Environment
Southern California and Endangered Abalone Populations
By Megan HerringSouthern California’s beaches, sun, tranquility, and other resources makes it a prime area for people looking for a new place to plant roots and make their fortune...
Stories by Jim Haw
Environment
The Historical Collapse of Southern California Fisheries and the Rocky Future of Seafood
By Katie LeeRecently, the New York Times Green Blog described how two major Southern California fisheries (kelp and barred sand bass) had collapsed "right under the noses of management agencies." The management and oversight of these fish stocks had not changed since 1959...
Health
Hyperbaric Oxygen: A Spectrum of Emerging Treatments
By Nathalie Sami and Janice Wong Certified scuba divers are familiar with the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for decompression sickness treatment.
Environment
Challenges Facing Japan's Marine Fisheries
by Molly SullivanFor thousands of years, the sea has served Japan as a cultural and economic resource. The Japanese have made heavy use of the ocean surrounding their island nation, harvesting a host of marine organisms from sea cucumbers to whales...
Environment
Military Buildup s Environmental Takedown
By: Juliana DuranGuam, a US territory, is an island that is no stranger to war or military presence. It first came under US control after the Spanish-American war.
Environment
Offshore Energy Acquisition in the Western Pacific: The Decline of the World s Most Abundant Fisheries
By Ryan GobarEast Asia and the Northwestern Pacific are home to some of the world’s biggest and most productive fisheries, with average yearly yields in the 20-24 million ton range (Ahlenius 2004)...
Environment
Okinawa and the U.S. military, post 1945
By Lane JohnstonOkinawa has had a tumultuous history and a scattered identity throughout the twentieth century. As a Japanese territory before World War II, Okinawans did not ever fully adopted Japanese culture as their own...
The lost cousins of Homo sapiens in Asia and the South Pacific
By Paige Minteer The evolution of humans is the result of a number of speciation events that have built upon one another to create the modern-day human species: Homo sapiens.
Environment
A Persistent Case of Diabetes Mellitus in Guam
By Amanda UngcoProud of their culture and successes, Americans have soaked up the American dream and have broadened their wings to influence the rest of the world.
Environment
An interconnected environment and economy- Shark tourism in Palau
by Brenna SchneiderAs a small, isolated island, the country of Palau has a limited number of income options. Today the tourism industry is a vital source of income for this nation state, as it makes up about 56% of Palau’s gross domestic product (GDP) (Vianna et al, 2012)...
Environment
The UNESCO World Heritage Site Selection Process
By Caroline SmithThe term ‘Heritage’ is not always an easy word for people to define. However, a word that is often used to describe one’s heritage is legacy .
Environment
The Senkaku/Diaoyu Island Dispute in the East China Sea
by Amelia MouraThe Senkaku/Diaoyu islands have a long, complex, history of sovereignty disputes. This string of three uninhabitable islands and five rocks which, in total, amount to only 2.7 square miles in the East China Sea, has a past defined by conflicting claims by Japan, China, and even Taiwan...
Environment
The Effects of Climate Change on Coral Reef Health
By: Caitlin MartinCoral reefs are one of the most diverse ecosystems on this planet. They are home to numerous species of marine life and offer a plethora of benefits both to natural ecosystems and to the human population...
Environment
The Philippines and Spratly Islands: A Losing Battle
by Britanny ChengWhat has more than 750 reefs and islands, has been claimed by 5 different countries, and has been the center of political disputes since the 1900s?
Environment
The Status of Fisheries in China: How deep will we have to dive to find the truth?
By Justin PearceChina’s economy and population are growing rapidly. As their population increases, so does the demand for food. Feeding 1.3 billion people is no small feat, so being resourceful is essential; China has started looking everywhere possible for food, including the world’s oceans, lakes, and rivers...
Environment
Is the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Doing Enough?
by Lauren StoneburnerThe Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) is a tropical marine haven. The region is made up of a string of fourteen small islands, originally formed by underwater volcanoes along the Marianas Trench...
Environment
Dreading the Dredging: Military Buildup on Guam and Implications for Marine Biodiversity in Apra Harbor
By: Meghan HeneghanIn 2006, The United States-Japan ‘Roadmap for Realignment Implementation’ agreement was signed—a bilateral agreement of a relocation of over 8,600 U.S...
Environment
Bringing War to the "Island of Peace" The Fight for the Preservation of Jeju-do
by Laura Hough Editor’s Note: Prof. Haw has flown to Guam from the USC Global Conference in Korea in time to meet Prof. Ginsburg, Dr.
Environment
The Relationship Between the Economy and Tourism on Catalina Island
By Sarah WoodBalancing the environment and the economy is difficult, especially on a sparsely populated island such as Santa Catalina Island.
Environment
Northern Elephant Seals: Increasing Population, Decreasing Biodiversity
By Dana Handy In nature, a population recovery is not always what it seems, as the story of the Northern Elephant seal attests. This species, so named because the large male seal’s nose resembles that of an elephant trunk, is a unique marine mammal that spends more than 85% of its life in the North Pacific Ocean (from Baja, Mexico to the Gulf of Alaska) save for a limited amount of time on land for breeding and molting purposes...
