School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology
@soest.hawaii.edu
World-class research and academic institution focused on informing solutions to some of the world’s most vexing problems.
📍University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
🌎 https://www.soest.hawaii.edu
📍University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
🌎 https://www.soest.hawaii.edu
Pinned
Here’s a starter pack of people at SOEST.
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.
Massive coral colony on West Maui provides window changes in land use and climate over 250 years
New research led by University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program (Hawai‘i Sea Grant), UH Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), and U
www.soest.hawaii.edu
October 2, 2026 at 9:27 PM
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.
Reposted by School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology
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
📈📉 by NOAA and @soest.hawaii.edu
September 10, 2026 at 8:36 PM
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
📈📉 by NOAA and @soest.hawaii.edu
Reposted by School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology
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...
www.int-res.com/abstracts/me...
August 26, 2026 at 7:08 AM
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...
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.
Lunar soil reads as a cosmic time capsule for exploding stars
When a star reaches its final stages of life, it ends in a bright and powerful explosion called a supernova and scatters material across the universe
www.soest.hawaii.edu
September 7, 2026 at 5:49 AM
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.
Short, intense storms gain intensity across Hawaiʻi
While long-term data shows that Hawaiʻi is getting drier overall, short, intense downpours that cause sudden, dangerous flash floods are getting stronger in the islands, according to a new study led b...
www.soest.hawaii.edu
September 3, 2026 at 5:24 AM
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.
Professor, TV host wins 9th Molokaʻi 2 Oʻahu Paddleboard World Championships
Kanesa Duncan Seraphin, host and producer of the University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program’s Voice of the Sea television series and director of its Center of Excellence for Marine Science Educat...
www.soest.hawaii.edu
September 3, 2026 at 5:22 AM
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.
Reposted by School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology
Will Shrinking Spinner Dolphin Populations Spur More Protections? www.civilbeat.org?p=1801995&ut...
Will Shrinking Spinner Dolphin Populations Spur More Protections?
Researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi found that the number of young spinner dolphins is only half of what it needs to be to maintain a healthy population.
www.civilbeat.org
August 12, 2026 at 5:47 PM
Will Shrinking Spinner Dolphin Populations Spur More Protections? www.civilbeat.org?p=1801995&ut...
SOEST Associate Professor Alison Nugent 👇
#TrackingLala | Associate Professor of Atmospheric Sciences Alison Nugent breaks down the unique, close-to-home formation of Tropical Storm Lala with KHON2.
Previous coverage: https://www.khon2.com/tracking-lala/gov-green-to-update-ts-lala/
#HawaiisWeatherSource | #WorkingForHawaii
Previous coverage: https://www.khon2.com/tracking-lala/gov-green-to-update-ts-lala/
#HawaiisWeatherSource | #WorkingForHawaii
August 15, 2026 at 8:04 AM
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.
Tagging whales from the sky: New methods revolutionize research
Marine mammal research has attained new heights as scientists at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa are deploying noninvasive suction-cup tags onto humpback whales using drones
www.soest.hawaii.edu
August 10, 2026 at 2:09 PM
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.
Evidence-based evaluation of Genki Balls focus of symposium
Hawaiʻi Pacific University (HPU) hosted a research symposium and panel discussion on July 17 at its Aloha Tower Marketplace campus where scientists presented the findings of a two-year field and labor...
www.soest.hawaii.edu
July 29, 2026 at 7:05 PM
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.
Research reveals how a changing climate reshapes cooling efficiency and energy demand
New research led by University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Mānoa atmospheric scientists found that the century-old yardstick used across many industries to estimate air-conditioning and refrigeration energy de...
www.soest.hawaii.edu
July 22, 2026 at 8:59 PM
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.
Reposted by School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology
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. 🌊🧪
Read about it all in our latest review. 🌊🧪
The Role of Bubbles in Air‐Sea Gas Exchange: A Critical Review
Studies regarding the role of bubbles on air-sea gas exchange over the past decades are reviewed Bubble-mediated gas transfer is strongly nonlinear, solubility-dependent, and asymmetric; its role...
agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
July 18, 2026 at 9:54 AM
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. 🌊🧪
Read about it all in our latest review. 🌊🧪
Reposted by School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology
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...
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...
Efficiency-weighted cooling degree days reveal opposing temperature and humidity effects on energy demand - Nature Communications
A metric shows air conditioners work less efficiently as temperatures rise, while humidity can worsen or offset losses. Across North America, future cooling energy demand may grow far faster than stan...
www.nature.com
July 15, 2026 at 10:01 PM
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...
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. 🧪
Human activities compromise coral health and resilience
Human activities are fundamentally altering the chemical makeup of local coral reefs, according to a study led by the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and published today in Nature Communications
www.soest.hawaii.edu
July 17, 2026 at 4:48 PM
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. 🧪
Study reveals Hawaiian hotspot is getting hotter
Contrary to conventional geological thinking, the Hawaiian mantle plume has gotten hotter by about 250°C (480°F) over the past 47 million years
www.soest.hawaii.edu
July 14, 2026 at 5:44 PM
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.
Low calf numbers raise questions about pressures on Hawaiʻi Island spinner dolphins
Unexpectedly low calf numbers within the spinner dolphin population off Hawaiʻi Island were revealed in a study led by scientists with the Marine Mammal Research Program at the University of Hawaiʻi a...
www.soest.hawaii.edu
July 12, 2026 at 8:02 PM
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.
Reposted by School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology
News & Views on this and a related paper by Garrett Ito (@soest.hawaii.edu):
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
The deep link between intraplate volcanism and plate tectonics - Nature Geoscience
Two independent studies suggest that thousands of submarine volcanoes in the Pacific Ocean and offshore Africa are likely to have resulted from two high-temperature structures in the lower mantle, who...
www.nature.com
June 29, 2026 at 3:00 PM
News & Views on this and a related paper by Garrett Ito (@soest.hawaii.edu):
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
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.
Rising heat and humidity challenge energy-efficient data center cooling
Reliable operation of data centers has become essential to nearly all sectors of modern society, including healthcare, education, government services, power grid operation, banking, defense, and disas...
www.soest.hawaii.edu
June 26, 2026 at 5:32 PM
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. ⚒️🧪
June 18, 2026 at 10:33 AM
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.
June 17, 2026 at 10:24 PM
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. 🌊🧪
Shadows in the abyss: New observations of rare, deep-sea goblin sharks in natural habitat
The first published live observations of the rare goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni) in its natural deep ocean habitat were reported in a new paper by a University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa-led team of ocea...
www.soest.hawaii.edu
June 11, 2026 at 7:52 AM
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. 🧪
Stress is accumulating in ‘earthquake gate’ of San Andreas fault system
New research led by earth scientists at the University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Mānoa revealed that tectonic stress along the San Andreas and San Jacinto fault systems in Southern California has now reached...
www.soest.hawaii.edu
June 9, 2026 at 3:52 AM
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.
Nutritional stress and warming seas threaten Hawaiʻi’s last false killer whales
A seven-year collaborative study has revealed alarming fluctuations in the health of Hawaiʻi’s endangered insular false killer whales, with some individuals losing nearly a quarter of their body weigh...
www.soest.hawaii.edu
June 9, 2026 at 3:48 AM
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.
Reposted by School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology
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
Written with Lisa McManus and Rob Toonen! @soest.hawaii.edu @oxuniearthsci.bsky.social
Global coral reef collapse is not inevitable
Coral reefs are gravely threatened by climate change and other anthropogenic stressors.
However, global coral reef collapse is not inevitable, and the status of coral reef
tipping points is uncertain....
www.cell.com
May 22, 2026 at 1:55 PM
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
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. 🌊🧪
Future telehealth for the ocean: ‘Reef halos’ enable global checkups
From thousands of feet above the ocean, coral reefs reveal a hidden signal: pale, circular “halos” etched into the seafloor
www.soest.hawaii.edu
May 21, 2026 at 6:43 PM
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. 🌊🧪