Isabella Kauakea Yau Yung Aiona Abbott was the first Native Hawaiian woman to earn a PhD in Science.
Isabella Kauakea Yau Yung Aiona Abbott was the first Native Hawaiian woman to earn a PhD in Science. She was a global expert on limu, a Hawaiian term describing underwater plants including dozens of edible seaweed species.Traditionally, limu has been an integral part of Native Hawaiian diets and is rich in vitamins. Limu can be added to foods, preserved with salt, used in ceremonies, and more. Isabella first learned about limu through her Native Hawaiian mother, who passed on ancestral knowledge about edible seaweeds, flowering plants, and other native species.Through her decades of research, posts at Stanford and the University of Hawaii, and published works, Isabella helped pass on vital knowledge about seaweeds. She’s also responsible for the scientific discovery and naming of 200+ species, earning her the nickname “First Lady of Limu.”Isabella passed away in October 2010 at the age of 91. She leaves behind a legacy of knowledge on limu for Native Hawaiians and the scientific community. -- source link
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