Coastal ecosystems

Feed me! How examining larval diets could be a game-changer for aquaculture
by Cassie Kaʻapu-LyonsNext time you visit your local pet store, take a look at the fishes. Many of the freshwater fishes available to you have been bred and raised in captivity, but most marine fishes have been harvested from the ...

Picking apart “dirty” groundwater sources
by Casey McKenzieWhen discussing contamination of water resources, our minds likely first jump to imagining polluted creeks and lakes, or rivers that lead to the ocean. We typically picture in our minds the bodies of water that are visible 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 ...

Must like long walks on the beach
Must like long walks on the beach by Marcus PengA day of surveying starts with arriving in Waikīkī early in the morning. As I sit down at the Starbucks Reserve store with a coffee, I start to plan out the ...

Tracing the Pollution Problem
by Shayla WaikiWho would have ever thought that the little girl who grew up playing in the waters around Hawaiʻi Island would soon be doing research along those very shorelines that were so influential to her? I was raised in ...

Research and education to support development of open-water restorative and production aquaculture in Hilo Bay
Research Projects 2022-2024 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Maria Haws Co-INVESTIGATORS: Karla J. McDermid Smith Research Track: Aquaculture The Hilo Bay Research and Training Farm is one of the few open-water, near-shore examples of mariculture in Hawaiʻi distinct from Hawaiian fishponds. Since its ...

Resolving the diet of marine fish larvae to increase aquaculture opportunities
Research Projects 2022-2024 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Brian Bowen Sea Grant Graduate Fellow: Cassie Kaʻapu-Lyons Research Track: Aquaculture The majority of the freshwater fishes in the pet store are raised in captivity on fish farms, while the vast majority of the marine ...

Using natural capital accounting to embed climate impacts into routine decision-making
Research Projects 2022-2024 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Kirsten Oleson Research Track: Interdisciplinary Traditional economic indicators underestimate the value of marine ecosystems, despite their importance to people as sources of food, livelihood, and recreation. This undervaluation often leads to coastal management decisions that ...

Next generation husbandry for resilient coral reef restoration in Hawaiʻi
Research Projects 2022-2024 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Crawford Drury Research Track: Aquaculture Coral reefs are important ecosystems that support marine diversity, but they are threatened by multiple stressors, including climate change. Among these stressors, increasing temperatures are particularly dangerous and lead to ...