Coastal ecosystems
Ka Pili Kai Kau 2026
The 22-mile stretch of coastline on the west coast of Oʻahu, beginning at Piliokahe Ridge and ending at Kaʻena Point, marks the boundary defined as the Waiʻanae moku. If you travel too fast on Farrington Highway, you might miss the ...
Act 217 Sewer Expansion Overlay
Act 217 Sewer Expansion Overlay The Act 217 Sewer Expansion Overlay identifies 103 Potential Project Areas across Hawaiʻi where connecting cesspools to a centralized sewer system may be technically and economically feasible. While the Hawaiʻi Cesspool Hazard Assessment & Prioritization ...
Characterization and quantification of contaminants of emerging concern in nearshore waters of three coastal communities with known onsite sewage disposal systems’ contamination
Research Projects 2026-2028 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Tracy Wiegner Co-INVESTIGATORS: Steven Colbert, Chester Dabalos, Paul Edmiston Research Track: Contaminants of Emerging Concern Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) are a vast and diverse group of chemicals that are ubiquitous in the environment because ...
Employing traditional practices to protect coastal infrastructure and enhance nearshore fisheries in Hawaiʻi
Research Projects 2026-2028 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Robert Toonen Graduate fellow: ʻAʻaliʻi Kelling Research Track: Island Sustainability and Resilience Coral reef ecosystems globally, including in Hawaiʻi, are facing profound degradation from multiple, interacting stressors, resulting in severe losses of coral cover, fish ...
Characterizing the ecological impacts, environmental drivers, and physiological tolerance of invasive upside-down jellyfish (Cassiopea spp.) in Heʻeia fishpond
Research Projects 2026-2028 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 ...
A water quality monitoring framework for traditional Hawaiian fishponds to advance nature-based solutions in aquaculture production
Research Projects 2026-2028 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Craig Nelson Co-INVESTIGATORS: Ann Nyambega, Kirsten Oleson Graduate fellow: Kacie Kajihara Research Track: Island Sustainability and Resilience Nature-based solutions (NbS) offer adaptive, cost-effective strategies by leveraging natural processes, but their foundational roots lie in the ...
The impacts of increasing temperatures and herbivore loss on Hawaiian intertidal community structure and ecosystem function
Research Projects 2026-2028 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Jamie McDevitt-Irwin Co-INVESTIGATORS: Nyssa Silbiger, Joanna Philippoff, Kim Kanoeʻulalani Morishige Graduate fellow: Madigan Boborci Research Track: Island Sustainability and Resilience The intertidal zone in Hawaiʻi, a vital ecosystem for endemic species and sustenance fisheries like ...
Manipulating structural complexity to bolster restoration of Hawaiian coral reefs
Research Projects 2026-2028 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Joshua Madin Graduate fellow: Jon G. Ehrenberg Research Track: Island Sustainability and Resilience Coral reef ecosystems, the foundation of tropical marine life, are severely impacted by marine heatwaves, sea-level rise, and pollution, accelerating their degradation ...
HCPT – header draft
Hawai‘i Cesspool Prioritization Tool Overview The Hawai‘i Cesspool Prioritization Tool (HCPT) is a map-based tool that displays the prioritization level for each of Hawai‘i's 83,000+ cesspools. Per Act 125 Session Laws of Hawai‘i (2017), all cesspool owners are required to ...
Ola Waikīkī Green Stormwater Infrastructure 2025
Ola Waikīkī Ola In Hawaiian, means well-being, living, thriving, and healthy—but it also connotes salvation, healing, and survival. This project is focused on addressing water quality issues in the Ala Wai Canal, a chronically polluted man-made waterway in the lower ...
