Our faculty include world experts in several areas including ecology and evolution of Hawaii's unique land plants, and the physiology and responses of the marine plants, including related phenomenon such as coral bleaching, ciguatera poisoning, and overgrowth of reef algae. A compilation of faculty research grant activity shows sustained productivity. Graduate and undergraduate student research is heavily supported by these funds, increasing the quality of our teaching at all levels. In addition to extramural grants, Botany faculty have actively sought intramural grants for improvements in teaching, technology and research. All faculty had grant support, intramural or extramural, as of Fall 1995.
Members serve on departmental, college, and university committees and task forces.
In addition, many serve on State, national and international boards, review grants and manuscripts, and provide professional testimony. Faculty serve as the basic knowledge base and State resource on rare and endangered species, ciguatera toxin poisonings, limu identifications, coral bleaching, and biofouling, plant identifications for the general public, federal and state quarantine, mushroom identifications and poisonings and a wide variety of other botanical matters of state and national concern. We are strong in undergraduate teaching, graduate training, research and service. We are an economic engine for the Natural Sciences. And we possess expertise in many aspects of the ecosystems and unique plants of Hawaii.