RESEARCH PROJECTS
PI-CASC supports research that generates actionable climate science within several key focus areas defined by regional stakeholder needs.
Developing the American Samoa climate and GIS data portal
PI: Christopher Shuler, Assistant Hydrologist, Water Resources Research Center, UH Mānoa
Graduate Scholar: Annie Chien, Earth and Planetary Sciences, UH Mānoa
Funded: FY2021
Graduate Scholar: Annie Chien, Earth and Planetary Sciences, UH Mānoa
Funded: FY2021
Vulnerability of coastal ecosystems to increased salinity from climate change
PI: Kasey Barton, Associate Professor of Botany, UH Mānoa
Graduate Scholar: Anna McCormick, Department of Botany, UH Mānoa
Funded: FY2020
Graduate Scholar: Anna McCormick, Department of Botany, UH Mānoa
Funded: FY2020
He ala ʻae kai – The path near the sea: Climate inflictions upon intertidal
PI: John Burns, Assistant Professor of Marine Science, UH Hilo
MCC Graduate Scholar: Lauren Kapono, Tropical Conservation Biology & Environmental Science, UH Hilo
Co-I: Haunani Kane, Post-doctoral Researcher, Marine Science Department, UH Hilo
Funded: FY2020
MCC Graduate Scholar: Lauren Kapono, Tropical Conservation Biology & Environmental Science, UH Hilo
Co-I: Haunani Kane, Post-doctoral Researcher, Marine Science Department, UH Hilo
Funded: FY2020
Enhancing Stakeholder Capacity for Coastal Inundation Assessment in the Marshall Islands
PI: Dean Gesch, Research Scientist, USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center
Funded: FY2020
Funded: FY2020
2020 SURF Projects
Three students completed projects in climate adaptation science for the 2020 SURF program, investigating salinity tolerance in coastal plants, fire-plant interactions, and new techniques to improve reforestation efforts.
How will changing reefscapes affect the prevalence of ciguatera on Hawaiian reefs?
PI: Tim Grabowski, Fish Biologist, Hawai‘i Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, USGS/Adjunct Professor of Marine Science, UH Hilo
MCC Graduate Scholar: Nikola Rodriguez, Tropical Conservation Biology & Environmental Science, UH Hilo
Funded: FY2020
MCC Graduate Scholar: Nikola Rodriguez, Tropical Conservation Biology & Environmental Science, UH Hilo
Funded: FY2020
Using cutting-edge technology to assess coral reef bleaching and recovery in Guam and CNMI
PI: Romina King, Associate Professor of Geography, University of Guam
Co-PI: Ved Chirayath, Research Scientist, NASA Ames Research Center
Funded: FY2020
Co-PI: Ved Chirayath, Research Scientist, NASA Ames Research Center
Funded: FY2020
How ridge-to-reef governance in Palau can enhance coastal food security
PI: Kirsten Oleson, Associate Professor of Ecological Economics, UH Mānoa
Graduate Scholar: Michelle Harangody, Department of Geography and Environment, UH Mānoa
Funded: FY2020
Graduate Scholar: Michelle Harangody, Department of Geography and Environment, UH Mānoa
Funded: FY2020
A shoreline inventory for Hawai‘i island to increase resilience
PI: Ryan Perroy, Associate Professor of Geography and Environmental Science, UH Hilo
Graduate Scholar: Aloha Kapono, Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science Program, UH Hilo
Funded: FY2020
Graduate Scholar: Aloha Kapono, Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science Program, UH Hilo
Funded: FY2020
Sea-level rise impacts on coral reef and mangrove interactions and resulting coastal flooding hazards
PI: Curt Storlazzi, Research Geologist, USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Co-I: Karen Thorne, Research Ecologist, USGS Western Ecological Research Center
Funded: FY2020
Co-I: Karen Thorne, Research Ecologist, USGS Western Ecological Research Center
Funded: FY2020
Sea-level rise viewer for American Samoa
PI: Phil Thompson, Associate Director of UH Sea Level center, UH Mānoa
Graduate Scholar: Carla Baizeau, Department of Oceanography, UH Mānoa
Co-Is: Kelley Anderson Tagarino, Extension Specialist, American Samoa Community College; Justin E. Stopa, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa; Curt Storlazzi, Research Geologist, USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Funded: FY2020
Graduate Scholar: Carla Baizeau, Department of Oceanography, UH Mānoa
Co-Is: Kelley Anderson Tagarino, Extension Specialist, American Samoa Community College; Justin E. Stopa, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa; Curt Storlazzi, Research Geologist, USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Funded: FY2020
The impact of climate change and sea-level rise on the future flooding of coastal parks and refuges in Hawaiʻi and the US Affiliated Pacific Islands
PI: Curt Storlazzi , Research Geologist, USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Funded: FY2019
Funded: FY2019
Visualizing sea-level rise at Pu‘uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historic Park
PI: Philip Thompson, Assoc. Director of UH Sea Level center, UH Mānoa
Co-Is: Nemanja Komar , Scientific Programmer, UH Sea Level center, UH Mānoa
Funded: FY2019
Co-Is: Nemanja Komar , Scientific Programmer, UH Sea Level center, UH Mānoa
Funded: FY2019
The future resiliency of mangrove forests to sea-level rise in the Western Pacific
PI: Karen Thorne, Research Ecologist, USGS Western Ecological Research Center
Co-I: Richard MacKenzie, Research Ecologist, US Forest Service
Funded: FY2019
Co-I: Richard MacKenzie, Research Ecologist, US Forest Service
Funded: FY2019
A next generation beach observing system for Hawai‘i
PI: Charles Fletcher, Professor of Earth Sciences, UH Mānoa
Graduate Scholar: Anna Mikkelson, Department of Earth Sciences, UH Mānoa
Funded: FY2018
Graduate Scholar: Anna Mikkelson, Department of Earth Sciences, UH Mānoa
Funded: FY2018