School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology

Here’s a starter pack of people at SOEST.

Jennifer Small Griswold, a professor and chair in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, received the Edward N. Lorenz Teaching Excellence Award from the American Meteorological Society for innovative teaching and sustained mentorship.

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa donated the Pisces V submersible to the Bishop Museum. Pisces V helped discover new species and explore underwater volcanoes and coral reefs. The donation allows the museum to educate visitors about the ocean, volcanology, and Hawaiʻi's history of deep-sea exploration.

A new study by the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa examines how tropical cyclone activity near Hawai‘i might change in a warmer future. While the total number of storms remains uncertain, a warmer future could bring stronger storms, with a shift in the relationship between El Niño and hurricane risk.

In the 2026 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects, @soest.hawaii.edu’s oceanography ranked No. 4 in the U.S. and No. 6 globally, while atmospheric science ranked No. 9 in the U.S. and No. 15 worldwide. 💪🌊

A new study by the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa examines how tropical cyclone activity near Hawai‘i might change in a warmer future. While the total number of storms remains uncertain, a warmer future could bring stronger storms, with a shift in the relationship between El Niño and hurricane risk.

A 253-year coral core from Olowalu Reef on West Maui reveals how land use and climate change have affected the reef. Published in Coral Reefs, the study shows increased sediment and nutrient inputs, especially during sugarcane expansion, which correlates with declining coral growth.

The ocean absorbs 27% of human caused carbon dioxide emissions. As the CO₂ reacts with seawater, ocean pH decreases causing #OceanAcidification. 🧪🌊🦑 📈📉 by NOAA and @soest.hawaii.edu

New paper out in Marine Ecology Progress Series by Nemeth et al: Energetic scaling of propulsive costs across body sizes in humpback whales. www.int-res.com/abstracts/me...

A UH Mānoa study reveals the Moon's soil acts as a cosmic time capsule, preserving supernova history for 100 million years. Researchers developed a mathematical model to decode this "impact gardening," helping future Artemis astronauts read scrambled lunar layers for clues about galactic history.

Climate change is making Hawaiʻi more dangerous. While long-term data show that Hawaiʻi is getting drier overall, short, intense downpours that cause sudden, dangerous flash floods are getting stronger in the islands.

Kanesa Duncan Seraphin, host of the University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program’s Voice of the Sea television series, won the 2026 Molokaʻi 2 Oʻahu Paddleboard World Championships. This was her ninth victory in the race, with a personal-best time of 5 hours, 40 minutes, and 13 seconds.

Will Shrinking Spinner Dolphin Populations Spur More Protections? www.civilbeat.org?p=1801995&ut...

SOEST Associate Professor Alison Nugent 👇

Scientists at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa are using drones to deploy suction-cup tags on humpback whales, revolutionizing marine mammal research. This method allows researchers to tag whales from a distance, minimizing disturbance and enabling data collection on previously inaccessible whales.

At a symposium on Genki Balls, fermented mud balls designed to enhance water quality, researchers from UH Mānoa and others shared findings from a two-year study of the Ala Wai Canal system, emphasizing the complexity and difficulty of linking environmental improvements to specific efforts.

Research from UH Mānoa finds the traditional method for estimating air-conditioning and refrigeration energy demand is flawed. A new metric, effective cooling degree days, considers temperature and humidity and shows cooling efficiency has declined by 2–4%/decade since 1971 due to climate change.

Bubbles enhance air-sea gas exchange, but quantifying their contribution is complex due to nonlinear wind speed dependence, solubility effects, and oversaturation. Read about it all in our latest review. 🌊🧪

Traditional Cooling Degree Days ignore how temperature and humidity affect cooling system efficiency. Our new paper introduces effective Cooling Degree Days (eCDD), a thermodynamics-based metric for representing cooling demand. Paper, code, and data are open source. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

A study by the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa found that human activities alter coral reef chemistry, reducing their resilience to environmental stressors. Researchers discovered 25 contaminants from various sources accumulating in coral tissues, leading to decreased nutrient and energy reserves. 🧪

Study led by University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa shows the temp of the Hawaiian mantle plume has increased by ~250°C over the past 47 m.y. This challenges the belief that hotspots cool over time and suggests that heat surges contributed to the formation of the largest volcanoes in the Hawaiian Ridge. 🧪

A study led by University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa found that calves are only 9% of the spinner dolphin population off Hawaiʻi Island, lower than the expected 17%. This low calf count, due to chronic human disturbance from tourism and recreation, raises concerns about the population’s long-term survival.

News & Views on this and a related paper by Garrett Ito (@soest.hawaii.edu): www.nature.com/articles/s41...

New research led by @drxtinakar.bsky.social of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa reveals that rising heat and humidity are reducing the viability of cooling data centers with naturally cold outside air, particularly in the tropics and southeastern United States.

Work done by SOEST scientists at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa has made it to @jimmykimmellive.bsky.social. ⚒️🧪

This is work done at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

A new study reports the first live observations of the elusive goblin shark in its natural deep ocean habitat near Jarvis Island and the Tonga Trench. It reveals that the goblin shark inhabits much deeper waters than previously thought. 🌊🧪

New research from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa reveals that tectonic stress along the San Andreas and San Jacinto fault systems in Southern California has reached historically high levels, suggesting the potential for a large, damaging rupture that could impact Los Angeles and vicinity. 🧪

A seven-year study reveals alarming health declines in Hawaiʻi’s endangered false killer whales, with some losing up to 28% of their body weight. The research suggests that nutritional stress and environmental shifts, like rising ocean temperatures, are driving the decline.

Global coral reef 🪸 collapse is not inevitable. We explain why in our new science & society piece for TREE! www.cell.com/trends/ecolo... Written with Lisa McManus and Rob Toonen! @soest.hawaii.edu @oxuniearthsci.bsky.social

Elizabeth Madin, a researcher at the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, developed software to analyze satellite imagery and detect “reef halos” around coral reefs. These features are created by grazing fish and provide a global monitoring tool for coral reef health. 🌊🧪

Emily Josefina Velasquez, a graduating senior from Mozambique, chose the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa for its culture of environmental stewardship and community-centered science. At UH Mānoa, she immersed herself in research across multiple disciplines and found a sense of community and belonging.

A number of SOEST faculty, staff, and students were recognized for their dedication and service with University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa awards.

New research from @soest.hawaii.edu published in the Journal of Hydrometeorology reveals that the Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO) significantly influences climate conditions in Hawaiʻi. Learn how their discovery could help improve forecasts across the islands: https://bit.ly/3QNQuDi

Vera Wang, a senior at Kaiser High School, won multiple awards at the 2026 Hawai‘i State Science & Engineering Fair. Her project, conducted in @fungaloha.bsky.social's lab at University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, found that fungal communities living in coconut husks can biodegrade sunscreen and plastic.

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa has reorganized the Waikīkī Aquarium into SOEST to enhance research synergies while maintaining its public offerings. This move aims to create a cohesive framework for marine science education and community service, transforming the aquarium into a living laboratory.

Prof. Niklas Schneider from the Department of Oceanography showed @helenczerski.bsky.social some of the ocean phenomena that can be demonstrated with a rotating tank. In this case, it’s the formation of subtropical gyres and why we will always have the Gulf Stream. 🌊 weathertank.mit.edu

A student-led engineering team from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and UH Hilo, Team RoSE, is a finalist in NASA’s 2026 RASC-AL Competition. Their project, PETAL, proposes a scalable power system for lunar operations that combines nuclear and lunar-soil energy storage. 🔌💡

The University of Hawaiʻi has been designated by NOAA as the Pacific Reef Research Coordination Institute to support coral reef conservation in the Pacific. The institute will conduct research, collaborate with various stakeholders, and implement NOAA’s coral reef strategies. 🌊

Researchers from University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa created a simple ocean-based model to predict El Niño and La Niña 15 months ahead using ocean surface temperature and height data. It achieves forecast skill similar to complex models. The current forecast predicts a strong El Niño later this year. 🌊

@manelcamacho.bsky.social could you please add us to the science feed? 🙏

A University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa study shows that Waikīkī faces increasing sewage flood risks from sea-level rise through storm-drain backflow and groundwater emergence. The findings call for updated flood strategies focused on contamination, not just surface damage and economic loss.

Oceanographers from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa discovered the answer to how species diversity can be so vast and sustained in a seemingly homogeneous environment like the open ocean. 🌊

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) and the Waikīkī Aquarium are collaborating to increase awareness of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Sanctuary through lectures, a revamped exhibit, and educational programs. 🌊