Hawaii

The crowning glory of the Gardenia brighamii is its pearly flower.

Can Fungi Save This Endangered Hawaiian Tree?

By inoculating greenhouse na’u seedlings with mycorrhizal fungi, researchers hope to boost survival odds when the plants are returned to the wild

Did Hawaiian dancers traditionally wear grass skirts? 

What's the History of Hawaiian Grass Skirts? And More Questions From Our Readers

You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts

An aerial photograph of Lahaina's banyan tree taken on August 3, 2024. A wildfire devastated the town in August 2023.

One Year After a Devastating Fire, Lahaina's 151-Year-Old Banyan Tree Is Healing

Arborists didn't know if the historic tree would survive, but they've been working to give it the best possible odds

Johnny Weissmuller (left) and Duke Kahanamoku (right) at the 1924 Paris Olympics

At the 1924 Paris Olympics, Tarzan Faced Off With the Ambassador of Aloha

The second Paris Games, exactly one century ago, hosted a 100-meter freestyle race that became an instant classic

An aerial image of Kilauea volcano erupting, June 3, 2024.

Hawaii's Kilauea, One of the World's Most Active Volcanoes, Erupts Again

The short-lived eruption occurred in an area of the volcano that had not erupted since December 1974

About 75 percent of Americans are expected to travel by car this summer. Taking the scenic route along such roadways as Highway 101, seen above in Del Mar, California, can make the trip even more worthwhile.

Seven of the Most Beautiful Roads in the United States

From Alaska to Florida, these serene and exhilarating stretches beg you to take the scenic route

The Old Lahaina Courthouse was destroyed in a wildfire on August 11, 2023.

University Students in Hawaii Use Cutting-Edge Technology to Digitally Restore Historic Buildings Damaged by Maui Wildfires

A new course at University of Hawaii at Manoa rethinks historic preservation, having enrollees design digital twins of notable structures so that people can experience them virtually

David Walker, 19, was a mess attendant aboard the USS California.

A Young Sailor's Remains Have Been Identified Eight Decades After He Died at Pearl Harbor

David Walker was a 19-year-old mess attendant aboard the USS "California" when Japan launched its surprise attack

Curator Frances McIntosh says the collection's survival is "nothing short of a miracle."

Shells From Captain Cook's Final Voyage Were Rescued From a Dumpster

Long presumed lost, the collection of rare shells is now on display in England

Maui-based photographers Lyle Krannichfeld and Brandi Romano spent about 30 minutes observing and photographing two male humpback whales on January 19, 2022.

These Photos Are the First to Show Humpback Whales Mating—and Both Are Males

Photographers spotted the interaction in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Maui in 2022

Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge

Could Climate Change Cause More Lakes to Turn Bright Pink?

While rosy-hued waters exist naturally around the world, a pond in Hawaii recently turned pink, and Australian scientists say the same could happen there

In 2023, wildfires ravaged communities in Canada, Hawaii and elsewhere across the globe.

Why Wildfires Are Burning Hotter and Longer

As conflagrations become more difficult to contain, a citizen movement to try to manage them through “prescribed burns” is growing

Gemini South on the summit of Cerro Pachón in Chile (left) and Gemini North on the summit of Maunakea in Hawai’i (right).

Hackers Target Telescopes, Forcing Them to Pause Operations

Two major telescopes in Hawaii and Chile and a handful of smaller observatories have been offline for weeks following an apparent cyberattack

A team including research scientists at Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute became the first in the world to successfully cryopreserve coral using a technique called isochronic vitrification.

Scientists Cryopreserve and Revive Coral Fragments in a World First for Conservation

The new freezing technique could reinvigorate corals suffering from warming oceans—or even preserve human organs in the future

Geochemist Blake Dyer observes the north shore of Molokai.

Scientists Look to Ancient Hawaiian Reefs for Clues About Future Sea-Level Rise

Researchers search the shores of Molokai for fossils to help predict the impact of melting ice sheets on our oceans

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is trying to keep ‘akikiki from going extinct.

How Maui's Wildfires Threatened Endangered Birds

Conservationists battled back flames to prevent them from reaching roughly 40 ‘akikiki in captivity

On August 10, homes, buildings and the harbor in Lahaina are burned to the ground after wildfires swept through Maui.

How Swaths of Invasive Grass Made Maui's Fires So Devastating

Scientists have long warned that Hawaii's cover of nonnative shrubs is kindling waiting to burn

An aerial image of the banyan tree taken on August 10, 2023

Will Maui's Beloved 150-Year-Old Banyan Tree Survive the Scorching Wildfires?

Amidst the devastation of Lahaina, a coastal town in Maui, the tree is burned but still standing

Satellite imagery shows the destruction wildfires have caused in the town of Lahaina on the island of Maui.

Deadly Maui Wildfires Raze Landscape, Destroy Historic Coastal Town

At least 36 people have been reported dead and thousands were displaced by the fast-moving flames that ignited on Tuesday

An illustration by Terry Kerby of Pisces V exploring the ocean depths at Loihi.

Inside the Nerve-Racking Dive to an Active Submarine Volcano

The chief pilot of a deep-sea submersible recounts exploring Loihi, which will become Hawaii’s next island

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