TOPICS: CLIMATE CHANGE
10 Years, 10 Challenges: Innovative Ocean Science Solutions in the Pacific
by Rayne SullivanWith worsening ocean health, the Pacific and much of the world are facing a multifront threat to heritage and culture, livelihoods, security, health, and ultimately their very existence. In Palau, it is said that when there is threat to one mesekuuk (surgeonfish), ...
A “Bounty” to Remove Ghost Fishing Gear
by Josh McDanielHarry Lynch is a commercial fisherman and diver who lives on Oʻahu’s windward side. For over two decades, he’s been removing “ghost gear,” or discarded, lost, or abandoned fishing gear, that drifts into Hawaiian waters. Ghost gear continues ...
A framework to elucidate historical dynamics and support adaptive management on Hawaiian coral reefs
Research Projects 2024-2026 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Lisa McManus Co-INVESTIGATORS: Yoshimi Rii, Kawika Winter, Ryan Okano, Sophia Rahnke Research Track: Island Resilience and Sustainability The global decline of coral reef environments poses complex challenges for researchers, managers, and coastal communities that depend ...
A next generation beach observing system for Hawaiʻi
Research Projects 2018-2020 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Chip Fletcher Co-INVESTIGATORS: Mark Merrifield, Douglas Luther Graduate Fellows: Kammie Tavares, Anna Baker Mikkelson The proposed project will develop and institute a next-generation program for monitoring short and long-term changes in shoreline location and beach ...
Act Local, Act Global
by Lurline Wailana McGregorWhen the last of its four counties implemented laws to ban plastic bags from store checkouts in 2021, Hawaiʻi became the first in the nation with a full statewide ban. Since then, the City and County of ...
Adding Value to Island Waste
by Stacy KishDespite the best efforts to contain it, untreated waste from the 88,000 cesspools in Hawai‘i escapes the confines of the system, polluting coastlines and endangering marine life and coral ecosystems. When treated properly, much of the wastewater is ...
Amouli Village Meeting
In this episode we’re talking about village life in American Samoa. We talk with the mayor of Amouli Village about Samoan village traditions, and we attend a village meeting where climate change and fishing pressures are changing how locals manage ...
April 15, 2014 Pauley Seminar
APRIL 15, 2014 PAULEY SEMINAR Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore Vice President Gore, known for his visionary leadership and decades of work on reducing the harmful impacts of climate change. He will be sharing his insights on renewable energy, ...
Assessing the sensitivity of coral reef accretion and bioerosion to acidification and eutrophication
Research Projects 2024-2026 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Andrea Kealoha Co-INVESTIGATOR: Katie Shamberger PI-CASC Graduate Scholar: Raffi Isah Research Track: Ocean Acidification Coral reefs are threatened by a range of stressors, including those related to global climate change and local land-use. These stressors ...
Assessing the vulnerability of coastal wastewater infrastructure to climate change
Research Projects 2016-2018 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Daniele Spirandelli Graduate Fellow: Theresa Dean Clean water is vital for stable economic growth, as well as human and environmental health. Water, wastewater services, and other critical infrastructures enable communities to prosper while protecting sensitive ...
Building on the Shore
In this episode, we’re learning about coastal erosion and how it affects homes built near the shore. We explore the coastline with Hawai’i Sea Grant Extension Agent, Ruby Pap, and County of Kauai planner, Kaʻaina Hull, to see what happens when buildings are ...
Building Resilience to Coastal Hazards and Climate Change in Hawai‘i
NOAA FY16 Coastal Resilience Grant and cooperative agreement with Hawaiʻi Sea Grant in partnership with the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources and Office of Planning Project duration: May 2016 – April 2021 Questions? Brad Romine: romine@hawaii.edu ...
Can Hawaiian Fishpond Technology Increase Food Security?
by Lurline Wailana McGregor“Wehe i ka mākāhā i komo ka iʻa,” open the fish gate that the fish may enter, is an ʻōlelo noʻeau (Hawaiian proverb) referencing a strategy used to trap fish in the loko iʻa, as well as ...
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 ...
Charles Littnan: Sustaining Fisheries and Localizing Futures
by Alice Van VeenendaalNOAA’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center has welcomed a new leader, Dr. Charles Littnan, whose path from Minnesota to the Pacific Islands speaks volumes about his dedication to marine biology and fisheries science. From jokes made in ...
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 ...
Climigration: A look to the future for environmental migrants
by Amanda MillinNearly three decades ago, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicated that “the gravest effects of climate change may be those on human migration.” Estimates differ widely, but most experts agree that upwards of 25 million people ...
Coastal Ocean Hawaiʻi Acidification Monitoring Network (COHAMN) and carbonate mineral dissolution study
Research Projects 2016-2018 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Eric DeCarlo Co-INVESTIGATORS: Michael Guidry, Fred Mackenzie Graduate Fellow: Lucie Knor Human emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere have led to partial uptake of this gas by the oceans. This process increases the acidity ...
Coral reef CO2 variations at the Coastal Ocean Hawaiʻi Acidification Network (COHAMN): Impact of basin scale oceanographic forcing
Research Projects 2018-2020 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Eric DeCarlo Co-INVESTIGATOR: Michael Guidry Graduate Fellow: Lucie Knor This study offers to continue the highly successful MAPCO2 buoy program that we have been conducting at four coral reef sites around the island of Oʻahu, ...
Coral Snail Infestation
In this episode, we learn about competition on the reef and how large populations of snails are affecting coral growth in French Polynesia. Watch the trailer for Season 3, Episode 8 on Vimeo or Youtube. FULL EPISODE Or watch this episode on YouTube Curriculum ...
Developing design flood elevations and envisioning sea-level rise adaptation strategies for a densely developed coastal community, Waikīkī, Hawai‘i for improved outcomes for communities, economy, and the stewardship of marine resources
Research Projects 2024-2026 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Wendy Meguro Co-INVESTIGATOR: Charles Fletcher Sea Grant Graduate Fellow: Research Track: Island Resilience and Sustainability Since 2020, the interdisciplinary research team has enhanced Hawai‘i’s resilience by gathering feedback from hundreds of community members to create ...
Eating Invasive Fishes
by Devin Reese Seafood has been a staple in Hawaiian diets for generations, since Polynesians settled the islands more than 1,000 years ago. Many communities across Hawai‘i fish locally and commercially, and restaurant menus feature fish that are both native ...
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 ...
Effects of loko i‘a (fishpond) restoration on climate-dependent ecosystem dynamics in Kāneʻohe Bay, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i
Research Projects 2024-2026 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Lisa McManus Co-INVESTIGATORS: Elizabeth Madin, Yoshimi Rii, Kawika Winter, Anne Innes-Gold Research Track: Aquaculture Loko i‘a (traditional Hawaiian fishponds) once played a large role in an integrated agroecology system. Historically, loko i‘a were used to ...
Enhancing social-ecological resilience and ecosystem services through restoration of coastal agroforestry systems
Research Projects 2022-2024 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Leah Bremer Co-INVESTIGATORS: Tamara Ticktin, Clay Trauernicht, Natalie Kurashima PI-CASC Graduate Scholar: Tressa Hoppe Research Track: Interdisciplinary Agroforestry systems, along with loʻi kalo and other systems, were abundant in historical Hawaiʻi, and there is great ...
Estimating the economic value of coastal tourism under climate change using revealed mobile phone network data
Research Projects 2024-2026 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Nori Tarui Co-INVESTIGATORS: Takahiro Tsuge, Takahiro Kubo Sea Grant Graduate Fellow: Albert Yee Research Track: Island Resilience and Sustainability Tourism is one of the leading drivers of economic activity in Hawaiʻi, with beaches and ocean ...
Evaluating the resilience of productive rocky intertidal ecosystems to sea-level rise using a community-based approach
Research Projects 2024-2026 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Haunani Kane Co-INVESTIGATORS: Atsuko Fukunaga, John Burns, Kainalu Steward PI-CASC Graduate Scholar: Makoa Pascoe Research Track: Island Resilience and Sustainability Healthy and productive intertidal ecosystems support cultural identity through subsistence gathering and restoration of traditional ...
Farming on a Loop
by Jake BuehlerIn Hawaiʻi and the Pacific, physical space for agriculture is substantially more limited than on continental landmasses. This has made farming practices that combine efficiency with a low impact on land and water use especially useful for producing ...
Farming the Open Ocean—Is Offshore Aquaculture in Hawaiʻi the Future of Seafood?
by Josh McDanielOn the island of Hawai‘i, about a half mile off Keāhole Point near Kona, nine large net pens teem with hundreds of thousands of kanpachi (Seriola rivoliana, or longfin amberjack). Blue Ocean Mariculture’s kanpachi fish farm is the ...
From Loss to Recovery to Resilience
by Lurline Wailana McGregorIn 2018, Hurricane Walaka circumvented the Hawaiian Islands before circling back to pass directly over Kānemilohaʻi, also known as the French Frigate Shoals, an atoll 550 miles northwest of Honolulu. It washed away East Island, an 11-acre ...
From Waves to Wellness
by Grace CajskiSteamed mullet, grilled opelu, ahi poke: local seafood is delicious. It constitutes 51 percent of all the seafood eaten in the state of Hawaiʻi. On average, individuals in Hawaiʻi consume almost 19 pounds of local seafood every year, ...
Getting to the Bottom of U.S. Ocean Plastic Pollution: a Conversation with Leading Experts
by Tess JoosseThe United States uses and discards the most plastic in the world, churning out a whopping 42 million metric tons each year. Despite this distinction, as recently as 2020 the full scale of the U.S.’s contribution to ocean ...
Growth optimization and survival of the bleaching-resistant coral genus Pavona for reef restoration in Hawaiʻi
Research Projects 2018-2020 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Peter Marko Graduate Fellow: Claire Lewis Healthy corals are crucial to coral reef ecosystems, a fundamental part of the Hawaiian economy. Unfortunately, coral reefs are threatened worldwide by human activity and climate change. Nowhere is ...
Guidance for Addressing Sea Level Rise in Community Planning in Hawaiʻi
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 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 for Using the Sea Level Rise Exposure Area in Local Planning and Permitting Decisions
This document is a supplement to the Hawaiʻi Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report (“Report”; Hawaiʻi Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, 2017) and the Hawaiʻi Sea Level Rise Viewer (“Viewer”) (both available at climate.hawaii.gov). The primary purpose of ...
Harnessing the Elements by 2045
by Natasha VizcarraHawai‘i Senator Glenn Wakai was in a Zoom meeting in late January when he noted a kink in the islands’ renewable energy plans. The state’s only coal-fired power station was shutting down in September 2022. However, solar power ...
Haunting the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
by Damond BenningfieldGhosts haunt the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. They glide in with the currents and tides, from all around the North Pacific Ocean. They destroy coral reefs and ensnare seals, sea turtles, and other endangered animals. They foul the beaches, present a hazard to boats, ...
Hawai‘i and Pacific Islands King Tides Project
About the Project The University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program's Hawaiʻi and Pacific Islands King Tides Project needs your help to document today's high water level events, also known as King Tides, to better understand tomorrow's impacts from sea-level ...
Hawai‘i Cesspool Hazard Assessment & Prioritization Tool
Hawai‘i Cesspool Prioritization Tool 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 upgrade, ...
Hawai‘i Sea Grant helps coastal communities prepare for natural disasters
August 19, 2019 (Honolulu, HI) – The University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant) recently released the Guidance for Disaster Recovery Preparedness in Hawaiʻi which aims to help coastal communities recover from disasters even before they strike ...
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 ...
Hawaiʻi Dune Restoration Manual
The Hawaiʻi Dune Restoration Manual was written and created by the University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant). Hawaiʻi Sea Grant supports and conducts innovative research, education, and extension services toward the improved understanding and stewardship of ...
Hawaiʻi’s Tuna Market
by J. MattIn the 2023 run up to New Year’s Eve, Hawai‘i saw a bounty blow in from across the Pacific, the result of a difficult negotiation. The local fleet’s catch limit on ahi had been increased. There would be ...
Hawaiian Islands Sentinel Site Cooperative — About
About the Cooperative Sentinel Sites Featured Projects Partners Resources About the Cooperative The Hawaiian Islands Sentinel Site Cooperative (HISSC) is a collection of four priority sites across the Hawaiian Islands designated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as ...
Home Aquaponics – Your Next Passion?
by Liz ColeyIn 2011, author, educator, entrepreneur Sylvia Bernstein wrote AQUAPONIC GARDENING: A Step by Step Guide to Raising Vegetables and Fish Together to share her passion with the uninitiated. The book offers an engaging and practical deep dive into ...
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 ...
Hope For The Seas
by Liz ColeyIf “developing solutions to monitor, protect, manage, and restore” ocean ecosystems sounds like a challenge the human species is unprepared to face, author Deborah Rowan Wright offers good news in Future Sea: How to Rescue and Protect the World’s Oceans. Her treatment of the subject ...
How Clean is Clean?
by Lurline Wailana McGregorBefore the Clean Water Act of 1972 became law, most of the agricultural wastewater and sewage from the Kaʻanapali coast on Maui, Hawai‘i was treated to remove only solids before being piped out into the ocean. After ...
Hurricane with A History
Hawaiian Newspapers Illuminate an 1871 Storm How 114 years of Hawaiian-language newspapers starting in 1834 extend our knowledge of natural disasters into the nineteenth century and to precontact times ...
Impacts of climate changes on a native and an invasive Hawaiian plant using a newly developed Intelligent Plant growing System (IPS)
Research Projects 2018-2020 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Camilo Mora Co-INVESTIGATORS: A Zachary Trimble, Kasey Barton Graduate Fellow: Devon DeBevoise Plants sustain humanity, directly providing food, fiber, fuel, and oxygen, and are the foundation for some of the most diverse habitats in the world. In ...
Indigenous Knowledge Can Save ʻOpihi
by Lurline Wailana McGregorIn pre-contact Hawaiʻi, a lūʻau meant a lavish meal of foods grown in the ahupuaʻa, which extended from the mountain to the sea. From the land came ʻuala (sweet potato), kalo (taro), ʻulu (breadfruit), niu (coconut), and ...
Integrating climate science with local knowledge through community vulnerability assessment on Kauaʻi
Research Projects 2018-2020 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Daniele Spirandelli Graduate Fellow: Alisha Summers Like many low-lying coastal regions of the world, the County of Kauaʻi in Hawaiʻi is vulnerable to the impacts of present and future hazards associated with climate change. While ...
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 ...
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, ...
Ka Pili Kai Ho‘oilo 2021
Click on the cover image to view the full issue. Science is Art Art is Science Mai ka moana ākea, nā ʻāina ā puni, ka lewa lani ā ka lewa lipo, ua mālamalama ke ao kānaka i ka wili pū ...
Ka Pili Kai Ho‘oilo 2022
Click on the cover image to view the full issue. On the Cover Magazine covers are meant to inspire the reader to pause and reflect on the transformative potential of an issue’s contents. Through what they bring into focus, they offer a scaffold ...
Ka Pili Kai Ho‘oilo 2023
Click on the cover image to view the full issue. On the Cover The numbers are hard to envision— 8 million metric tons of plastics entering the ocean each year—but the result is something we’ve all experienced: plastics on the ...
Ka Pili Kai Kau 2021
Click on the cover image to view the full issue. Climate Resilience Adapting to our warming world Climate change does not recognize borders or politics, fairness, or justice. Its impacts amplify and reverberate through our communities and shared ecosystems, affecting ...
Ka Pili Kai Kau 2022
Click on the cover image to view the full issue. Cultivating sustainability through aquaculture ʻO nā loko iʻa, ʻo ia nō kekahi mau mea hiluhilu o ka Pae ʻĀina ʻo Hawaiʻi, a ua hana maoli ʻia e ka poʻe kahiko ...
Ka Pili Kai Kau 2023
Click on the cover image to view the full issue. On the Cover Welcome to our latest issue, dedicated to the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. Through this initiative, the world's attention is focused on the ...
Ka Pili Kai Kau 2024
Click on the cover image to view the full issue. Fisheries are critical to the health and well-being of people throughout the Pacific Islands and world. In addition to their significant financial value, fisheries also offer nutritional and cultural benefits ...
Ka Pili Kai Spring 2016
Humpback Whale Vocal Communications Between Mothers and Calves Wastewater’s Influence on Coastal Groundwater Quality and the Health of Coral Reefs in Maunalua Bay, O‘ahu Attack of the Drones: Characterizing Groundwater Discharge on Maui Using the Latest Research Tools Simulating Sea-Level ...
Ka Pili Kai Summer 2016
Hawai‘i ’s Water Resources Submarine Groundwater Discharge Water Resources Research Center Highlight: Dr. Aly El-Kadi UH Water Resources Research Center and Sea Grant Partner on $20 M Water Sustainability Project Increasing Access to Safe Drinking Water on Hawai‘i Island The ...
Ka Pili Kai Winter 2016
50 Years of Putting Science to Work for Coastal Communities O‘ahu Maui Hawai‘i Island Kaua‘i Pacific Region 50 Years of Putting Science to Work for Coastal Communities In 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed The National Sea Grant College and Program ...
Kauai SP Study Appendix 3
APPENDIX 3. Geochemistry Data Tables Table 1 Table 2 Table 3 Table 4 REPORT SECTIONS INTRODUCTION EXECUTIVE SUMMARY WATER LEVEL MONITORING WATER BALANCE FROM GEOCHEMICAL TRACERS HYDROGEOPHYSICS HYDROLOGIC MODELING DISCUSSION RECOMMENDATIONS APPENDIX 1. Water Level Sensor Details APPENDIX 2. A ...
King Tides
In this episode, we’re talking about the exceptionally high king tides and citizen science with Senator Brian Schatz. King Tides were widely reported across the state this year, and UH’s Dr. Mark Merrifield explains how sea level rise is increasing ...
Knowledge of the Past
We meet with elders from the island of Moorea, in French Polynesia. We learn about the Te Pu 'Atiti'a Center and how it is helping to perpetuate local knowledge and traditions. The elders tell us about changes to the ocean ...
Lawai‘a Pono Community-based Subsistence Fishing Areas
by Breanna RoseNative Hawaiian fisherman Uncle Mac Poepoe witnessed the decline in fish for decades at Moʻomomi, on Molokaʻi, where he grew up fishing. Poepoe turned his concern into action, and galvanized a community-led movement. In the 1990s, Poepoe spearheaded ...
License to Fish? Pros and Cons of a Potential Resident Non-Commercial Marine Fishing License
by Josh McDanielThe health of fisheries is vital to the marine environment, economy, and culture of Hawaiʻi. Subsistence fishing also plays an outsized role in food security for many who live in the state. In a recent NOAA survey of ...
Making #2 a #1 Priority
by Kate FurbyStuart Coleman loves potty humor. But unlike the rest of us, he has a work excuse. And while not all of his puns are suitable for print journalism, suffice it to say that he approaches his work on ...
Mitigating climate change impacts: What drives thermal resiliency in Hawaiʻi’s coral reefs?
Research Projects 2016-2018 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Ruth Gates Graduate Fellow: Shayle Matsuda Reef-building corals engineer the reef structure that provides habitat for an incredible amount of biodiversity. These diverse ecosystems generate economic services valued at billions of dollars annually and have profound cultural ...
Navigating the Waves of Change in Pacific Fisheries
by Natasha VizcarraOn the morning of July 11, 2023, marine wildlife veterinarian Dr. Joe Gaydos stood in front of a beautiful, six-foot-long fish that had washed up on Crescent Beach, Orcas Island. Its body was torpedo-shaped, and its skin was ...
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 ...
Ola I Ka Wai Water is Life
by Lurline Wailana McGregorI ka wā kahiko (in ancient times), before western contact in Hawaiʻi, there was no such thing as private ownership of the land or water or any other natural resource that gave life to the people. Such ...
Paving the Road, from Cleanup to Repurposing
by Mark MarchandThere’s an “all hands on deck” effort underway to understand and counter the growing issue of derelict fishing nets and other plastic debris washing up on Hawaiʻi’s shores and reefs, and in its harbors. Organizations and individuals—environmentally conscious ...
Podcast #12: Erosion Commotion
Dr. Chip Fletcher and Anna Mikkelson employ drones to regularly generate profiles of Waikiki Beach to understand and monitor the movement of sand on, off, and across the beach through time. Read more about their project here ...
Podcast #2: Resilient Communities
Dr. Daniele Spirandelli and Alisha Summers work with Kauaʻi communities to develop assessments of their vulnerability to developing coastal hazards associated with climate change. Read more about their project here ...
Podcast #3: Urban understandings and changing coasts
Meet Dr. Daniele Spirandelli and Theresa Dean and delve into the vulnerability of Hawaiʻi's wastewater infrastructure to a changing climate. Read more about their project here ...
Podcast #4: Wave Runup
Dr. Martin Guiles and Camilla Tognacchini explore the risks to west Maui of inundation and increased erosion from ordinary ocean waves as base-line sea levels rise. Read more about their project here ...
Podcast #5: Seeds of Change
Dr. Camilo Mora and Devon DeBevoise are investigating the relative tolerance of invasive and endemic plants to growing with a wide range of water and temperature conditions that may occur with climate change. Read more about their project here ...
Podcast #7: Growing Coral
Dr. Peter Marko and Claire Lewis are determining the optimal conditions for growth of the coral Pavona variens to aid in restoration efforts of Hawaiian coral reefs. Read more about their project here ...
Podcast #7: Hawaiian water
Meet Dr. Michael Roberts and Nathan DeMaagd and discover the intricacies of the economics of shifting water demands in the face of climate change. Read more about their project here ...
Predicting Hawaiʻi water demand under climate change
Research Projects 2016-2018 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Michael Roberts Graduate Fellow: Nathan DeMaagd How will climate change affect supply and demand for water? The answer to this question is complex, uncertain and depends critically on location and context. On the supply side, ...
Preserving a Precious Place
by Libby LeonardThe Kumulipo, the Hawaiian creation chant, describes the area of Papahānaumokuākea as the realm of Pō, where life springs from a single coral polyp, and where spirits return upon death. Papahānaumokuākea got its name in 2007 from two ...
Preserving Palau
In this episode we explore how a changing ocean is impacting this island nation. Watch the trailer for Season 1, Episode 14 on Vimeo or Youtube. FULL EPISODE Or watch this episode on YouTube Curriculum Connections: Grade 5: Understanding Sea Level Rise Activity: Simulating ...
Propagating resilience
by Natasha VizcarraIt was a warm, cloudy Saturday at Maunalua Bay Beach Park. Under a blue tent, masked volunteers at the Mālama Maunalua Hana Pūko‘a event bent over water saws to gingerly cut coral into large thumb-sized pieces. Under a ...
Q & A with Matthew Gonser
by Cindy Knapman and Kanesa SeraphinMatthew Gonser, former extension faculty with the University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program, was recently appointed as the chief resilience officer and executive director of the City and County of Honolulu Office of Climate ...
Raising the Next Generation of Aquatic Farmers
by Shannon WianeckiThe term “aquaculture” encompasses everything from restoring traditional fishponds to rearing seahorses for aquariums and reducing greenhouse gases with red algae. It’s a diverse field, and it’s booming: it’s the fastest growing sector of the agricultural industry worldwide, ...
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 ...
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-INVESTIGATOR: Karla J. McDermid Smith Sea Grant Graduate Fellow: Christian Colo Research Track: Aquaculture The Hilo Bay Research and Training Farm is one of the few open-water, near-shore examples of mariculture in Hawaiʻi ...
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 ...
Resilient Retrofit, Repair, Rebuild & Recovery Resources
Marshall Fire Mitigation Assessment Team report (MAT) & Technical Advisories The MAT report and 6 technical advisories compiled lessons learned from the 2021 Marshall Fire in Boulder County, Colorado to reduce losses from wildfire, covering topics including: Defensible space in ...
Restoring Water Quality and Bringing Back Coral Reef Ecosystems: Lessons from Kāneʻohe Bay
by Abbey SeitzOver the past century, wastewater, stormwater, and other pollutants from land and development have damaged our islands’ coastal ecosystems and nearshore waters. This degradation is due in part to the islands’ increasing urbanization coinciding with global warming. Given ...
Reviving Cultural Practices and Restoring Self: Rosalyn Concepcion
by Stacy KishThe 400-year old stone walls of Waikalua Loko Iʻa, a Hawaiian fishpond in Kāneʻohe, Oʻahu, retain a history that has almost been lost to disrepair during the past century. Rosalyn (Roz) Concepcion has been working to restore the ...
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 ...
RMI Homeowner’s Handbook to Prepare for Natural Hazards
Introduction When a natural hazard occurs - whether it be a tropical cyclone, tsunami, extratropical storm, king tide, flood, sea-level rise, erosion, or drought - the results can be devastating for your land, your home, your family, and your possessions ...
Salt Pond Hydrogeologic Investigation
INTRODUCTION The loʻi paʻakai (salt beds) of Hanapēpē (Salt Pond) is located on the west side of Kaua‘i in the Kona moku, the ahupuaʻa of Hanapēpē, and the ʻili of ʻUkula. For generations Hawaiian families have been harvesting salt at ...
Salt Pond Hydrogeologic Investigation – APPENDIX 1 Water Level Sensor Details
APPENDIX 1. Water Level Sensor Details Link to GAIA GPS Shared folder - https://www.gaiagps.com/public/RcYcxuc1cuHNDw2J2rqlXGzF Water Level Sensors were placed in the field on Aug 20, 2021. Photos in this appendix share more info on the specific coordinates for each node/water ...
Salt Pond Hydrogeologic Investigation – APPENDIX 2. A Note About Modeling
APPENDIX 2. A Note About Modeling Why Do We Need Models? Models are useful in understanding of water flow and chemical transport processes and for improving on theories. They are useful for the design field data collection schemes, emphasizing needed ...
Salt Pond Hydrogeologic Investigation – Discussion
DISCUSSION To better understand hydrology in the area, various research techniques were used including electrical resistivity, analysis of radon concentrations, self-potential tests, hydrologic modeling, and analysis of salt pond water level and salinity changes. Findings indicate that thick (~9 ft) ...
Salt Pond Hydrogeologic Investigation – Endnotes
ENDNOTES [1] High hydraulic conductivity means the substrate, e.g. basalt, allows water to easily flow through it [2] MacIntyre, S., 1995. “Trace gas exchange across the air-sea interface in fresh water and coastal marine environments.” Biogenic trace gases: Measuring emissions ...
Salt Pond Hydrogeologic Investigation – Executive Summary
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Hawaiian cultural practice of making salt is one of Hawai‘i’s oldest traditions and Hanapēpē Salt Pond is one of the last places in all of Hawaiʻi that continues this tradition. The area and practice is highly treasured ...
Salt Pond Hydrogeologic Investigation – Hydrogeophysics
HYDROGEOPHYSICS ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY TOMOGRAPHY Methodology 2D electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) was used to achieve two main objectives: (1) Identify and characterize the subsurface geology of the pond; and (2) Identify locations and quantify the magnitude of subsurface water exchange between ...
Salt Pond Hydrogeologic Investigation – Hydrologic Modeling
HYDROLOGIC MODELING Methodology The specific objectives of this section are: Develop a conceptual model of the study site. Use available sensor observations to calibrate the related numerical model to mainly estimate hydraulic properties of the area. Apply the model for ...
Salt Pond Hydrogeologic Investigation – Recommendations
RECOMMENDATIONS Based on ongoing kilo by the salt-making practitioners, it has been observed that wave overtopping of the beach berm occurs during periods of large summer swell and high tides, and the magnitude of overtopping increases when the beach berm ...
Salt Pond Hydrogeologic Investigation – Water Balance from Geochemical Tracers
WATER BALANCE FROM GEOCHEMICAL TRACERS Figure 9 shows a simplified schematic of the water sources to Salt Pond. Geochemical methods can be used as tracers for some of these sources as they rely on naturally occurring chemical components dissolved in ...
Salt Pond Hydrogeologic Investigation – Water Level Monitoring
WATER LEVEL MONITORING Methodology To identify present hydrodynamic conditions seven real-time water level sensors were deployed at Salt Pond on August 20, 2021 that monitor water level heights in six-minute intervals. In addition to providing data in near-real-time, seasonal or ...
Sea Education Association: Studying Microplastics Aboard a Tall Ship
by Mallory HoffbeckUndergraduate student Noah van Aardenne stands lookout on the bow of the tall ship SSV Robert C. Seamans, holding on to the forestay as the ship tosses. He watches the horizon for rain clouds, marine animals, or rare ...
Sea Level Rise and the Ala Wai Canal
In this episode, we head inland to take a look at how rising sea level will affect our infrastructure, aquifers, and fresh water supplies. Researchers from the Univerity of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program and the School of Ocean and ...
Seaweed Solutions for Feeding the Planet
by Cary DeringerTo increase future sustainable food production while reducing methane emissions, scientists are turning to the ocean, specifically seaweed, for answers. Food production needs will have to double to feed nearly ten billion people by 2050. However, production of protein-rich foods ...
Sewage in the seas
by Natasha VizcarraIt’s easy to get lost in the weeds finding out how to empty that portable 5-gallon toilet at the back of the boat. A simple Google search turns up a messy list of how-to videos, along with state ...
Sharing the Catch
by Robin DonovanIf you read the news, it’s everywhere: rising sea levels, warming oceans, degraded coastlines, and dying coral reefs. The consequences of climate change are apparent around the globe, but for fish-loving island communities like those in American Samoa, ...
Super corals in Kāneʻohe Bay provide hope for survival of coral reefs around the globe
May 16, 2019 (Honolulu, HI) – A journal article published this week by researchers at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology concluded that naturally occurring super corals in Kāne‘ohe Bay, O‘ahu are ...
Supply, Demand, and our Sea of Debris
by MARIA FROSTICWith the ocean on track to teem with more plastic than fish by the year 2050, marine debris is making waves in local and global economies. Damage from marine litter on the global marine economy was estimated at ...
Tackling Cesspool Conversion from Long Island to the Hawaiian Islands
by Shannon KelleherAs Hawai‘i prepares to carry out a massive overhaul of its numerous cesspools by 2050, the state finds itself in a quandary — waste treatment is expensive, and homeowners’ pockets only run so deep. “This is one of ...
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 ...
The Ocean is Feeling the Heat
by Lonny LippsettA fever is rising in the ocean. Our rampant burning of fossil fuels has produced a heat-trapping blanket of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere that has warmed the Earth. But the situation would be much worse without ...
ThinkTech Hawaii: Hurricane Season Preparation
We can expect stronger and more numerous hurricanes due to climate change. How can Hawaii be prepared for the 2018 hurricane season?. In this episode of Research in Manoa guest Dr. Dennis J. Hwang, JD with the Hawaii Sea Grant ...
Transforming the Ala Wai
by Josh McDanielFew of the millions of tourists who flock to the sparkling beaches of Waikīkī are aware that the area was once a vast estuary fed by three streams, Makiki, Mānoa, and Pālolo, which plunged from the steep slopes ...
Translating Hawaiian Newspapers
In this episode, we’re learning about the translation of Hawaiian Language Newspapers from the 1800s and 1900s. We take a look at the University of Hawai‘i Institute for Hawaiian Language Research and Translation with Dr. Puakea Nogelmeier and his team, ...
Turning Down the Temperature on Urban Heat Islands
by Josh McDanielAugust 31, 2019, tied the record for the hottest temperature ever recorded at the Honolulu airport. On the same day, volunteers and city workers placed sensors on their vehicles and drove through O‘ahu neighborhoods throughout the day. Staff ...
Turning up the Heat: the evolving threat of wildfire
by Keri KodamaIn July 2019, an 8000-acre brush fire, fueled by an abundance of dry vegetation and an oppressive heat wave, consumed Central Maui. The blaze began as a roadside fire and spread rapidly with help from the wind. Within ...
Vulnerability of coastal ecosystems to increased salinity from climate change
Research Projects 2020-2022 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Kasey Barton Co-INVESTIGATORS: Dustin Wolkis, Seana Walsh, Tamara Sherrill Graduate Scholar: Anna McCormick Coastal habitats are critical for the welfare of island people, providing food, ensuring clean water, stabilizing beaches, and promoting cultural well-being. Due to ...
Wanted: Wastewater Wins
by Robin Donovan“It’s not a million-dollar question; it’s a billion-dollar question,” says Sina Pruder of Hawaiʻi’s cesspool conversion challenge. As an engineering program manager for the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Health’s (DOH) wastewater branch, Pruder has faced a daunting ...
West Kauaʻi Community Vulnerability Assessment
About the Project What is a Community Vulnerability Assessment? Participation News & Upcoming Final Report Questions? Ruby Pap: rpap@hawaii.edu or call (808) 241-4183 West Kauaʻi Community Vulnerability Assessment Final Report Mahalo nui loa for participating in the West Kauaʻi Community ...
West Maui wave run-up forecasts
Research Projects 2018-2020 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Douglas Luther Co-INVESTIGATOR: Mark Merrifield Graduate Fellow: Camilla Tognacchini The long-term rising trend in sea level (typically, an inch or so every 10 years around Hawaiʻi) alone will not be obvious to the casual observer at ...
WKCVA Report Appendix A
Final Report • Appendix A • Appendix B • WKCVA Project HomeAppendix A provides the finalized VCAPS diagram from each CVA workshop. Please click on the link below to download Appendix A. APPENDIX A: VCAPS CAUSAL DIAGRAMS ...
WKCVA Report Appendix B
Final Report • Appendix A • Appendix B • WKCVA Project Home Appendix B provides the sea level rise exposure maps associated with the report. Please click on the links below to download sea level rise exposure maps for each ...
Working towards sustainability of Hawaiʻi’s nearshore fisheries through characterizing and modeling fisheries regulation effects
Research Projects 2022-2024 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Elizabeth Madin Co-INVESTIGATORS: Kirsten Oleson, Lisa McManus, Zack Rago Sea Grant Graduate Fellow: Annie Innes-Gold Research Track: Interdisciplinary Nearshore fisheries provide extremely important services for coastal communities. However, nearly 25 percent of these fisheries, globally, ...
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 ...
TOPICS A-Z
- Aquaculture
- Beaches
- Climate Change
- Coastal Access
- Coastal Ecosystems
- Coastal Hazards
- Coral Reefs
- Cultural Heritage
- Development
- Economics
- Education
- Energy
- Fish
- Fisheries
- Funding
- Fellowships
- King Tides
- Management
- Natural Hazards
- Outreach
- Research
- Sea-level Rise
- Storms
- Sustainability
- Tourism
- Traditional Practices
- Water Resources