Management

A line of wooden posts extends back from shallow waters onto a sandy beach, each post with a bird perched on it

Resilience reports are for the birds: How the seabirds of Lalo are inspiring holistic decision-making

by Kilo Kaʻawa-Gonzales It was almost prehistoric. The whirling sky around me was full of feathers and wings as we plowed through breaking waves on an old metal landing craft that was likened, on more than one occasion, to the ...
A healthy coral reef

Redefining “success”: The importance of socio-cultural indicators in marine management

by Anita TsangPicture this: You are snorkeling in a nearshore coral reef five years after it was declared a marine management area (MMA). The water is crystal clear, the corals are vibrant and healthy, and there are huge, diverse schools ...
Scenic view looking down across the coastline and buildings of Waikiki, with the Waiʻanae Mountains in the background

Science and design collide: Benefits of interdisciplinary research and collaboration

by Jojo Briones Those concerned about the future of Waikīkī span many perspectives: government officials, architects, community leaders, engineers, hotel managers, educators, scientists, and residents. Representatives from all these backgrounds came together recently for a virtual community outreach series to ...
Aerial view of reefs off a sandy beach with superimposed graphics illustrating locations of pens and their layout

Working towards sustainability of Hawaiʻi’s nearshore fisheries through characterizing and modeling fisheries regulation effects

 Research Projects 2022-2024 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Elizabeth Madin Co-INVESTIGATORS: Kirsten Oleson, Lisa McManus, Zack Rago Sea Grant Graduate Fellow: Annie Innes-Gold Research Track: Interdisciplinary Nearshore fisheries provide extremely important services for coastal communities. However, nearly 25 percent of these fisheries, globally, ...
An elder shows students a fishing net at the edge of a rocky pool

Integrating social and cultural considerations into planning and community-based monitoring to reach marine conservation goals

 Research Projects 2022-2024 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Mehana Vaughan Co-INVESTIGATOR: Meghan Tait PI-CASC Graduate Scholar: Kapono Gaughen Communities and marine ecosystems around the world are facing increasing impacts from climate change, including rising sea levels, intensifying storms, and degradation of coral reefs ...
Close-up image of a vibrant invertebrate (nudibranch) atop coral

Environmental DNA: Ground-truthing a new tool for coral reef monitoring

 Research Projects 2022-2024 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Peter Marko Sea Grant Graduate Fellow: Patrick Nichols Given the rapid pace of climate change, successful conservation relies on frequent, fast, and reliable monitoring of at-risk organisms and habitats. Most coral reef monitoring relies on time-consuming ...
article spread including headshot of Matt Gonser and community volunteers

Q & A with Matthew Gonser

by Cindy Knapman and Kanesa SeraphinMatthew Gonser, former extension faculty with the University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program, was recently appointed as the chief resilience officer and executive director of the City and County of Honolulu Office of Climate ...
Three-foot high wooden walls enclose a small plot of soil and plants.

When the Unmentionable becomes Unavoidable

by Joachim SchneiderA cesspool is nothing more than a hole in the ground that receives wastewater from all parts of the household. In the case of many cesspools, this wastewater leaches into the surrounding groundwater and surface water, causing environmental ...
Cover spread of Marshall Islands homeowner's handbook

RMI Homeowner’s Handbook to Prepare for Natural Hazards

Introduction When a natural hazard occurs - whether it be a tropical cyclone, tsunami, extratropical storm, king tide, flood, sea-level rise, erosion, or drought - the results can be devastating for your land, your home, your family, and your possessions ...
Report cover for 'Guidance for Using the Sea Level Rise Exposure Area in Local Planning and Permitting Decisions: A supplement to the Hawaii Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report'. Contains an aerial image of coastal erosion on Oahu's North Shore

Guidance for Using the Sea Level Rise Exposure Area in Local Planning and Permitting Decisions

This document is a supplement to the Hawaiʻi Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report (“Report”; Hawaiʻi Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, 2017) and the Hawaiʻi Sea Level Rise Viewer (“Viewer”) (both available at climate.hawaii.gov). The primary purpose of ...