Kaʻuaʻoa Fraiola

Kaʻuaʻoa Fraiola has served as the PI-CASC Research Coordinator since 2024. He manages the PI-CASC research solicitation processes, builds partnerships with communities, synthesizes and reports on knowledge relevant to climate adaptation, and represents PI-CASC at meetings. He has a PhD in environmental science, policy, and management from the University of California, Berkeley, an MS in ecology from the University of Georgia, and a BS in biology from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. His research interests include invasive species, habitat, cross-ecosystem linkages, and restoration in aquatic and marine ecosystems of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Islands.

Prior to his current position, Kaʻua served as a fish and wildlife biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Marine National Monuments of the Pacific for about eight years. During this time, he led the creation of collaborative partnerships with universities, government agencies, and NGOs to develop new tools for invasive species management using emerging technologies and to create new climate-related knowledge to feed into climate-smart planning. Kaʻua’s other interests include citizen science, community-based resource management, and K-12 outreach.