2025 SURF Projects
Initiating ex-situ culture of at-risk staghorn Acropora using micro-fragmentation and fusion techniques
SURF student: Bianca Borja, chemistry/biology major, University of Guam
Faculty mentor: Laurie Raymundo, Marine Laboratory, UOG
Bianca’s project focused on cultivating at-risk staghorn Acropora coral species in an ex situ setting, using aquarium-based systems. Four small fragments from a single donor colony, each varying in species, were fragmented and introduced into two different environments: a controlled system with recirculated seawater, and an uncontrolled system using direct intake from the ocean. Additionally, the study examined the influence on early growth performance from the orientation of the coral fragment on the substrate, either upright or recumbent. This research was imperative in advancing coral restoration strategies and contributed to establishing and maintaining an ex situ Acropora collection in the University of Guam Marine Laboratory.
Mapping changing ‘opihi distribution patterns on the Cultural Reserve Kalaemanō Coastline
SURF student: Mariela Burns, marine science major, UH Hilo
Faculty mentor: John Burns, Marine Science/MEGALab, UH Hilo
Mariela’s research project focused on monitoring the ʻopihi (endemic Hawaiian limpet) population along Hawaiʻi Island’s Kalaemanō coastline using AUV and 3D mapping and analysis. The 3.6-mile stretch of coast at Kalaemanō was set aside for ten years to encourage active stewardship and maintenance of the area for future generations, but sea-level rise threatens habitat loss of traditional food types, such as ʻopihi and limu. Mariela helped record the populations and distribution patterns of these important species as a baseline before the area’s marine reserve opens again in summer 2026.
Effects of Alkalinity Variability on Coral Calcification Rates
SURF student: Allie Grasso, marine biology major, UH Mānoa
Faculty mentor: Melissa Melendez, Oceanography, UH Mānoa
Allie’s project involved the analysis of how the coral Porites compressa, common in Kāneʻohe Bay, responds and grows in different water alkalinities. Coral samples were collected directly from the bay and exposed to two different compounds dissolved in seawater, calcium oxide and olivine, which increase the seawater’s alkalinity. Daily seawater measurements ensured the alkalinity was at desired levels; the coral samples were weighed throughout the experiment to measure growth; and short term water measurements helped to analyze individual nutrient cycling and photosynthesis activity. This work was important to explore using enhanced water alkalinity as a possible mitigation technique to combat ocean acidification and its negative effects on coral reefs.
Documenting Water Management Solutions for Pacific Island Climate Resilience
SURF student: Caroline Lynch, geography and environmental science major, UH Hilo
Faculty mentors: Ashley McGuigan, NREM/SW Climate Hub, UH Mānoa; Ryan Longman, PI-CASC, UH Mānoa
Caroline’s research project focused on developing case studies about water management strategies in Hawaiʻi and the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands, as part of the Water Adaptation Techniques Atlas (WATA). The goal was to highlight climate adaptation solutions that encourage sustainable and culturally grounded water practices across the region. Working with the Pacific Drought Knowledge Exchange and the USDA Southwest Climate Hub, this project contributed to broader science communication and resource sharing efforts around drought and water management across the Pacific region.
Investigating zooplankton communities along a coastal-offshore gradient
SURF student: Christine Uwaine, biology major, UH Mānoa
Faculty mentors: Jeff Drazen and Blake Stone-Osborne, Oceanography, UH Mānoa
Christine explored how zooplankton (tiny drifting animals in the ocean) differ between reef, midshore, and deeper waters on the leeward side of Oʻahu. Samples collected during a September 2024 research cruise were analyzed using imaging technology to identify patterns in zooplankton abundance and variety versus distance from shore. The goal was to understand how observed increases in ocean abundance near islands, the island mass effect, may shape marine ecosystems.
Air temperature data analysis and case study collection for enhancing Hawaiʻi Climate Data Portal materials
SURF student: Sophia Woofter, atmospheric sciences major, UC Berkeley
Faculty mentor: Ryan Longman, PI-CASC/HCDP, UH Mānoa
Sophia worked with the climate scientists at the Hawaiʻi Climate Data Portal (HCDP) on projects to expand and update the portal’s resources. She applied new coding skills to help homogenize two statewide rainfall datasets spanning 1990-2012 and 1990-2025, and then analyzed air temperature anomalies from 1990 to 2025 using the HCDP data. Along the way, she also contributed to weekly social media posts, assisted in website design, and updated the climate publications library. Through this work, she learned to apply coding skills in a real-world climate science setting, while also seeing first-hand how accessible and valuable HCDP’s data is for researchers and the public.
PROGRAM DETAILS
These six projects were conducted during the 10 weeks of the PI-CASC Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program in 2025. The SURFers worked with their mentors to carry out these impressive climate adaptation science projects, participated in professional development workshops, and presented their results at a symposium at the end of the summer.