Research Projects

PI-CASC supports research that generates actionable climate science within several key focus areas defined by regional stakeholder needs.

Oblique aerial view of atoll reefs, bright blue and aqua lagoons, and narrow stretches of deep green forests perched on the limited surficial sandbars

Vegetation and climate reconstructions for Palmyra Atoll to develop adaptation strategies for lowland plant communities

PI: David Wahl, Research Scientist, Geology, Minerals, Energy and Geophysics Science Center, USGS
Co-PI: Miriam Jones, Research Geologist, USGS; Kelly Goodale Wildlife Biologist, US Fish and Wildlife Service
Funded: FY2024

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

A crew of six in life vests steer a colorful double-hulled sailing canoe on deep blue ocean waters

Using oral histories of Marshallese and Yapese voyaging to develop sustainable sea transport

PI: Joseph Genz, Associate Professor of Anthropology, UH Hilo
Co-PIs: Jerolynn Myazoe, Dept of Anthropology, UH Hilo; Shania Tamagyongfal, Dept of Anthropology, UH Hilo; Alexander Mawyer, Associate Professor, Center for Pacific Island Studies, UH Mānoa
Funded: FY2022

A clear waterway snakes between tall trees with interwoven, gnarled root systems

Developing a Pacific mangrove monitoring network (PACMAN) in response to sea-level rise

PI: Richard Mackenzie, Research Ecologist, USDA FS Pacific Southwest Research Station
Co-PI: Maybeleen Apwong, TCBES, UH Hilo
Funded: FY2022

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

Scenic view towards low waves pushing onto a tree-lined beach

Developing the American Samoa climate and GIS data portal

PI: Christopher Shuler, Assistant Hydrologist, Water Resources Research Center, UH Mānoa
Co-PI: Annie Chien, Earth and Planetary Sciences, UH Mānoa
Funded: FY2021

Airplane view looking down along a line of small, tree-covered islands surrounded by shallow lagoons and ocean waves

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

Corals spread across an outcrop, some beautifully purple, others deadly white

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 ChirayathResearch Scientist, NASA Ames Research Center
Funded: FY2020

Underwater scene of colorful corals and fish

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

Pilons and interpretive signs border flooded walkways and grassy areas as the surf lies feet away.

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

Two men stand amidst elevated root systems of mangrove trees, watching another installing an instrument.

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-PI: Richard MacKenzie, Research Ecologist, US Forest Service
Funded: FY2019

Three students stand on shoreline, one holding a water sample bottle

Water Quality in the face of Climate Change: Establishing a baseline in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia

PI: Tracy Wiegner, Assoc. Professor of Marine Science, UH Hilo
Co-I: Bryan Tonga, Tropical Conservation Biology & Environmental Science, UH Hilo
Funded: FY2019

Narrow strips and circles of land rise barely above sea level.

Characterizing inundation risk for Majuro Atoll

PI: Dean Gesch, Research Scientist, USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center
Co-PI: Jeff Danielson , Physical Geographer, USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center
Funded: FY2017

Local children wade through calf-high dirty water, past flood accumulated trash and a flooded house.

Understanding the effect of climate change on the migration of Marshallese Islanders

PI: Maxine Burkett, Professor of Law, UH Mānoa
Funded: FY2016

A satellite image of the rectangular ring of Majuro Atoll in the midst of a blue sea.

Collecting elevation data to understand climate change effects in the Marshall Islands

PI: Jeffrey Danielson , Physical Geographer, USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS)
Co-Is: Monica Palaseanu-Lovejoy, Research Geographer, USGS Eastern Geographic Science Center; Cindy Thatcher, Research Biologist, Cooperative Data Acquisition, NGPO; Dean Gesch, Research Scientist, USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center; Matthew Barbee, Biologist, UH Mānoa; Romina King, Asst. Professor of Geography, University of Guam; Maria Kottermair, GIS specialist, University of Guam
Funded: FY2016