Most of us today know Maunalua Bay as an evil-smelling mudflat choked with dark, ropy seaweed. Oldtimers, though, may remember it as a rich food source, when commercial fishing was banned and the catch limit for people living in the area was 30 fish and 5 lobster, per person, per day. While there have been many changes since then, one major contributor to the bay’s neardemise has been the encroachment of    ... more >>

Livestock waste management can be a sticky mess. The livestock industry’s ability to keep current and compliant with new guidelines grows increasingly difficult and costly. Recognizing the importance of the livestock industry’s viability in Hawai‘i’s economy, CTAHR’s C.N. Lee and Glen Fukumoto, along with the State Department of Health, assembled a consortium of    ... more >>

To most of us, genetic testing still sounds fairly high tech—something best left to highly trained scientists. But Ryo Kubota (PhD student, MBBE) is working to bring it closer in reach. Ryo is the lead member of the company Diagenetix, which won first place in UH-Manoa’s 2010 Business Plan competition. Diagenetix has developed “reagent mixes that enable rapid isothermal DNA detection of microbial    ... more >>

New papaya-based products ranging from dressings to sauces to chutney bear the brand name Kulanui, which means “university,” but Kulanui is more than just a brand—it’s an innovative UH program that fosters student awareness, inspiration, and opportunity. The idea of Kulanui occurred to Wayne Fujishige, director of UH Manoa’s Auxiliary Enterprises, over 20 years ago, and Wayne    ... more >>

Hawai‘i’s flower and foliage industry generates upwards of $15.5 million dollars each year. So when contamination by pests and alien species threatened the industry’s exports—as it did for 60 days in 2009— growers turned to CTAHR experts for help. The industry needed to find ways to disinfest plants of “quarantine” pests, including fire ants, nettle caterpillars, scales,    ... more >>

The more you consider CTAHR’s Center on the Family, the broader its scope seems to become. So much of our lives takes place in the context of family, symbolized in Hawai‘i by our emphasis on ‘ohana. It’s not surprising, therefore, to find COF investigating and disseminating information on subjects that affect families—such diverse topics as incarcerated parents, drugs in schools,    ... more >>

Systems of aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics (growing plants without soil) can be traced to ancient times and are familiar to most people. When combined, the two systems form aquaponics, another ancient system previously less familiar in the United States but currently the fastest growing form of U.S. agriculture. Central to CTAHR’s aquaponics outreach effort is aquaculture specialist    ... more >>

Students from 28 public elementary schools are learning that there’s more to money than just spending it. Thanks to an innovative project developed and coordinated by Family and Consumer Sciences Assistant Professor Michael Cheang, hundreds of keiki collectively saved almost $145,000 in a single year and are now building their financial futures. Dr. Cheang launched the Kids’ $avings Project    ... more >>

Invasion by alien, exotic plants is one of the most significant threats to ecosystems around the world. Hawai‘i is particularly susceptible because of the islands’ long history of infrequent exposure to foreign ecological disturbances and the resulting reduced resilience of its native species in withstanding such invasions. Fireweed (Senecio madagascariensis) is one of the most highly    ... more >>

Here’s a fact that’s food for thought: Without honeybees, the plant world would produce about a third less food than it does. The adept, efficient pollination services honeybees provide are a wonder of nature, an indispensable element in the evolutionary biology of higher plants. Until quite recently, Hawai‘i was free of the most serious honeybee pests. This allowed the Islands to hos    ... more >>

Some of the most valuable and enduring student learning experiences happen outside the classroom, sometimes outside the state. Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences undergraduate Robert Morgan can attest to that. Thanks to CTAHR and a partner institution, the University of Alaska at Fairbanks, Morgan enjoyed a memorable summer on Alaska’s Nunivak Island. Funded by a USDA-NIFA Alaska Native-Serving and Native    ... more >>

In Hawai‘i, strong family ties play an essential role in people’s health and well-being, but they are sometimes tested when round-the-clock caregiving becomes necessary. According to the National Family Caregivers’ Alliance, in our state more than 100,000 family members take care of older relatives. Grandparents raising grandchildren (GRGs) are also very common in Hawai‘i. The 2000 U.S.    ... more >>