NEWS

 

For the sixth summer, the Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center (PI-CASC) is hosting its Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF). This ten-week program is designed to give promising undergraduate students an opportunity to gain valuable research experience, improve their skills in climate science, and expand their knowledge of environmental issues in Hawaiʻi and across the Pacific by working with a mentor on a climate-related research project.

Last week, the program kicked off with a hybrid orientation, which provided students with information on the program and what to expect. Students were given time to meet their mentors and to network with each other.

Meet this year’s cohort.

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Allie Grasso, marine biology major, UH Mānoa
Effects of Alkalinity Variability on Coral Calcification Rates
Mentor: Melissa Melendez, Oceanography, UH Mānoa
Summary: Allie will help explore the appropriateness of using increased alkalinity to counter ocean acidification, assessing how daily variations in alkalinity influence coral calcification rates and physiological responses.

 

 

 

 

Bianca Borja, chemistry/biology major, University of Guam
Initiating ex situ culture of at-risk staghorn Acropora using micro-fragmentation and fusion techniques
Mentor: Laurie Raymundo, Marine Laboratory, UOG
Summary: Bianca will work on developing a clonal colony of endangered staghorn coral using fragmentation techniques in the coral lab, helping to initiate an ex situ colony of species being cultured in situ, for comparison.

 

 

 

 

Sophia Woofter, atmospheric sciences major, UC Berkeley
Rainfall data analysis and case study collection for enhancing Hawaiʻi Climate Data Portal resources
Mentor: Ryan Longman, PI-CASC/HCDP, UH Mānoa
Summary: Sophia will work with the Hawaiʻi Climate Data Portal group to research best methods for combining rainfall data sets and apply statistical methods to combine distinct data sets to improve the available data for stakeholders on the HCDP.

 

 

 

 

Caroline Lynch, geography and environmental science major, UH Hilo
Characterizing drought in the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands
Mentor: Ashley McGuigan, NREM/SW Climate Hub, UH Mānoa
Summary: Caroline will work with the Pacific Drought Knowledge Exchange group to examine drought-related issues in the Federated States of Micronesia and prepare case-studies for the Water Adaptation Techniques Atlas, managed by the Southwest Climate Hub.

 

 

 

 

Mariela Burns, marine science major, UH Hilo
Clarifying opihi distribution patterns in the face of sea-level rise
Mentor: John Burns, Marine Science/MEGALab, UH Hilo
Summary: Mariela will contribute to ongoing ʻopihi surveys using drone imaging to map ʻopihi and algae across transects of rocky shoreline habitats, and conduct spatial clustering statistics on the data.

 

 

 

 

 

Christine Uwaine, biology major, UH Mānoa
Describing coral reef and open ocean zooplankton community composition off the west coast of Oʻahu
Mentor: Jeff Drazen/Blake Stone-Osborne, Oceanography, UH Mānoa
Summary: Christine will help quantitatively assess changes in the abundance and biomass of zooplankton between coral reefs, nearshore waters, and offshore waters, over a 12-hour timeframe off Oʻahu, as part of a larger project aiming to understand how island environments alter background oceanic plankton communities.