PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Aimee Sato
Co-INVESTIGATOR: Yoshimi Rii
Graduate fellow: Jasmine Reighard
Research Track: Aquaculture

The invasive upside-down jellyfish (Cassiopea spp.) poses a major threat to the restoration and productivity of loko iʻa (traditional Hawaiian fishponds), necessitating extensive manual removal efforts at sites like Heʻeia Fishpond. A critical knowledge gap exists concerning Cassiopea’s precise ecological impact on fish communities and the environmental factors driving its recurrent bloom-and-bust cycles. Manipulating suspended sediment and salinity – water quality parameters that fishpond stewards can actively manage—offers a natural eradication strategy. The study will integrate field surveys at Heʻeia Fishpond with controlled laboratory experiments to determine empirically the physiological tolerance thresholds of Cassiopea to these combined stressors. Findings will inform the co-development of actionable management strategies with expert practitioners at Heʻeia fishpond. This project will ultimately enhance the resilience and sustainable food production of Hawaiian aquaculture systems.