the authors recommend eDNA monitoring at Lalo to track potential spread of C. tumulosa beyond its known range.

The study was a collaboration between 东精影业 Mānoa‘s School of Life Sciences and USFWS Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, and was funded by USFWS Invasive Species Strike Team funds through a cooperative agreement with 东精影业 Mānoa. Smith leads the Limu Lab at 东精影业 Mānoa, where research on C. tumulosa physiology, distribution and ecology has been ongoing for several years. Other authors on the paper are Caroline Pott from USFWS and Angela Richards Donà from the School of Life Sciences.

This work was accomplished under permit numbers PMNM-2025-001, USFWS 274 Recovery Permit TE72088A-3, Recovery Sub-permit TE163899-2, NOAA Permit 21260, and 275 State of Hawaiʻi, Department of Land and Natural Resources Special Activity Permit 2026-01.

The School of Life Sciences is housed in 东精影业 Mānoa‘s .

Related 东精影业 News stories on 东精影业 Mānoa research on C. tumulosa:

• Nuisance alga detected beyond Papahānaumokuākea for the 1st time, December 16, 2024
• Early detection system for nuisance alga infesting Papahānaumokuākea reefs, September 25, 2022
• Algae species discovered infesting NW waters has been identified, July 7, 2020

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 东精影业鈥檚 , 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鈥檚 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 东精影业鈥檚 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, 东精影业 interim vice president for research and innovation. “At the same time, it provides us with further opportunities to develop our region鈥檚 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 东精影业-led institute will be guided by experienced reef researchers from 东精影业 Mānoa鈥檚 Kewalo Marine Laboratory and the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, 东精影业 Hilo鈥檚 Marine Sciences program, and the University of Guam鈥檚 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鈥檙e excited to jump in with scientists and communities and agencies across the region to take it forward.”

The University of Hawaiʻi at M膩noa will welcome physicist and oceanographer Helen Czerski for a free public talk inviting audiences to see the ocean in a new way.

Czerski, a professor at University College London, will deliver the Spring 2026 Dai Ho Chun Distinguished Lecture, on April 23 at 7 p.m. in Bilger Hall.

Her message is simple but powerful. The ocean is not just scenery; it is a system that drives life on Earth.

Czerski studies how the ocean works at a physical level. Her research looks at how gases move between air and sea, how sound travels underwater, and even how tiny bubbles behave. Together, these processes help move heat around the planet, shape weather and climate, and support life in the ocean.

“We are delighted to welcome Professor Helen Czerski to 东精影业,” said Philip Williams, interim dean of the . “Her research shows how the ocean鈥檚 physical systems shape our planet, and she has a gift for sharing those insights in ways that capture your imagination. She invites us to see the ocean as a living force, revealing physics that shapes and nourishes our island and the world.”

The lecture is supported by the Dai Ho Chun endowment, established through an estate gift to the 东精影业 Foundation to bring distinguished speakers to campus.

The event is organized in coordination with the , a partnership among 东精影业 M膩noa, The Learning Coalition, and the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation.

A $14-million investment is set to transform the through the design and construction of a large-scale photovoltaic (PV) system paired with battery storage. This major renewable energy initiative will significantly expand the campus’s sustainability efforts while securing its energy future.

The project will feature solar panel canopies installed over existing parking areas, transforming them into dual-use infrastructure that generates clean energy while providing shaded parking for the campus community. Planning and design are currently underway, with construction anticipated to begin in August 2026.

Supporting critical functions

Once completed, the system is projected to produce approximately 2.38 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to power the equivalent of about 270 Hawaiʻi homes each year. The project is expected to support the 东精影业 System鈥檚 broader net-zero energy goals, contributing to both systemwide sustainability targets and supplying an estimated 50% of the net-zero energy needed to power the 东精影业 West Oʻahu campus. The next phase of the university鈥檚 efforts to become fully net-zero is the replacement of its chillers with new high efficiency units and control systems. That upgrade is planned for fiscal year 2027.

The solar canopy will span multiple parking lots across campus and include an industrial-scale battery storage system designed to enhance operational resilience. In the event of a power outage, the system will be capable of supporting critical campus functions, an especially important feature within 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 isolated island electrical grid.

“The new PV system is designed to offset 100% of the campus cooling load, significantly reducing our dependence on imported fossil fuels while lowering greenhouse gas emissions,” said Miles Topping, director of energy management for the 东精影业 System. “Producing clean energy while providing shade just makes sense, it鈥檚 the right thing to do, and it also strengthens our resilience as a community.”

Campus buildings

All campus buildings at 东精影业 West Oʻahu are LEED-certified and incorporate energy-efficient systems, each supported by approximately 100-kilowatt solar installations. The campus also utilizes rainwater catchment systems for irrigation and benefits from proximity to public transportation, including on-campus bus and rail service.

The project is being delivered through a combination of funding sources, including roughly one-third campus funding, one-third state capital improvement program funds, and one-third federal tax incentives.

Project management is led by the 东精影业 Office of Project Delivery and the 东精影业 West Oʻahu Office of Planning and Design. The team also includes local industry partners Elite Pacific Construction and RevoluSun.

The one-year anniversary of the official designation of Papahānaumokuākea as a National Marine Sanctuary was celebrated on March 3, a historic milestone in the ongoing protection of one of the most sacred and ecologically significant places on Earth. In recognition of this anniversary, the (PMDP), (SAC) and the (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant) are starting the new, community-centered initiative, Papahānaumokuākea: Bringing the Place to the People.

Papahānaumokuākea is a place of profound cultural, ecological and ancestral significance. Yet for many, it remains distant and abstract. The project seeks to bridge that distance by fostering meaningful, community-led engagement that deepens public awareness, stewardship, trust and cultural connection to the Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary. Beginning in summer and fall 2026, PMDP, SAC and Hawaiʻi Sea Grant will host community talk story sessions on Hawaiʻi Island (Hilo and Kona), Maui, Lānaʻi, Molokaʻi, Oʻahu and Kauaʻi.

This initiative centers Native Hawaiian voices, values and leadership, elevating cultural resource conservation and protection as foundational to the sanctuary鈥檚 past, present and future. Their vision is a living, island-to-island exchange where communities do not simply learn about Papahānaumokuākea, but actively shape how its story, stewardship and future are carried forward.

Rooted in listening

These gatherings are not presentations delivered to communities, they are conversations rooted in listening. This initiative allows SAC, whose kuleana is to represent the communities, to learn directly from each island community and amplify their voices. The sessions will explore how Western science and Indigenous knowledge systems can be meaningfully integrated, community perspectives on stewardship and management, cultural resource protection priorities, opportunities for youth engagement and leadership, and how communities wish to remain connected to Papahānaumokuākea.

Community organizations, cultural practitioners, educators and schools, conservation groups, youth leaders, kupuna and ʻike holders, and interested individuals are invited to express their interest in hosting, partnering or participating in a talk story session on their island. The initiative is an invitation to listen, learn and steward together.

The initiative was funded by the . Find more information on .