RESEARCH PROJECTS
PI-CASC supports research that generates actionable climate science within several key focus areas defined by regional stakeholder needs.
Developing a climate-resilient restoration approach combining functional, climate, and geographic data
PI: Rebecca Ostertag, Professor of Biology, UH Hilo
Co-PIs: Konapiliahi Dancil, TCBES, UH Hilo; Jonathan Price Professor of Geography, UH Hilo
Funded: FY2022
Co-PIs: Konapiliahi Dancil, TCBES, UH Hilo; Jonathan Price Professor of Geography, UH Hilo
Funded: FY2022
Shifts in carbon exports from a Hawaiian watershed under a changing climate
PI: Tracy Wiegner, Associate Professor of Marine Science, UH Hilo
Co-PIs: Walter Boger, TCBES, UH Hilo; Steven Colbert, Assistant Professor of Marine Science, UH Hilo
Funded: FY2022
Co-PIs: Walter Boger, TCBES, UH Hilo; Steven Colbert, Assistant Professor of Marine Science, UH Hilo
Funded: FY2022
Predicting sea level rise impacts to coastal wastewater infrastructure and water quality
PI: Tracy Wiegner, Professor of Marine Sciences, UH Hilo
Co-PI: Ihilani Kamau, TCBES, UH Hilo
Co-Is: Steven Colbert, Associate Professor of Marine Sciences, UH Hilo; Ryan Perroy, Professor of Geography, UH Hilo
Funded: FY2022
Co-PI: Ihilani Kamau, TCBES, UH Hilo
Co-Is: Steven Colbert, Associate Professor of Marine Sciences, UH Hilo; Ryan Perroy, Professor of Geography, UH Hilo
Funded: FY2022
Making regional climate model outputs more accessible to diverse user community
PI: Tom Giambelluca, Professor of Geography, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Co-PI: Oliver Elison Timm, Research Assoc. Professor of Atmospheric and Environmental Science, University of Albany
Funded: FY2021
Co-PI: Oliver Elison Timm, Research Assoc. Professor of Atmospheric and Environmental Science, University of Albany
Funded: FY2021
2021 SURF Projects
Six students completed projects in climate adaptation science for the 2021 SURF program, investigating stream flow quality and variability, coastal erosion, fish thermal tolerance, fishpond phytoplankton distribution, and reef microplastics.
Machine learning approaches to improve projections of future climate in Hawai‘i
PI: Tom Giambelluca, Professor of Geography, UH Mānoa
Co-PI: Yusuke Hatanaka, Department of Computer and Data Science, UH Mānoa
Funded: FY2020
Co-PI: Yusuke Hatanaka, Department of Computer and Data Science, UH Mānoa
Funded: FY2020
Analyzing future precipitation extremes for resource management planning
PI: Rick Lader, Research Associate, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Co-Is: Abby Frazier, Assistant Professor of Geography, Clark University; Thomas Giambelluca, Professor of Geography, UH Mānoa
Funded: FY2020
Co-Is: Abby Frazier, Assistant Professor of Geography, Clark University; Thomas Giambelluca, Professor of Geography, 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
Co-PI: Aloha Kapono, Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science Program, UH Hilo
Funded: FY2020
Co-PI: Aloha Kapono, Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science Program, UH Hilo
Funded: FY2020
Sea-level rise viewer for American Samoa
PI: Phil Thompson, Associate Director of UH Sea Level center, UH Mānoa
Co-PI: 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
Co-PI: 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
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
Predicting the Effects of Climate Change on the Spread of Fire-Promoting Plants in Hawai‘i
PI: Curt Daehler, Professor of Botany, UH Mānoa
Co-PI: Lucas Fortini, Research Ecologist, USGS Pacific Islands Ecosystem Research Center; Clay Trauernicht Associate Fire Specialist, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, UH Mānoa
Funded: FY2019
Co-PI: Lucas Fortini, Research Ecologist, USGS Pacific Islands Ecosystem Research Center; Clay Trauernicht Associate Fire Specialist, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, UH Mānoa
Funded: FY2019
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-PI: Nemanja Komar , Scientific Programmer, UH Sea Level center, UH Mānoa; Darren Lerner, Director, Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program
Funded: FY2019
Co-PI: Nemanja Komar , Scientific Programmer, UH Sea Level center, UH Mānoa; Darren Lerner, Director, Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program
Funded: FY2019
Coral reef CO2 variations at the Coastal Ocean Hawai‘i Acidification Network (COHAMN): Impact of basin scale oceanographic forcing
PI: Eric DeCarlo, Professor of Oceanography, UH Mānoa
Co-PI: Lucie Knor, Department of Oceanography, UH Mānoa
Funded: FY2018
Co-PI: Lucie Knor, Department of Oceanography, UH Mānoa
Funded: FY2018
Developing geospatial models in Hawaiian watersheds to mitigate erosion and climate change
PI: Ryan Perroy, Assistant Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies (TCBES), UH Hilo
Co-PIs: Kimo Melcher, Tropical Conservation Biology & Environmental Science, UH Hilo; Rebecca Ostertag, Professor of Biology (TCBES), UH Hilo
Funded: FY2018
Co-PIs: Kimo Melcher, Tropical Conservation Biology & Environmental Science, UH Hilo; Rebecca Ostertag, Professor of Biology (TCBES), UH Hilo
Funded: FY2018