Adaptation and Management

A crew of six in life vests steer a colorful double-hulled sailing canoe on deep blue ocean waters

Using oral histories of Marshallese and Yapese voyaging to develop sustainable sea transport

PI: Joseph Genz, Associate Professor of Anthropology, UH Hilo
Graduate Scholars: Jerolynn Myazoe, Dept of Anthropology, UH Hilo; Shania Tamagyongfal, Dept of Anthropology, UH Hilo
Co-I: Alexander Mawyer, Associate Professor, Center for Pacific Island Studies, UH Mānoa
Funded: FY2022

A clear waterway snakes between tall trees with interwoven, gnarled root systems

Developing a Pacific mangrove monitoring network (PACMAN) in response to sea-level rise

PI: Richard Mackenzie, Research Ecologist, USDA FS Pacific Southwest Research Station
Graduate Scholar: Maybeleen Apwong, TCBES, UH Hilo
Funded: FY2022

Waves wash up a golden beach where two Monk seals sleep, with the Waikiki skyline in the distance

Embedding climate impacts into routine decision-making by applying natural capital accounting

PI: Kirsten Oleson, Associate Professor of Ecological Economics, UH Mānoa
Graduate Scholar: Louis Chua Bing Chao, Dept of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, UH Mānoa
Funded: FY2022

A sun-dappled, dense understory of ferns mixes with mature ʻōhiʻa trees

Developing a climate-resilient restoration approach combining functional, climate, and geographic data

PI: Rebecca Ostertag, Professor of Biology, UH Hilo
MCC Graduate Scholar: Konapiliahi Dancil, TCBES, UH Hilo
Co-I: Jonathan Price Professor of Geography, UH Hilo
Funded: FY2022

Overhead shot of tree canopy with a variety of trees visible in the mass

Using high-resolution imagery and AI to support resilience in Pacific agroforestry

PI: Ryan Perroy, Professor of Geography, UH Hilo
Funded: FY2022

Resource habitat mapping and diet characterization of native and non-native mullet species in Heʻeia Fishpond

PI: Shimi Rii, Research Coordinator, Heʻeia NERR/HIMB, UH Mānoa
Graduate Scholar: Sheldon Rosa, Dept of Oceanography, UH Mānoa
Funded: FY2022

Five SURF students pose in front of a steep vegetated slope

2022 SURF Projects

Five students completed projects in climate adaptation science for the 2022 SURF program, investigating fire-prone invasive grasses, spillover effects of Marine Protected Areas, shifts in estuarine fish biodiversity, optimal regeneration conditions for koa, and effects of marine warming on different phytoplankton strains.

A large clam with deep blue flesh showing between the slightly opened lips of the shell sits on a bland coral reef

Genetic assessment of giant clam stocks in American Samoa

PI: Robert Toonen, Research Professor, Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, UH Mānoa
Graduate Scholar: Paolo Marra-Biggs, Department of Marine Biology, UH Mānoa
Funded: FY2022

Weed Fire Risk Assessment Database

With the increase in wildfire prevalence and risk across Hawaiʻi, information in this database on the relative risk posed by non-native plants will be invaluable to land managers in prioritizing their weed control efforts.

An elder shows students a fishing net at the edge of a rocky pool

Integrating social and cultural considerations into community-based monitoring

PI: Mehana Vaughan, Associate Professor, Natural Resources and Environmental Management, UH Mānoa
Graduate Scholar: Kapono Gaughen, Dept. of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, UH Mānoa
Co-I: Meghan Tait, Dept. of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, UH Mānoa
Funded: FY2022

CLIMATE SCIENCE

ADAPTATION AND MANAGEMENT