Alumni News

“One may think that with all that going on, we could not get much more accomplished,” writes Dean Nicholas Comerford in CTAHR’s 2020 Annual Report. “But the truth is, we had a productive year. Our student population was the largest in the history of the college, we continued our trend of increasing extramural grants, and – with fewer faculty – our refereed journal publications increased by 14% over last year.”

Currently, CTAHR is down 60 faculty and staff positions (and counting), representing 20% of our personnel.

However, UHM’s post-pandemic approach, as defined by the President, situates CTAHR in a good position. Our college represents those areas that have been identified for investment: Agriculture (TPSS, PEPS, HNFAS, MBBE), Natural Resource Conservation (NREM), Engineering (MBBE), and Health and Social Welfare (MBBE, HNFAS, FCS). We’re also meeting the goals of the UHM campus, meaning CTAHR is highly relevant to the university and to the state.

In summary, Instruction/Research/Extension – the three components that make up a land grant college – found ways to continue activities and impact, even during a budget and public health crisis. CTAHR exhibited its value to the university and to the state of Hawai‘i. The current year still presents us with challenges, but faculty and staff have shown that challenges are simply obstacles to be overcome.

Read the full 2020 Annual Report.

The UHM Aloha United Way campaign wraps up this week, but before you hang up the phone, consider this: for just $30, you can get a box of delicious fruits and vegetables AND suppport AUW at the same time.

UHM has partnered with farmer’s market vendor Keo & Company, so make sure you choose The Aina Box ($5 of each purchase goes to benefit the UHM-AUW campaign). From personal experience, the fruits and vegetables in this box are of the highest grade and super fresh.

• Free Delivery if you order between now and Oct. 8
• Visit www.Keoandcompany.com to order.
• For proper credit to the good guys, please notate “CTAHR” in the notes section of the order page.

CTAHR’s Office of Communication Services is administering the college’s AUW campaign this year. For questions, contact OCS at ctahrcom@hawaii.edu (note: this is a new email address) or 956-7036.

Can molecular research into genomics support the conservation of rare plants in Hawaiʻi? If so, how can scientists determine When and How to incorporate molecular techniques into plant species recovery and management?

Find out at the upcoming Hawaiʻi Rare Plant Genetics Workshops, hosted by the Dept. of Natural Resources and Environmental Management. They’re open to all interested in plant conservation in Hawaiʻi and registration is free.

This workshop series will strengthen the connection between conservation and research, provide examples, and discuss how to develop questions and tailor research to directly benefit the efforts to prevent plant extinctions.

“With more than 300 species of plants in Hawai'i that have less than 50 individuals remaining in the wild, this work is critical to saving our endangered plants!” says Melissa Price. “We need all hands on deck, and multiple tools and approaches to achieve recovery – we hope you can join!”

Mahalo to the National Tropical Botanical Garden, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, and National Science Foundation for their support.

For questions, contact Lauren Weisenberger of the Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“The Environmental Defense Fund poll report from July concluded that ‘over 7 in 10 American voters would eat more seafood if there were higher safety standards on how farmed fish are produced.’ This is not surprising in light of studies showing that many seafoods are high in nutrients that increase immunity, resulting in a better physical response to infections such as Covid-19.”

So writes Cheng-Sheng Lee, Executive Director of the Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture, in the CTSA’s latest newsletter.

“Traceability, sustainability and conservation are among the most common concerns that consumers have when it comes to seafood, so it is important to capitalize on any opportunities to educate the public, he adds. Therefore, “This month's issue includes an article about the role of sustainable seafood at the first UN Food Systems Summit, as well as an announcement and link for a new CTSA survey for farmers, producers, and stakeholders in the U.S. affiliated Pacific Islands.”

For more info, visit the CTSA.

ʻUaʻu kani, or Wedge-tailed Shearwater, is a seabird species common in Hawaiʻi. Though historically found nesting along coastlines, human development in these areas has likely reduced the availability of nesting habitats, pushing the seabird colonies to nest in undeveloped islets. However, many coastal residents continue to observe ʻuaʻu kani nesting nearby – or on their properties – where they are unprotected and threatened by nest trampling due to human activity or construction; predation by rats, cats, mongoose, and dogs; and potentially, stress caused by proximity to human activity. Surprisingly, a new study from the Dept. of Natural Resources and Environmental Management finds no significant difference in nesting success of the Wedge-tailed Shearwater at an unprotected, popular beach park versus a site with restricted public access.

“Though nesting success at Kailua Beach Park was slightly lower than nesting success at the restricted-access site, it seems so long as their underground nests aren’t trampled and collapsed, and no major predation events occur, colonies in busy beach parks can be successful,” says Jessica Idle, a graduate student in NREM’s Hawaiʻi Wildlife Ecology Lab.

Still, their conclusions have convinced stakeholders to construct “symbolic fencing” around the seabird colony at Kailua Beach Park to encourage park-goers to avoid walking through the nesting areas.

“We thank the City and County of Honolulu, Department of Parks and Recreation, for their support and permission allowing us to install signage and symbolic fencing at the Kailua Wedge-tailed Shearwater colony,” says Jon Gelman of Hawaiʻi Marine Animal Response, which constructed the fence. “We also thank the University of Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi Pacific University, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Pacific Islands Coastal Program for their collaboration and support of our seabird conservation projects.”

Stephanie Araki, Honolulu City and County’s Department of Recreation, adds, “Kudos to Ms. Idle and her colleagues for their commitment to protect our precious wildlife and to teach the rest of us about our seabird ‘ohana. We are honored to have played an insignificant role in this significant study and hope that the protective fences enable the Wedge-tailed Shearwaters to survive and return to their Kailua home for many years to come.”

NREM and its partners hope to encourage Hawaiʻi residents with seabirds nesting in their neighborhoods, local parks, and back yards to consider similar temporary fencing and signage.

“Further steps that everyone can take include keeping dogs leashed near nesting colonies, minimizing noise and activity near colonies at dawn and dusk when the adult birds are coming and going from the nests, and turning off indoor and outdoor lights in November and December to protect young seabirds leaving the nest for the first time,” Jessica adds.

Read the full study, “Wedge-tailed Shearwater (Ardenna pacifica) nesting success in human-dominated coastal environments,” which appears in the latest PeerJ.

Photos courtesy of Alex Awo and Hawai‘i Marine Animal Response.