Alumni News

Congrats to Susan Miyasaka of the Dept. of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences and John Hu of the Dept. of Plant andEnvironmental Protection Sciences. Last month, UH president David Lassner conferred upon them the titles of Researcher Emerita and Researcher Emeritus, respectively.

The Hawaiian Islands have just the right water resources and climate to support the aquaculture farming of fish, shellfish, algae, etc. So what’s holding back this potentially profitable industry? A lack of affordable local feed. Feed accounts for 60%+ of aquaculture production costs, and all of it is imported. 

Frederick Waichi Fujimoto, 92, of Mililani, beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and granduncle, passed away on May 23. He was born on September 24, 1931, in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, and is survived by son Owen Fujimoto (Yuan-Sun); daughter Donna Fujimoto-Saka (Alan); and 4 grandchildren.

Dictyota sp. is a seaweed native to Hawaiian waters that is notable for its ability to produce fucoidan and alginate. What are these compounds, you might ask? Why, they’re high-value ingredients with wide application in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, food processing, medical, and dental industries.

In ancient Hawaiʻi, fishponds were remarkably successful in ensuring a steady supply of food. In modern times, these seafood “farms” can greatly relieve pressure on wild stocks and supplement market demands – especially local species that are increasingly important economically.