Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) graduate student John Burns has been selected as a finalist for the Rolex Awards for Enterprise. From a pool of more than 1,800 applicants from 129 countries around the world, Burns is one of 22 finalists. The award is targeted to innovators under 30 years of age. The Papaikou resident is one of only three finalists from the United States. Burns’ big idea is to develop and distribute novel waterproof electronic tablets to support community-based monitoring and conservation of coral reef ecosystems in Hawai‘i. The concept is rooted in years of outreach work with communities on the Big Island.

Read more about it in Big Island Now, Kaunānā, and the UH Mānoa News.