HONOLULU (AP) — Scientists made new discoveries while recently diving to deep coral reefs in the remote atolls of northwest Hawaii.
The Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument says a research expedition returned last week with specimens of previously unknown deep-water algae. The scientists also brought back the first recorded specimens of black coral from Johnston Atoll.
The researchers visited Nihoa, Mokumanamana, French Frigate Shoals and Laysan Island. They later went to the Johnston Atoll National Wildlife Refuge.
Scientists collected fish, coral and algae samples for genetic analysis and searched for invasive alien species. At Johnston Atoll, they conducted archaeological surveys of the Howland, a whaling ship wreck from the late 1800s.
The monument said Monday the expedition included 26 days of diving to deep coral reefs more than 200 feet below the surface.
HONOLULU (AP) — University of Hawaii, Kapiolani Community College and Hawaii Pacific University have joined a nationwide effort to reduce food waste.
The Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday the three institutions join more than 90 other colleges and universities nationwide pledging to reduce wasted food.
The EPA says food waste is the single largest type of waste sent to landfills and incinerators nationwide. When food scraps are disposed of in a landfill, they decompose and become a significant source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
Food waste is especially problematic in Hawaii, with a limited disposal capacity.
The EPA’s “Food Recovery Challenge” tries to reduce the environmental impact of food and other everyday items, including how they are extracted, manufactured, distributed, used, reused, recycled, composted or disposed.
Man sentenced for killing dairy goat
LIHUE, Hawaii (AP) — A 31-year-old man has been sentenced to two months in jail for killing a pregnant milking goat owned by a Kilauea dairy.
Russell Kekoa Hoomanawanui (ho-OH’-mah-NA’-wah-NU’-ee) also was ordered Wednesday to pay $8,347.21in restitution for the shooting of the farm animal on April 27, 2011.
A co-defendant, Ryan Winchell, was sentenced in April to 30 days in jail for his role in the goat death.
The Garden Island (http://bit.ly/19l0e8t) reports Judge Kathleen Watanabe called the shooting of the Kunana Dairy goat a senseless and unfortunate act.
She says she did not believe the defendants’ story that they were hunting and didn’t realized they had trespassed onto the dairy farm.
Hoomanawanui was convicted of felony livestock theft, criminal property damage and misdemeanor cruelty to animals.
