Research Projects

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

Developing methods to manage Trichomyrmex destructor at Midway Atoll

PI: Jonathan Plissner, Supervisory Biologist, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and Battle of Midway National Memorial, USFWS
Co-I: Helen Sofaer, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center
Funded: FY2024

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-Is: 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
Graduate Scholar: Jessica Glazner, Dept of Marine Biology, UH Mānoa
Co-I: 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
Graduate Scholars: Jerolynn Myazoe, Dept of Anthropology, UH Hilo; Shania Tamagyongfal, Dept of Anthropology, UH Hilo
Co-I: 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
Graduate Scholar: 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
Graduate Scholar: 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 Chirayath, Research 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

RESEARCH