Ocean Awareness course offered

The fourth Ocean Awareness course will be offered Sept. 11 to Oct. 2 at Windward Community College.

The training is hosted by the University of Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology and coordinated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary and UH Sea Grant College Program.

Participants who complete the program will receive Care of our Culture, Ocean, Reefs and Animal Life certification. Classes will be held Sept. 11, 18 and Oct. 2 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at WCC. A Sept. 25 class will be at Coconut Island from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The course will cover protected marine species, marine ecology of the Hawaiian Islands, threats to coastal and marine environments and marine life identification.

The fee is $20. Register online at ocean-awarehawaii.org.

For more information, call (808) 397-2651, ext. 252, or toll free (888) 55-WHALE, ext. 252.

HECO Web site displays Leeward Coast air quality

Hawaiian Electric Co. has created a Web site showing hourly air quality readings from Waianae, Lualualei and Camp Timberline on the Leeward Coast, a company news release said.

The monitoring stations will track environmental conditions as part of HECO's agreement with the west Oahu community in exchange for building a new generator at Campbell Industrial Park.

Most of HECO's electrical generating systems on Oahu are on the Leeward Coast.

Air quality is measured by the presence of pollutants. Readings can be found at www.westoahuair.com.

HECO is also tracking the population of fish before and after the construction of the new power plant.

Baseline data are available at www.heco-.com.

Guillermo loses strength, slips to Category 2 storm

Hurricane Guillermo is now a Category 2 storm more than 1,200 miles east of Hilo after its sustained winds slipped to 110 from 115 mph.

Guillermo is moving toward the west-northwest at about 14 mph, the National Weather Service said.

The Hawaii County Civil Defense said the hurricane is on a track to the north of the islands.

It is expected to cross into the Central Pacific Hurricane Center area of responsibility about midday today.

Weather service officials said the storm is expected to lose punch as it moves into the cool Central Pacific waters.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

UH gets funds for Hawaiian program

The University of Hawaii is getting $1.14 million in federal money over three years to train teachers from native Hawaiian educational programs in science, a news release from U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye's office said.

The money will fund the University of Hawaii's Kulia I Ka Nuu program, a professional development program that prepares teachers of native Hawaiian students from kindergarten through 12th grade with an emphasis on science.

Kulia I Ka Nuu plans to start six school and community sites on Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Molokai and the Big Island. Twenty science teachers are expected to participate each year.