University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo students conducting a large-scale study in a genetics class discover the first occurrence of the Ostrea equestris oyster species in Hawaiʻi.
The UH Hilo aquaculture center assisted in raising oysters, nature’s most efficient water filters, to restore native oysters and improve clarity in Hawaiʻi waters.
Modeled on research trials conducted at UH Hilo’s Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center, the project is using native shellfish species for water quality improvement at Pearl Harbor.
The University of Hawaiʻi and state agencies formed a partnership to raise Hawaiʻi’s global visibility in marine aquaculture and to capitalize on the commercial opportunities available worldwide.
UH Hilo has the only four-year aquaculture program in the state and the only facility dedicated to aquaculture and coastal management education, research and outreach to the community and industry.
The UH Sea Grant College Program received a $149,972 NOAA grant to develop new opportunities in shellfish farming for Hawaiʻi and the U.S. affiliated Pacific Islands.