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PROGRAM PUBLICATIONS

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The Three ‘Io Brothers and the Big Bad Hurricane

by Keri Kodama There lived three ‘Io brothers on the island of Hawai‘i. They had just left their nests and were on their way to make their living in the world. Each had bought his own house on the mountainside. One day, on their way home, they came to a big cluster of animals gathered around a single panicked rat. “A monster is coming! A monster is coming!” the rat cried, waving his arms around madly. The ‘Io brothers looked at each other. The third brother, who was the smartest and most responsible of the three said, “What are you
opening spread for "the joy of limu" article, Ka Pili Kai Hooilo 2019

The Joy of Limu

by Miwa TamanahaLimu is food, first and foremost, for fish, forming part of the foundation of a complex trophic web that spans from plankton to people. Limu is also food for people, probably most commonly brought to mind as an essential ingredient in our lunchtime poke bowls. Limu has extensive uses in all manner of foods, both Hawaiian and the many other ethnic types represented in our communities, and at events from baby parties to New Year celebrations. Pickled, salted, dried, raw, chopped, fried, boiled, no matter the form, limu for eating is a gift shared among friends and family
opening spread for "limu traditions" article, Ka Pili Kai Hooilo 2019

Limu Traditions

by Lurline Wailana McGregor“When I was growing up, if you went to a lūʻau, you would know who prepared the food and what area it came from by just knowing the taste of the limu and the kinds of limu that were utilized. Basically, you could tell where the families came from by the raw stuff they made,” says Malia Akutagawa, who was raised on the east end of Molokaʻi. Now 48 years old and an assistant professor of law and Hawaiian Studies with both the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s William S. Richardson School of Law and the Kamakakūokalani
Ppening spread for "A Community Approach: removing invasive algae to restore native ecosystems" article, Ka Pili Kai Hooilo 2019

Removing Invasive Algae to Restore Native Ecosystems

by Paula MoehlenkampWhile the diversity and beauty of plants on land are easily seen by us, we may often overlook their aquatic counterparts hidden beneath the sea. Algae, photosynthetic plants ranging from microscopic phytoplankton to larger seaweeds, live in fresh and seawater and fulfill a variety of important functions, including the production of oxygen and the provision of habitat and food. Although limu, various species of seaweed native to Hawai‘i, are an integral part of the environment, the rapid spread of invasive algae over recent decades has raised concern for the future health of limu and their ecosystems. Originally, multiple
opening spread for "first lady of limu" article, Ka Pili Kai Hooilo 2019

First Lady of Limu

by Dr. Celia Smith, Bill Thomas, Kawika Winter, and Mazie K. Hirono, U.S. SenatorI first met Dr. Isabella Abbott as she emerged from nearly 30 years at Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University, as its first woman, and first minority, full professor in the Department of Biology. The year was 1976, and Dr. Abbott was already a force of nature. As a visiting professor at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s Botany Department, and later as the G. P. Wilder Professor, the Botany Department’s endowed chair, Dr. Abbott had returned to her alma mater to teach the stories of her
opening spread for "growing a network of limu practitioners" article, Ka Pili Kai Hooilo 2019

Growing a Network of Limu Practitioners

by Josh McDanielUncle Wally Ito is passionate about limu, or seaweed. He says limu has always been an integral part of Hawaiian culture, with uses in food, medicine, and religious ceremonies. In a traditional Hawaiian diet, limu was the third component of a nutritionally balanced diet along with fish and poi, providing an important source of minerals and vitamins. Limu, such as wawae‘iole (Codium edule), manauea (Gracilaria coronopifolia), ele‘ele (Ulva prolifera), kohu (Asparagopsis taxiformis), and līpoa (Dictyopteris plagiogramma), are still a common ingredient in many Hawaiian dishes, adding flavor and spice to poke and stews. “At one time there were
cover of the final 2019 Hawaii Disaster Recovery Preparedness Guidance

Guidance for Disaster Recovery Preparedness in Hawaii

Through a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Regional Coastal Resilience Grant, the Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program together with the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), Office of Planning, and Tetra Tech, Inc., developed statewide guidance documents and tools to improve community resilience to coastal hazards and sea level rise, building on the work of the 2017 Hawaiʻi Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report. This guidance document, with recommended practices and model resources, was developed with state and county government in Hawai‘i to assist them in establishing resilience-focused recovery practices before a disaster event,
Screenshot of article layout 'Oceans of Opportunity for Hawaii's Future'

Oceans of Opportunity for Hawai‘i’s Future

by Cary DeringerHawai‘i, an ocean-bound state, is just beginning to discover the myriad ways the sea can counteract increasing energy demands, dwindling fresh water supplies, and worsening food shortages. To see for yourself, visit Keāhole Point on the west coast of the Big Island just south of the Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport. There you will discover the Hawai‘i Ocean Science and Technology (HOST) Park administered by the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawai‘i Authority (NELHA), where about 80 percent of the state’s aquaculture and marine products are generated using ingenious ocean-based technologies. Originally founded in 1974 to provide a support
Cesspool located seaward of single family home in Punalu‘u being exposed by chronic coastal erosion.

Cesspools in Paradise

by Helen RaineWe take the humble toilet for granted, rarely stopping to think about where all that waste goes. But in Hawai‘i, the reality for thousands of residents is that the plumbing leads straight to a big hole in the ground. There are approximately 88,000 aging cesspools across the state, and some of that untreated waste is making its way into our streams, oceans, and drinking water, leading to illness for swimmers, paddlers, and surfers, as well as stressing our coral reefs and native fauna. Change is on the horizon, however; some innovative new solutions have reached the testing stage
Screenshot of article spread 'Xeriscaping: Conserving Water One Garden at a Time'

Xeriscaping Conserving Water One Garden at a Time

by Jackie DudockFrom Denver to Honolulu In 1981, inspired by a passion for water conservation and public education, a special task force of the Denver Water Department, Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado, and Colorado State University kicked-off what became a national water-efficient landscaping movement. From this partnership, the term “xeriscape” was coined and began to be used to describe techniques that, when implemented cooperatively, significantly reduce landscape and garden water use. Xeriscape: from the Greek “xeros,” meaning dry, and “scape” meaning the pattern of the landscape. By 1982, the nation’s first public xeriscape demonstration garden and education program were in
Stacy Sproat-Beck, Waipā’s Executive Director, at the lo‘i, included in an article layout

Renewing Community with Stacy Sproat-Beck

by Lurline Wailana McGregorStacy Sproat-Beck was raised in Kalihiwai, a small village between Kilauea and Hanalei on the North Shore of Kauaʻi. “It was an idyllic childhood of hukilau, farming, roaming the mountains, and swimming in the stream in what is probably one of the most beautiful places in the world,” Sproat-Beck recalls fondly. That may be one of the reasons she lives down the road from where she grew up and works nearby as the executive director of the Waipā Foundation, doing the kind of work she has known all her life. After the Kilauea Sugar Plantation on the
Aerial view of Ebeye Island on Kwajalein Atoll.

Rising Oceans, Disappearing Waters

by Josh McDanielThe 29 atolls and five low islands of the Republic of the Marshall Islands are distinctive in both their remoteness in the central-western Pacific and the seeming precariousness of the impossibly tiny slivers of land that make up the island nation. Located about halfway between Hawaiʻi and Australia, the entire combined landmass of the Marshall Islands is about the same size as Washington D.C., or the Hawaiian island of Niʻihau, spread across an expanse of ocean the size of Mexico. About half of the total population of 53,000 lives in the capital city on Majuro Atoll, a ribbon
Rainforest abundant with Hāpu‘u fern in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Hawai‘i Island.

The Next Long Drought

by Natasha VizcarraIn the ʻŌlaʻa rainforest of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, mist hangs in the air. Bright red blooms of ʻhiʻa trees mix in the canopy with ʻlapa trees that shimmer in the breeze. Underneath, towering fronds of the hāpu‘u fern shelter a forest floor slippery with mud. Moisture-loving plants like moss and ferns cover almost every tree surface, from downed logs to upright trunks and spreading branches. And on the forest floor lies wet leaf litter, with more wet fern, wet moss, and rare plants such as the Honohono Hawai‘i jewel orchid. The ʻŌlaʻa Forest Reserve sits on the
Cover of Waikiki Economic Impact Study, features an aerial image of Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head

Economic Impact Analysis Waikiki Beach: A 2016 Update

This report provides an update to a 2008 report on the value of Waikīkī Beach using 2016 economic and visitor arrival data. Hospitality Advisor’s 20081 report concludes that just under $2 billion (2007 U.S. dollars) in overall visitor expenditures could be lost annually due to a complete erosion of Waikīkī Beach. The 2008 report investigated the economic impact of the erosion of Waikīkī Beach through visitor surveys and analysis of data provided by the Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, and Smith Travel Research. This report updates the economic impact estimates with the most recent

Writing the Book on Reef Fish

by Ilima Loomis Richard Pyle recalls joining John “Jack” Randall on a diving expedition in Palau in 1985. Wanting to impress the legendary ichthyologist by discovering a new species of fish, the 18-year-old Pyle scoured the reef for unusual specimens. “Unfortunately, every time I came up with something I had never seen before, Jack not only knew exactly what it was, but shared with me an engaging anecdote about how it was first discovered — in almost all cases by Jack himself!” he wrote in a letter nominating Randall for the International Society of Reef Studies Darwin Medal, which Randall
Huli 'Ia diagram, containing 84 thumbnail images of birds, beaches, flowers, the ocean and people describing events that occur at each time of year

Huli ‘ia

Huli ‘ia is an observational process documenting seasonal changes and shifts across entire landscapes, ma uka to ma kai (from the mountains to the ocean). Developed by Na Maka o Papahānaumokuākea, the Huli ‘ia process documents these natural changes over time, identifies dominant cycles of important species or natural occurrences (e.g. flowering, fruiting, presence/absence of flora/fauna, cloud formations, spawning or recruiting of fish species, etc.), and assists in identifying any correlations between species and occurrences. Those correlations help to identify the occurrence of a less visible situation (e.g. fish spawning) when a more obvious one happens (e.g. a flower species
Flyer for the 'Hawaii Sea Level Rise Viewer', includes a satellite image of predicted sea level rise on Oahu

Hawai‘i Sea Level Rise Viewer

Across the Hawaiian Islands vulnerability to coastal hazards is increasing with climate change and sea level rise and as development along our shorelines continues to expand. Access to high-resolution local hazard exposure and vulnerability data and maps is critical for communities to understand and plan for increased coastal flooding and erosion with sea level rise. The Hawai‘i Sea Level Rise Viewer serves as an online interactive atlas accompanying the Hawai‘i Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report, completed in December 2017. The Report and map data in the Viewer incorporates the best-available science on sea level rise and potential impacts.
Cover image for 'Resilience-focused Disaster Reconstruction Planning'

Resilience-Focused Disaster Reconstruction Planning

Hawai‘i’s coastal communities are particularly vulnerable to impacts from hurricanes, tsunamis, and other coastal disaster events due to the state’s isolated location in the Pacific and development concentrated along low-lying shores. Impacts from infrequent coastal disaster events will become more severe with climate change and sea level rise. Human impacts to coastal environments that act as natural barriers including beaches and reefs also makes our communities more vulnerable to impacts from storms and high waves. The ability to build back safer, stronger, smarter, and faster after a damaging disaster while considering potential impacts to natural and cultural resources is a
Resilience in planning factsheet flyer, includes image of high tide washing over a road

Integrating Coastal Hazards and Sea Level Rise Resilience in Community Planning

Over the past decade, Hawai‘i has progressed in recognizing and addressing coastal hazards and the need for adaptation to sea level rise. However, more work still needs to be done to translate broad-scale guidelines and scientific information into action at the local level. This project focuses on developing practical guidelines for incorporating resilience to coastal hazards and sea level rise into county general plans and community plans. In the context of this project, resilience is a community’s ability to adapt and thrive in the face of increasing coastal hazards, climate change impacts, and sea level rise through proactive planning utilizing
Water Resource Sustainability Infographic Cover Image

Center for Water Resource Sustainability Infographic

Water Resource Sustainability is dedicated to conducting research on water resources-related issues in Hawai‘i and the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands and facilitating access to interdisciplinary expertise within the university to enhance understanding of water issues. The use of data and science based evidence informs management and policy decision-making on water quality, quantity, wastewater management, and infrastructure best practices.
Cover of Waikiki Economic Impact Study, includes a drone image of Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head

Economic Impact Analysis of the Potential Erosion of Waikīkī Beach

This report provides an update to a 2008 report on the value of Waikīkī Beach using 2016 economic and visitor arrival data. Hospitality Advisor’s 2008 report concludes that just under $2 billion (2007 U.S. dollars) in overall visitor expenditures could be lost annually due to a complete erosion of Waikīkī Beach. The 2008 report investigated the economic impact of the erosion of Waikīkī Beach through visitor surveys and analysis of data provided by the Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, and Smith Travel Research. This report updates the economic impact estimates with the most recent
Cover of Climate Change in Hawaii publication, 2014

Climate Change Impacts in Hawaii

The University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program  prepared this climate change impacts report to provide Hawai‘i communities with a foundational understanding of the effects of global climate change on Hawai‘i’s resources and ecosystems. The report presents a summary of the current state of scientific knowledge regarding climate change and how it is expected to affect Hawai‘i, including marine, coastal, terrestrial, and freshwater ecosystems, built systems, and human health so that Hawai‘i can be better prepared for the changes to come.
Center for Coastal & Climate Science & Resilience Infographic

Center for Coastal & Climate Science & Resilience

The Center Serves To: Support research in coastal and climate sciences and promote access to the best available science for decision makers Increase coastal community resilience to natural hazards and adaptation to climate change Improve conservation and management of coastal resources Resulting In: Resilient coastal communities that are better prepared for the impacts of natural hazards and climate change Signature Projects Hawai‘i Climate Adaptation Initiative: Hawai‘i Sea Grant is supporting the development of Hawai‘i’s first Sea-Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report released in December 2017. Sea level has risen over the last century on each island at rates varying from
Center for Marine Science Education Infographic

Center for Marine Science Education Infographic

The Center Serves To: Build partnerships and enhance marine science education at all levels Connect scientists, teachers, students, and life-long learners Act as a repository and a point of initiation for new ocean science and ocean education projects Resulting In: Increased understanding and appreciation of the marine and coastal environment Signature Projects Teaching Science as Inquiry : A Teacher Quality grant was awarded to research and develop a four-part series of Teaching Science as Inquiry for middle and high school teachers, focusing on aquatic science. Teachers from Hawai‘i, Maui, Moloka‘i, LĀna‘i, O‘ahu, and Kaua‘i islands formed learning cohorts to be
Center for Smart Building and Community Design Infographic

Center for Smart Building & Community Design Infographic

The Center Serves To: Provide knowledge and information on achieving energy, water, and waste independence in community planning and development Conduct research on designs that reduce construction and maintenance costs while reducing environmental impact Engage the university community in reducing campus energy use and water consumption and introduce green building practices Resulting In: Communities that are economically viable and environmentally sustainable while supporting social and cultural diversity Signature Projects Established First Power Purchase Agreement: The first power purchasing agreement rooftop photovoltaic system for the University of Hawai‘i at the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology generates 222 kW of electricity, approximately
Cover of Snorkeler's Guide to the Fishes of Hanauma Bay

Snorkeler’s Guide to the Fishes of Hanauma Bay

This 65 page waterproof fish guide provides full color photographs, names, and descriptions of the fishes most commonly viewed by snorkelers and swimmers at Hanauma Bay. ORDER INFORMATION Snorkeler's Guide to the Fishes of Hanauma Bay $12.95 To order your copy of Snorkeler's Guide to the Fishes of Hanauma Bay, please contact us at uhsgcomm@hawaii.edu or (808) 956-7410.
Cover of Hawaiian Reef Plants

Hawaiian Reef Plants

The University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program is pleased to present Hawaiian Reef Plants. The book is written by John M. Huisman, Isabella A. Abbott and Celia M. Smith, three of the world’s leading botanists, and is in full color. Its 264 pages are packed with stunning photographs of the Hawaiian marine flora, plus keys, descriptions, introductory chapters, sections on Hawaiian use of seaweeds and much more. This volume concentrates on a significant part of Hawaiian marine life – marine plants, or seaweeds. Hawaiian culture was and is heavily dependent upon the sea, and reef algae or “limu” as
Reef and Shore Fishes of the Hawaiian Islands

Reef and Shore Fishes of the Hawaiian Islands

The University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program is proud to present Reef and Shore Fishes of the Hawaiian Islands by award-winning author John E. Randall. The 560-page volume covers the 612 species of fishes found in the Hawaiian Archipelago from the shore to 200 meters depth. It contains 1007 illustrations (944 in color) most of which are the author’s underwater photographs. Dr. Randall regards this as his finest publication, the result of 47 years of study of the Hawaiian fish fauna. Whether you are a seasoned ichthyologist, a beginning snorkeler, or simply someone with an interest in Hawai‘i’s varied
Cover of Homeowner's Handbook to Prepare for Natural Hazards - Fourth edition. Hammar, nails and Hawaiian islands graphic pictured.

Homeowner’s Handbook to Prepare for Natural Hazards

What’s New in 4.0 Evacuation Planning – New resources, summarized in Tables can help families create their emergency and evacuation plans. Table 3-5 summarizes this Part of the book and provides interactive links for: (i) tsunami evacuation maps important for tsunami evacuation planning; and (ii) flood, storm surge and wind topographic speed up maps, important for hurricane evacuation planning. The maps for hurricane evacuation planning should be used with the shelter in place table with instructions (Table 3-4). Note for most evacuation scenarios, wait for specific instructions from emergency management or civil defense before evacuating as there will be warning

Ka Pili Kai Fall 2016

Center of Excellence: Coastal and Climate Science and Resilience Center of Excellence: Marine Science Education Center of Excellence: Smart Building and Community Design Center of Excellence: Sustainable Coastal Tourism Institute of Hawaiian Language Research and Translation To address the needs, challenges, and opportunities of coastal communities and further the goals of the NOAA National Sea Grant College Program, the University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program (Hawai‘i Sea Grant) has established five centers of excellence to facilitate the delivery of research, education, and extension services. The primary role of each center is to foster the development of robust, resilient, economically
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Hawaiʻi Sea Grant Resources