Hawaii
Shark Biologist Kim Holland Discusses Hawaii’s Shark Population | The Inertia
Kim Holland has actually committed his profession to finding out about the sea. After making a bachelor and also master’s level from the College of Hawaii (UH) in biology and also zoology and also a PhD from the College of Pennsylvania in biology, Holland went back to Hawaii and also started a job as a scientist teacher at his university. At UH, Holland directs the Shark Laboratory, which concentrates on organismic and also superorganismic biology of aquatic microorganisms. As the name recommends, a lot of Holland’s study is concentrated on sharks and also comprehending their habits and also activities in Hawaiian waters. Below, the shark specialist shares exactly how he entered into biology, why Maui sees the best variety of shark strikes in the state, and also usual misunderstandings regarding sharks.
I began in aquatic biology as a trainee mostly since I was just efficient 2 points: searching and also biology. I’ve been included with various elements of aquatic biology for many years, primarily checking out open water fishes like tuna and also marlin. I was included when the earliest digital tags were being designed—we were utilizing acoustic transmitters on tuna to see what their activity patterns remained in Hawaiian waters. I was gladly doing that back in the ’80s when there was a wave of deadly shark strikes. We recognized the monitoring approach that we’d been utilizing on tuna might extremely conveniently be made use of moved to consider the activity patterns of sharks.
What is your study at the Shark Laboratory concentrated on?
Currently, we’re actually thinking about comprehending the activity of huge sharks in Hawaiian waters. These significantly innovative tags can inform us where the pet is and also exactly how deep it’s diving. It can likewise gather and also save in its memory info regarding the water temperature level. So, sharks are not simply informing us what they’re doing, yet they’re likewise informing us regarding the atmosphere which they’re swimming in.
What are a few of one of the most intriguing points you’ve discovered with your study?
Digital tags permit us to see where sharks go and also provides us indicators of exactly how deep the pets go. Prior to teams all over the world began placing these a lot more innovative tools on pets, we assumed that sharks were close to the surface area the majority of the moment. However what we currently understand is that also types like tiger sharks, which we connect as being a superficial water types, often drop to 1,000 feet. The upright measurement of shark habits is something which is brand-new to us and also is unusual.
Why does Maui have one of the most shark strikes in the state?
What our study has actually revealed is that the kind of pleasant area for tiger sharks and also the environment they favor is in between coastline and also bent on regarding 600 feet of deepness. There is far more of that chosen environment around Maui than there is around any one of the various other islands. That very same recommended environment is likewise where a great deal of the sea leisure is directed Maui. So, you’ve obtained environment that the sharks like and also you’ve obtained environment that people like and also they overlap a lot more in Maui than they carry out in various other components of the islands.
Why do most shark strikes commonly take place?
We in fact have no concept. Most of shark strikes are a one bite occasion, so it’s practically as if it’s an exploratory bite by the shark instead of a full-on effort to feed on the sufferer. We do understand from various other monitorings that tiger sharks are shy and also are extremely mindful regarding what they consume. They take their time to determine whether to attack something or otherwise—they’re not these crazed awesomes, they’re in fact rather mindful.
When you figure that sharks prevail in Hawaii and also we understand that 10s of countless individuals enter the water everyday of the year, the reality that we have simply a handful of strikes is a lot more unusual to me than the number that we do have. The majority of strikes are not deadly—that’s an essential reality to keep in mind.
What are some actions individuals can require to remain risk-free in the water?
Don’t enter the water on your own. A great deal of the casualties originate from individuals hemorrhaging to fatality and also entering into shock. If you have someone in the water with you that can aid you reach coast, telephone call for assistance, placed a tourniquet on you, or in various other methods help you, that makes a huge distinction to your possibilities of enduring a strike.
What are one of the most unsafe shark types?
In Hawaii, it’s often tiger sharks. All over the world, there are 3 fundamental types that create issues to people: white sharks, tiger sharks and also bull sharks.
What are some usual misunderstandings regarding sharks?
Among them is that they are parked before specific coastlines, hiding and also waiting on someone to place their toe in the water. There might be situations where a shark is basically resident, yet from a researcher’s point of view and also for tiger sharks specifically, they’re constantly on the step and also traveling country miles. The various other is that sharks are frequently starving and also anything that comes close will certainly be struck which’s just not the situation. They’re actually mindful the majority of the moment and also are rather discerning in what they consume.
Anything else?
Among the important things that we require to keep in mind is that we’ve just damaged the surface area in regards to comprehending sharks generally. There’s still significantly to discover sharks and also their biology.
Hawaii
Obituaries for November 7
Hawaii
Largely unseen Hawaii men's basketball team readies for debut in Rainbow Classic
HONOLULU — Time to pull back the curtain.
At last, the Hawaii men’s basketball team will perform live in front of its primary audience as it opens the 2024-25 regular season against NAIA school Life Pacific in the Outrigger Rainbow Classic at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center on Friday night.
This year’s preseason was unusual in that it did not feature an exhibition in its home venue. UH played Hawaii Hilo on the Big Island and Chaminade on Maui. Neither game was televised or live streamed, and only the Hilo game was broadcast on the radio.
UH held a “Rainbow Madness” introductory event in the Sheriff last month but it did not feature any up-and-down action.
It all contributed to an sense of mystery for a roster that was heavily rebuilt from the 20-14 squad that bowed out in the Big West semifinals in March.
UH brought in four Division I transfers to help provide an immediate impact from the loss of its top six scorers, including an All-Big West second-teamer at forward in Justin McKoy and two career 1,000-point scorers in Noel Coleman and Bernardo da Silva. There are three more international additions and two high school graduates who made the direct leap.
“The sooner you know, the better,” 10th-year coach Eran Ganot said to a question of his preferred lineup on Tuesday. “With this team, I’d say we’ve been experimenting more. We don’t want to make quick judgments when guys are still getting comfortable. But a group has emerged and I feel like we have some key guys coming off the bench to create a spark. There’s still some competing going on.”
UH, which is set to join the Mountain West as a full member in 2026-27, will attempt to overcome expectations and earn the program’s first postseason appearance since Ganot’s first season in 2016-17. The Rainbow Warriors were picked to finish seventh in the Big West coaches preseason poll.
The starting lineup will feature, at minimum, four players either new to the roster or unused to having their name read out to the crowd in pregame introductions.
That level of transition was apparent in the team’s preseason results. UH committed 54 turnovers and won by a combined eight points in the two games against local Division II teams.
Point guard, while always crucial, is the position to watch as the Rainbow Warriors find their way. Sophomore Tom Beattie is getting the first crack at the job, though UH has employed Houston Christian transfer Marcus Greene, freshman Aaron Hunkin-Claytor and walk-on-turned-scholarship guard Kody Williams at the position.
Ganot is fond of pairing point guards together in the backcourt, a la JoVon McClanahan and Juan Munoz last year.
“You want to have guys emerge. You don’t want to have a revolving door,” Ganot said.
Beattie, a 6-foot-5 New Zealander who made a name with his hustle plays last season, acknowledged his 12 turnovers against five assists in the exhibitions and said that he is still learning how to operate the offense while guarding opponents’ best perimeter player on defense. But, he added, he is up for the challenge.
The team’s giveaways, which happened on anything from inbounds passes against the press, in the open court and in the halfcourt, are “just things we can’t have,” Beattie said.
“I feel like it was just our sloppiness,” Beattie said. “Not making a firm pass, not being strong with the ball. The ball was taken from our hands probably five times in that Hilo game.”
The only returning starter, wing Ryan Rapp, missed both exhibitions with a hand injury and is questionable to play in the three-games-in-four-days round-robin tournament. Williams missed the Chaminade game but is available.
Rapp and Beattie were recently named co-captains.
The Rainbow Classic, while a storied piece of the program’s history, has been an inconsistent presence on the UH schedule in recent years. It was left off in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in 2023 due to difficulties filling out the field.
San Jose State (0-1) of the Mountain West and Pacific (1-0) of the West Coast Conference lead off the tournament at 4:30 p.m. preceding UH’s opener.
“We’re a lot like everybody right now, so it’ll be a lot of new faces for all the teams, learning about each other on the fly and how quickly we can make those adjustments in real time,” Ganot said.
The inclusion of Life Pacific marked the third time in the last five editions of the Rainbow Classic that a non-Division-I team was part of the field.
Life Pacific faced five Division I opponents in the 2023-24 season and had an average margin of loss of 29.6 points. The Warriors of San Dimas, Calif., played at Loyola Marymount on Monday and lost 99-56.
Friday’s game will not officially count for Life Pacific (1-0), though it will for UH. LPU is expected to come at UH with a smallball attack; the visiting Warriors top out at 6 feet 8.
UH will likely look to leverage its size, including with 6-foot-10 sophomore Akira Jacobs at small forward. Jacobs scored 20 points on 7-for-10 shooting against a similarly undersized Chaminade lineup.
Jacobs, who played for his native Japan in the 2024 Paris Olympics, is anxious to display that he is more than a 3-point specialist.
“Last year’s experience playing the 4, it was a very valuable experience playing against stronger (players),” Jacobs said. “I think that’s really helped me now that I’ve moved back to the wing. Having more height and being physically stronger than a lot of wings, I want to use that to my advantage in the games.”
There are opportunities aplenty around up front with the losses of McKoy, da Silva and Mor Seck, the affable 7-footer who went into the transfer portal and ended up at Fresno State.
Utah Tech transfer Tanner Christensen, a 6-10, 265-pound center with a deft outside touch, was UH’s most consistent player in the exhibitions; he posted a double-double in each game. Christensen has drawn raves (and administered bruises) with his physical screen-setting to free up guards.
UH is also expected to get an instant impact from Xavier transfer Gytis Nemeiksa (pronounced NAY-MAKE-SHA), a rugged, 6-8 Lithuanian with a dour countenance.
“You guys saw the game face,” Ganot moments after Nemeiksa walked past a media scrum. “We talk a lot about ‘the look.’ We don’t have to tell him that.”
Nemeiksa started 20 games for the Musketeers, averaging 5.2 points and 4.2 rebounds.
“I expect him to follow the lead of what Kamaka (Hepa) and Jerome Desrosiers and Justin McKoy have done in the past,” Ganot said of the senior. “They’ve also had a process to go through. … But the potential’s there, the talent’s there, the desire’s there. He’s gotta stay with it.”
Along with junior Harry Rouhliadeff, UH is also expected to include Valparaiso transfer Jerome Palm in the frontcourt rotation. Palm, a vocal presence at 6-10 and 225 pounds, has enthusiastically battled the beefier Christensen on a daily basis.
“They come in and have that physicality from the get-go,” Beattie said of the bigs. “They have some of the biggest voices in the locker room. Experience, knowledge, and very smart dudes.”
SJSU went 9-23 last season and Pacific was 6-26.
Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.
Hawaii
Controversial bid for Territorial in Hawaii wins shareholder backing
Shareholders of Territorial Bancorp in Honolulu on Wednesday voted in favor of a sale to Los Angeles-based Hope Bancorp, ending a contentious and protracted campaign to derail the deal and paving a path to close it by the end of this year.
The deal, announced in April, faced major hurdles in recent weeks after an investor group stepped in with a
The combination still needs regulatory approval.
“We expect our combination with Bank of Hope to strengthen Territorial for the long term, providing many advantages for our customers and employees as we become part of a larger organization with greater resources, enhanced technology platforms, and an expanded array of banking products and services,” Territorial Chairman and CEO Allan Kitagawa said in a press release after the vote. “We greatly appreciate the hard work of our employees and their unwavering commitment to delivering outstanding service as we progress toward the closing of this transaction.”
The $17.4 billion-asset Hope agreed in April to an
However, an investor group led by
“We think our offer is clearly superior,” Landon said in an interview ahead of the vote.
Territorial’s shares traded above $11 on Wednesday.
Landon said the Hope offer came before the Federal Reserve made clear that it planned to cut interest rates and provide relief to community banks such as Territorial, whose securities portfolios and earnings have been under pressure. The Fed lowered its benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points in September and signaled more reductions could follow.
Territorial swung to a third-quarter net loss of $1.3 million, or 15 cents per share, from year-earlier net income of $880,000, or 10 cents per share. Territorial holds older bonds and other assets at low rates and had to pay more for deposits over the past couple years. As a result, its third-quarter net interest income decreased by nearly $2.6 million from a year earlier to $7.5 million.
However, with rates now declining, Landon said the bank’s earnings are poised to recover, and Territorial was worth more than the Hope offer implied.
Before the vote, Yakira Capital Management, one of Territorial’s largest shareholders, urged the bank to consider the Blue Hill offer, calling it financially superior.
“We continue to question why the board is so vehemently against an offer that provides approximately 25% more value for shareholders,” the Westport, Connecticut-based investment manager said. It owns more than 1% of Territorial’s shares.
That statement came on the heels of proxy advisor Institutional Shareholder Services supporting consideration of the Blue Hill offer.
However, ISS reversed its position ahead of the vote, and proxy advisor Glass Lewis also recommended that shareholders get behind the Hope deal.
In a letter to shareholders last week, Territorial’s board said it remained committed to the Hope deal. The board said the Blue Hill bid presented too many uncertainties and ultimately did not appear stronger than the Hope package when all factors were considered.
The $2.2 billion-asset bank’s board said that the Blue Hill offer was made on behalf of investors who had not presented sufficient evidence that they had the financial wherewithal to follow through on their offer or the expertise to secure regulatory approvals.
Territorial also said it would have to pay Hope a $3 million termination fee to pursue the investor group’s offer — an expensive risk given uncertainty about whether the competing offer was sound.
The Blue Hill-led group in October provided an addendum to its offer to provide additional details about the “seven seasoned bank investors backing the proposal, whose individual expressions of interest in acquiring Territorial shares total $134 million,” according to a press release at the time. “That is $26 million more than the amount required to tender for 100% of Territorial’s shares at a price of $12.50 per share.”
The investors collectively manage $3.4 billion “and comprise a mix of funds, family offices and private investors who have executed hundreds of transactions like this,” according to the group’s press release.
Territorial’s shareholder vote was webcast Wednesday afternoon Eastern time. Executives, who were not immediately available to comment, said on the webcast that a majority of shareholders voted in favor of the Hope sale. They said a precise tally would follow in a forthcoming Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
A Blue Hill spokesman said Wednesday the group would await the SEC filing before commenting.
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