Hawaii

Shark Biologist Kim Holland Discusses Hawaii’s Shark Population | The Inertia

Published

3 years ago

April 18, 2022

Shark Biologist Kim Holland Discusses Hawaii’s Shark Population | The Inertia

Holland identifying a tiger shark.

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.

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Hawaii

Deadspin | No. 4 Auburn, No. 5 Iowa State test mettle in Hawaii

Published

3 hours ago

November 24, 2024

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Deadspin | No. 4 Auburn, No. 5 Iowa State test mettle in Hawaii

Nov 9, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Auburn Tigers forward Johni Broome (4) celebrates with head coach Bruce Pearl after the game against the Houston Cougars at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

No. 4 Auburn and No. 5 Iowa State will meet Monday in the Maui Invitational in Lahaina, Hawaii, in a clash of college basketball powers that has more the look of a tournament championship game than that of a first-round contest.

While the high-level matchup is unusual for the opening round, it does give the Tigers and Cyclones a chance to see how they stack up among the NCAA elite.

And although Iowa State (3-0) has hammered three mid-major teams, Auburn (4-0) already owns a measuring-stick victory at then-No. 4 Houston on Nov. 9.

Now comes more challenging competition as the tournament includes No. 2 UConn and No. 10 North Carolina, as well as three other teams that arrive in Maui with undefeated records — Memphis, Colorado and Dayton.

“The next four games are against Elite 8-caliber teams,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said, referring to the tournament games as well as including a Dec. 4 date at Duke. “It’ll be a true test and a true measure of where we’re at.”

The Tigers are currently at a good place. In addition to their win over Houston, they’ve beaten up on three mid-majors.

Johni Broome made 13 of 17 shots to finish with 30 points in Auburn’s 102-69 victory over North Alabama on Monday. He also pulled down 17 rebounds, while Dylan Cardwell made 5 of 6 shots to finish with 12 points.

“Our bigs shot an incredible percentage,” Pearl said. “Johni and Dylan are two of the best centers in college basketball and we’ve got both of them.”

Meanwhile, the rest of the Tigers’ starters scored in double figures. Denver Jones delivered 13 points and nine assists in the win.

Playing three games in three days will be a big change for Iowa State, which has been one of the least active teams in Division I. Its only three games have come on the three Mondays in November.

“We’ve had these experiences in years past. Last year it didn’t go as well,” Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger said, referring to last November when the Cyclones lost two of three games in the ESPN Events Invitational.

“Yes, you want to win every game, but last year we had a great season and we weren’t as good at this point,” Otzelberger said of his team, which went 29-8 and reached the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.

With five double-digit scorers, the Cyclones have shown balance, led by backcourt players Curtis Jones (15 points per game), Tamin Lipsey (13.7) and Keshon Gilbert (12.3).

St. Mary’s transfer Joshua Jefferson recorded his first double-double for his new team by collecting 16 points and 10 rebounds in Iowa State’s 87-52 victory over IU Indianapolis last Monday. He made all seven of his shots from the floor.

On Monday night, the Cyclones face a team that is “playing as well or better than anyone in the country,” Otzelberger said.

“They’re a tremendous team. They pressure defensively, really get after you. They’ve got tremendous depth. They try to wear you down,” Otzelberger said. “In the Houston game, Houston had the lead early and that’s what happened.”

–Field Level Media

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Hawaii

Proposed empty homes tax gets exemptions added for Hawaii residents as final vote nears

Published

11 hours ago

November 24, 2024

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Proposed empty homes tax gets exemptions added for Hawaii residents as final vote nears

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A bill aimed at cracking down on vacant homes on Oahu by increasing taxes is expected to face a final vote at the Honolulu City Council in the coming weeks.

It comes after the proposal has been revised several times because of questions and concerns from the community.

Bill 46 would add an incremental 3% yearly tax for vacant dwellings on a property that would be rolled out over three years.

Some owners could end up paying tens of thousands of dollars more in property taxes, but a recent change to the measure adds exemptions for Hawaii residents.

The 2020 U.S. Census reported roughly 35,000 unoccupied housing units on Oahu.

Council Chair Tommy Waters, who introduced the bill, said it’s meant to get people to rent out or otherwise free up their unused units.

Under the measure’s current language, the higher tax would be placed on homes that are unoccupied for six months.

“We’re trying to get creative to figure out how we can get our local people to stay here. We can’t build our way out of this solution,” said Waters.

This week, the council’s budget committee narrowly passed the bill in a 3 to 2 vote after making several changes.

One change would allow Hawaii residents to request an exemption for a second home they own.

To reduce administrative costs that would likely come with a new tax, the bill proposed it to operate under the already running property tax system by adding a new class.

There’s also changes to the bill’s language to comply with both with state and federal law to try and avoid potential lawsuits.

But still some residents still believe it will do more harm than good.

“Trying to enforce this and make sure that it’s equitable is going to be a nightmare,” said Hawaii Kai resident Natalie Iwasa.

“My other concern about this is the landlords, they obviously have a stake in this but if they miss a deadline, it is no skin on their backs you know why? Because they will increase the rent for people like me and other families who cannot afford a home,” she added.

But younger constituents seem to support the proposal.

“This is not about punishing anyone. It is about making housing accessible to the people who call Hawaii their home,” said one testifier.

Bill 46 could still undergo even more revisions.

The bill is expected to go for a final vote on December 11, where public input will also be taken.

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Hawaii

Kauai shines in farm-to-table experiences at Timbers resort

Published

20 hours ago

November 23, 2024

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Kauai shines in farm-to-table experiences at Timbers resort

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – If you’re headed to Kaua’i and looking for a unique farm-to-table experience, Hualani‘s at Timbers Kaua’i serves creative dishes and drinks made with local ingredients and hyper seasonal produce grown on their farm at Hokuala.

Alex Amorin, executive chef at Hualani‘s, and Cory Dotario, Timbers food and beverage director, joined HNN’s Sunrise to talk about their fresh, sustainable philosophy and upcoming Ha’aheo o Kauaʻi events, meaning “pride of Kauai” because talent and ingredients are sourced from the Garden Isle.

Among their signatures: honeycomb and goat cheese salad with a lemon vinaigrette (tapping into fall citrus season on their farm and honey from their own apiary) and a Barrel Aged Old Fashioned using their signature “Nagao of Never” bourbon named after a longtime employee, David Nagao, as a way to usher in the holiday season.

Ha’aheo o Kauaʻi lets guests enjoy a hands-on harvesting experience at The Farm at Hokuala and learn about Kauai produce, seafood and meats, and wine pairings.

Amorin talked about the farm’s organic and biodynamic practices.

“There’s a nuanced beauty to selecting produce in its prime seasonality. The delicate flavor profiles take artistry to celebrate and enhance as the star of the plate. Similar to the artistry of working with watercolors and the delicate skillset that’s involved with mixing paint colors, working with vegetable-forward dishes takes the same approach and it’s ingredients sourced at peak ripeness that allow me to create culinary works of art,” said Amorin, an avid waterman and fisherman.

The next Ha’aheo o Kauaʻi farm-to-table dinner is on December 19 and can be booked on Open Table or by calling (808) 320-7399.

For more information, visit timberskauai.com/eat-drink/hualanis or follow on Instagram @timberskauai.

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