PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Carmella Vizza
Sea Grant Graduate Fellow: Adrian Dougherty
Research Track: Aquaculture

Wetland restoration efforts in Hawaiʻi exist at the unique interface of traditional Hawaiian practices, conservation, agriculture, and aquaculture. These efforts involve enlarging endangered Hawaiian waterbird habitat, restoring streamflow, removing invasive vegetation, growing kalo (taro) in lo‘i (wetland taro patches) and other traditional crops, and reintegrating loko iʻa (fishponds) back into the landscape. Reinventing a wetland landscape to preserve biodiversity, address food insecurity, embrace traditional practices, and adapt to climate change is an intersectional and sustainable path forward. However, success requires community involvement, complementary research efforts, and inspiring the next generation of students to carry the work forward.

This project aims to assist in creating a place-based research program and community of practice at Kalou, O‘ahu with the North Shore Community Land Trust (NSCLT). The program will provide monthly measurements of water quality, waterborne pathogens, and ecosystem productivity, while exploring how variable precipitation (e.g. high-rainfall storm events) affects these factors. To inform NSCLT in best practices for sustainable aquaculture, researchers will also collect and provide fish population data every two months. The community of practice will build future capacity by delivering a meaningful educational experience where students can simultaneously learn about traditional Hawaiian practices and the ecology of Kalou in partnership with the NSCLT. The hope is to build a lasting, reciprocal relationship with the NSCLT to implement a long-term ecosystem monitoring program that is sustainable and adaptive to their needs.