CLIMATE SCIENCE

Native Species

NATIVE SPECIES

A variety of plants from grasses to tall trees cluster together in an open space

Enhancing social-ecological resilience through restoration of coastal agroforestry systems

PI: Leah Bremer, Assistant Specialist and Conservation Scientist, UH Mānoa
Co-PI: Tressa Hoppe, Botany Department, UH Mānoa
Funded: FY2022
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Healthy, colorful corals on diplay with butterfly fish swimming around them, reflected in the underside of the shallow water’s surface

Unlocking reef resilience drivers to inform Pacific coral reef management

PI: Megan Donahue, Marine Researcher, HIMB, UH Mānoa
Co-PIs: Jessica Glazner, Dept of Marine Biology, UH Mānoa; Chad Wiggins, Palmyra Program Director, The Nature Conservancy
Funded: FY2022
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Three wading birds perch on a small islet amidst a wetlands area

Applying a novel spatial prioritization technique to support climate-resilient conservation planning in Maui Nui

PI: Lucas Fortini, Research Ecologist, USGS Pacific Islands Ecosystem Research Center
Co-Is: Christina Leopold, Conservation Ecologist, Hawaiʻi Cooperative Studies Unit, UH Hilo; Scott Fretz, DOFAW Maui Branch Manager, Hawaiʻi DLNR
Funded: FY2022
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A picturesque ʻōhiʻa forest with tall trees spread about nicely with ferns and green grass beneath.

Improving tools to monitor bird abundance and detect mosquito invasion in Hakalau Forest

PI: Patrick Hart, Professor of Biology, UH Hilo
Co-PIs: Josephine Tupu, TCBES, UH Hilo; Donna Ball Deputy Refuge Manager, Hakalau Forest NWR
Funded: FY2022
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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
Co-PIs: Konapiliahi Dancil, TCBES, UH Hilo; Jonathan Price Professor of Geography, UH Hilo
Funded: FY2022
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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
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Resource habitat mapping and diet characterization of native and non-native mullet species in Heʻeia Fishpond

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
Co-PI: Sheldon Rosa, Dept of Oceanography, UH Mānoa
Funded: FY2022
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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.
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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
Co-PI: Paolo Marra-Biggs, Department of Marine Biology, UH Mānoa
Funded: FY2022
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A patch of fire amidst dry grasses

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.
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