Climate change
Finding inspiration in the desert: Personal reflections from COP
by Mariana Rocha de Souza Sharm El Sheikh, in Egypt, the host city for COP27 sits on the edge of the Sinai Peninsula, surrounded by amazing coral reefs and red mountains. In the shadows of these mountains, the United Nations ...
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 ...
Treating climate anxiety with action
by Devynn Wulstein (she/her)Imagine flipping to the back synopsis of a random book in the bookstore and reading this: "The year is 2021. A pandemic has swept across the globe, leaving a tidal wave of scientific denial, and fueling greater ...
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 ...
Using, valuing, and caring for groundwater dependent ecosystems in Kona, Hawaiʻi
by Veronica GibsonGroundwater is an important resource. This is especially true on the leeward Kona coast of Hawaiʻi Island, where groundwater is the primary source of water for both humans and ecosystems. Virtually no surface runoff or perennial streams exist ...
In the zone: How salinity research can aid native Hawaiian plants
by Anna H McCormickThe islands of Hawaiʻi are approximately 2,000 miles from the nearest continental landmass, making them some of the most isolated islands in the world. There are approximately 1,400 plant taxa that are considered native, with 90 percent ...
An Architect’s Toolkit: Waikiki and Future Sea-level Rise
by Ireland R. CastilloAs a budding architect, my tools of preference include some paper, pencils, pens of varying thicknesses, and the most high-tech tool, my ipad which condenses all the previous tools into one. But, even more important than any ...
Changing ocean chemistry, bubbling under the surface
by Amy MarkelAt this stage, most people are aware that the continued use of fossil fuels releases too much carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. But much of that excess CO2 is then absorbed by the oceans, something that has ...
Knauss 2020: A coral biologist in Washington
by Beth Lenz I never thought I would find myself in D.C. working for Congress - let alone in a year like 2020. After living on Oʻahu for five years studying coral reef resilience, I defended my Ph.D. in the ...
Carbon dioxide measurements on the Oʻahu Coast
by Lucie Knor Aloha! My name is Lucie Knor and I am part of the longest-running time series project on carbon dioxide (CO2) in the coastal ocean. It is located right here in Hawaiʻi. There are currently four buoys installed ...
