Kevin Michael Kelly, 66, passed away peacefully at home in Kailua, Oʻahu on July 30, 2025 after a long battle against cancer. Kelly was an integral part of the University of Hawaiʻi for more than three decades, contributing his vision, leadership and good humor to marine technology, maritime security and research administration.

Kelly attended SMU in Dallas and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1982 with a bachelor of science in geology. He went on to study oceanography at San Diego State University. Then, in a move that would determine the course of Kelly鈥檚 life, one of his professors recommended him to a colleague at 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa. Kelly accepted the offer in Hawaiʻi, earning a master of science in oceanography in 1988.

Over the next three decades Kelly transitioned into a highly successful career at 糖心Vlog官方, including as the managing director of the . Kelly鈥檚 wide-ranging work included business development for marine technology, maritime security, the administration and management of large scientific grants, and liaising with legislative bodies and government agencies.

“Many of us knew Kevin not only for his professional excellence but also for his warmth, curiosity, and kindness,” said (SOEST) Dean Chip Fletcher. “He inspired and connected people wherever he went—whether in the field, at a meeting, or over a shared laugh.”

After retiring from the university in 2020, Kelly devoted himself to the North Shore Economic Vitality Partnership, continuing his lifelong commitment to innovation and community. He recognized the need to help area residents to become more significant in the state鈥檚 economy. The North Shore Economic Vitality Partnership is a non-profit dedicated to promoting economic growth from within the region using community-driven solutions. Today it is a thriving organization, leading the effort to document and improve the region鈥檚 entire food system to maintain agriculture as an economic pillar in the region鈥檚 economy.

His impact was as wide-ranging as it was lasting, and he will be deeply missed by many, including his wife, family and many friends.

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More than 35 University of Hawaiʻi students from three campuses (糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补, 糖心Vlog官方 Hilo and 糖心Vlog官方 Maui College) gained hands-on experience tackling real-world challenges at the , held April 4–6, at 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补.

Participants formed interdisciplinary teams to build data-driven solutions using Google Cloud AI tools, including Vertex AI. Five challenge topics pushed students to apply diverse skills toward local and statewide resilience efforts, such as climate data visualization, educational content generation, conversational AI and immersive technology for science communication.

The first-place team, Untrained Parameters, created the Hawaiʻi Climate Explorer—an interactive web app that visualizes temperature and rainfall data from the Hawaiʻi Climate Data Portal, a project led by 糖心Vlog官方 experts. The team included PhD students Federica Chiti and Dhvanil Desai (), Fahim Yasir (), Gerardo Rivera Tello (), and master’s student Yada Ponpittayalert ().

“This was an incredible experience, highlighting the potential of large language models (a type of AI-trained model) for multimodal applications, even within a limited prototype developed in just three days,” said Rivera Tello.

BruhMode earned second place with GenEDU, an AI-powered educational content generator. Third place was awarded to Kani, developers of a climate-focused chatbot. TurtleyAwesome, won the Visualization Challenge with Sheldon the Turtle, a 3D AI-powered museum-style guide for climate data.

Prizes ranged from MacBook laptops and iPads to AR glasses and Google Cloud Platform credits.

Hosted by 糖心Vlog官方 System Information Technology Services (ITS), and , the three-day event was led by the ITS Research Cyberinfrastructure team and supported by the National Science Foundation-sponsored , , Google Cloud and the Burwood Group, Inc.

Mentors from ITS, the Burwood Group, and Hawaiʻi Mesonet and Change Hawaiʻi supported students throughout the hackathon, offering technical guidance and real-world insights.

“This hackathon gave students an incredible opportunity to apply cutting-edge AI tools to real-world challenges that directly impact Hawaiʻi,” said 糖心Vlog官方 ITS Director of Research Cyberinfrastructure Sean Cleveland, who led the event and also served as a program mentor. “Their creativity, teamwork and passion for innovation were truly inspiring to witness.”

The University of 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 (HIDSI) has played a key role in the state鈥檚 latest effort to combat the opioid crisis. In collaboration with the Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH), HIDSI developed a groundbreaking online platform to track and manage the allocation of $150 million in opioid settlement funds.

Funds from the settlement are directed to help with addiction recovery treatment, addiction prevention and the distribution of Naloxone, a life-saving medication used to reverse opioid overdoses.

The (OSP) website, launched in early 2024, enhances public transparency by offering interactive data dashboards that visualize key information. These dashboards provide insights into opioid-related trends, settlement fund distribution and the statewide availability of Naloxone.

“HIDSI was honored to collaborate with the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health on this vital project,” said Sean Cleveland, Information Technology Services acting director of research cyberinfrastructure. “The Opioid Settlement Project dashboard will be a crucial tool as Hawaiʻi addresses the opioid crisis in the state.”

Data-driven transparency

The OSP website features three primary dashboards:

• Opioid Overdose Data Dashboard—Tracks overdose-related statistics, including fatalities and emergency room visits.
• Opioid Settlement Fund Data Dashboard—Details how 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 settlement funds are allocated across programs.
• Naloxone Statewide Distributions Data Dashboard—Displays data on the distribution of Naloxone across the islands.

Ensuring effective fund use

Under the settlement agreement, 85% of the funds are managed by the state, while 15% are directed by counties. The Hawaiʻi Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee oversees the allocation process to ensure funds are used effectively for treatment, harm reduction and prevention initiatives.

This latest initiative underscores HIDSI鈥檚 ongoing commitment to leveraging data science for public health advancements.

Two students, Cherryle Heu and Roderick “RJ” Tabalba, have clinched the grand prize in the (AGU) . Their user-friendly data visualization tool is aiding Hawaiʻi ranchers in navigating the challenges of drought.

Heu, a master’s student in the and Tabalba a PhD student in the , created an easy-to-use customizable dashboard, which visualizes rainfall and temperature data from the (HCDP).

Judges of the competition gave glowing reviews including, “This high-quality submission is worthy of the Visualization award, as the tool has impressive interactive components, enabling users to build bespoke dashboards to analyze rainfall and air temperature.”

The HCDP was developed as a part of the Hawaiʻi EPSCoR Change Hawaiʻi project to provide the state with high-quality reliable climate data and information.

“The HCDP is a groundbreaking website and made this data available to the public. It’s publicly available for anyone to see and access,” said Heu. “The tool that RJ has developed allows anyone to access and manipulate a wealth of real-time data and create it into information they need for themselves whether they are ranchers, conservationists, forecasters or researchers.”

Power of collaboration

Collaboration and co-creation were essential at every stage of this project. Working closely with resource managers in collaboration with the , Heu and others as a part of the stewardship team helped to facilitate knowledge exchange and co-production of drought data and products based on community needs.

The power of collaboration was further demonstrated by Heu and Tabalba鈥檚 multidisciplinary approach that combined geoscience and computer science to develop their data visualization tool.

“I took the opportunity to enter this competition with another student, Cherryle, who was already using the HCDP. It was a good match-up. She had the knowledge, use cases and background to create tools,” said Tabalba. “Cherryle really filled in that gap of knowledge. Climate is different in Hawaiʻi, it might be raining in one area and not raining in the next. It really motivates the need that farmers need to have their custom-made dashboard.”

Presenting to NASA

Heu and Tabalba were awarded a total of $6,000 to attend this year’s AGU Annual Meeting in December in San Francisco and to support additional professional development activities. They will also have the opportunity for exclusive career advice and support from a professional career consultant and to present their grand prize winning project to NASA and AGU in December and at AGU headquarters in Washington, D.C. in early 2024.

Tabalba looks forward to graduating in 2024 and working in industry with a top IT company. He plans to take the skills he learned by receiving feedback from others to gain new perspectives and elevate his own work. Heu, who finds her field extremely fulfilling, plans to complete her degree and continue creating impactful work that others find useful.

—By Maria Dumanlang

For the second consecutive year, the University of Hawaiʻi has set a record in extramural funding at $515.9 million for fiscal year 2023 (FY2023), $10.9 million more over the previous record of $505 million set in FY2022.

, the flagship campus of 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 10 campus system, led the extramural award amounts this year with $342.7 million. The 糖心Vlog官方 System brought in $117.7 million, totaled $33.7 million, received $17.8 million and totaled $4 million.

“We are extremely proud of our back-to-back record hauls in extramural funding, despite having to deal with a myriad of challenges due to the recent pandemic and its lingering after-effects on the world economy and our funders,” said 糖心Vlog官方 Vice President for Research and Innovation Vassilis L. Syrmos. “The accolades must be given to our faculty, staff and graduate students for their hard work and dedication to the 糖心Vlog官方 research enterprise and to the state of Hawaiʻi.”

Extramural funding is external investments from governmental agencies such as the federal government, industry and non-profit organizations that support research and training activities conducted by university faculty and staff. Extramural projects support research and innovation that help to increase knowledge and provide solutions to improve quality of life.

“Every dollar invested by one of our extramural sponsors is a vote of confidence that 糖心Vlog官方 faculty, staff and students are creating a better future for Hawaiʻi and the world,” said 糖心Vlog官方 President David Lassner. “This includes everything from climate change, resilience, water quality and energy solutions to addressing health disparities, educational inequities, feeding our population, and training Hawaiʻi‘s people for the jobs of today and tomorrow.”

Several examples of 糖心Vlog官方 programs that attracted the attention of funders:

• The Office of the Vice President for Community Colleges was awarded $16.3 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce for the “Resilient Hawaiʻi: Good Jobs Challenge” initiative that provides employer-driven training in living-wage jobs to individuals whose employment was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more on 糖心Vlog官方 News.
• The received $5.5 million from NASA to continue a wide area survey of Near Earth Objects at its Pan-STARRS observatory on Haleakal膩, Maui. Read more on 糖心Vlog官方 News.
• The was awarded $4.5 million, as part of a five-year $23 million grant from the National Institutes for Health (NIH) for Ola HAWAII, a multidisciplinary research center that addresses health disparities in underserved, multiethnic populations in Hawaiʻi. Read more on 糖心Vlog官方 News.



• 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 received $4 million, as part of a five-year $20 million grant by the National Science Foundation (NSF), to integrate climate and data science research under its “Change HI” initiative. Read more on 糖心Vlog官方 News.
• The received $3.6 million from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to continue its research and maintenance support of the U.S. Navy鈥檚 Wave Energy Test Site in Kāneʻohe Bay. Read more on 糖心Vlog官方 News.



• ONR awarded 糖心Vlog官方 a $2.4 million grant to partner with the University of Alaska and the University of Rhode Island to develop and advance energy, marine and other blue economy technologies and opportunities through the . Read more on 糖心Vlog官方 News.
• NIH awarded $2.4 million to the to continue its important Multiethnic Cohort Study. Read more on 糖心Vlog官方 News.



• was awarded $2 million of a $3.5 million grant by NSF鈥檚 Tribal Colleges and Universities Program to establish its Kiaʻi Loko Center for Limu Research. The center focuses on applying traditional Native Hawaiian knowledge alongside Western scientific methods to study limu (algae) and traditional Hawaiian fishponds. Read more on 糖心Vlog官方 News.
• 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 (SOEST) was awarded $3 million by ONR to map flood risks related to sea-level rise in Hawaiʻi.
• The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded SOEST and the another $1.5 million increment of a five-year, $25 million project to develop an engineered coral reef system to protect coastlines from flooding, erosion and storm damage. Read more on 糖心Vlog官方 News.
• The received $1.5 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to restore ancestral and cultural practices to improve health equity among Native Hawaiians and NHPI communities.
• 糖心Vlog官方 Hilo received $1.1 million from the U.S. Department of Education for its E Hoi I Ke Kumu program to address the Hawaiian language immersion teacher shortage in the state.
• 糖心Vlog官方 was awarded a $1 million NSF Engines Development Award to establish its Climate-Resilient Food Innovation Network that will serve as a hub for Hawaiʻi and U.S-affiliated Pacific Islands to develop collaborative, food innovation solutions driven by Indigenous knowledge systems and modern technology. 糖心Vlog官方 could be eligible for another award of up to $160 million. Read more on 糖心Vlog官方 News.
• 糖心Vlog官方 West Oʻahu received a $944,307 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to develop its He Paepae Aloha curriculum to increase Native Hawaiian participation and completion of post-secondary education through the incorporation of Native Hawaiian traditions and culture.

Interested in finding climate change solutions using cutting edge-technology? Apply for the 2023 Change HI Summer Research Program taking place at the , May 22–June 30. The funded research opportunity, supported by the 糖心Vlog官方 EPSCoR Change HI program, is open to undergraduate students of all majors enrolled in the 糖心Vlog官方 system.

Program participants will work with artificial intelligence and large language models to analyze big data and extract key insights to be communicated to the public. Students will also have opportunities to develop skills in natural language processing and machine learning, while also learning basic programming and data science techniques and collaborating with fellow students.

In addition to gaining valuable research experience, students will receive a $3,000 stipend upon successful completion of the program.

Apply online

Applications are due on Saturday, April 28. Students must be available to participate in the program from May 22 to June 30, for a mix of online and in-person formats at the 糖心Vlog官方 Hilo campus. Applicants of all levels of programming experience are welcome to apply. Those with a strong interest in working with data are preferred.

For more information or for any questions, email .

The Hawaiʻi Climate Data Portal (HCDP), which hosts a wide range of data products, climate tools and resources, had a busy first year. There were about 40,000 visits to the site from 23,000 unique visitors representing 119 different countries.

The portal was launched in 2022 through a partnership between the University of Hawaiʻi鈥檚 ʻIke Wai project, , and the .

“The need for reliable data and information has never been greater,” said East-West Center Fellow and researcher Ryan Longman, who worked on the portal鈥檚 development team. “Eight of the last nine years have been the hottest in the instrumental record.”

Advisory group formed

To mark HCDP鈥檚 one-year anniversary, the team of climate and data scientists met with stakeholders from more than 20 organizations to share the number of opportunities to develop useful data products and to improve functionality of the site. Researchers from the National Science Foundation supported Change Hawaiʻi and Hawaiʻi Mesonet projects focused on gaining guidance and expertise from scientists, resource managers and community members who could most benefit from and help shape the HCDP鈥檚 future development.

“We鈥檝e had huge rainfall events in Hawaiʻi; and the record daily rainfall, and the record hourly rainfall have all occurred over the last few years. There are a lot of changes occurring now and many more projected for the future,” Longman said. “If we can find ways to better understand the magnitude and timing of these changes, it can aid us in developing the tools necessary to effectively implement adaptation measures and to build resilience to these changing environmental conditions.”

• Related 糖心Vlog官方 News story: Revolutionary climate data portal critical to future planning, March 3, 2022

In love with the portal

Some tools already in development include, a decision support tool for ranchers, automated custom climate change, climate variability and drought portfolios and potential early warning systems in partnership with the state agencies for risks such as fire, flood and avian malaria.

“We鈥檙e absolutely in love with the data portal,” said Hawaiʻi Green Grove Project Coordinator Michael Omohundro who attended the meeting. “My organization is an NGO that tracks Hawaiʻi鈥檚 resilience against climate change, and this is a wonderful thing. I鈥檓 very honored to be here.鈥�

Other organizations present at the meeting included the Hawaiʻi State Commission on Water Resource Management, the Office of the Governor, the Hawaiʻi Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation Commission, Panaʻewa Resilience and Agricultural Innovation Hub, Kamehameha Schools, National Weather Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Researchers across the 10-campus University of Hawaiʻi system will be able to process larger datasets and models and accelerate existing workflows with a new intercampus data-storage platform called KoaStore. The platform is being established with a $500,000 National Science Foundation grant.

“KoaStore will help support and power 糖心Vlog官方 investigators鈥� research through its high-performance, large size and fast connection to the rest of the world. Further, KoaStore will help enable analysis of data at a scale not previously possible on the Mana high performance computing cluster, allowing larger simulations and discovery,” said Sean Cleveland, principal investigator and associate director of cyberinfrastructure at 糖心Vlog官方 .

KoaStore will be integrated into the and focus on supporting research in the areas of astronomy, atmospheric science, climate science, microbiome and computer and data science.

Serving national and local research

The new platform will also serve the national research community through partnership with the , leveraging existing 糖心Vlog官方, Pacific region and national high-speed research networks. This partnership federates national computing resources to offer high-speed storage and shorter wait-times on shared compute resources for 糖心Vlog官方 researchers.

“The public datasets hosted on KoaStore will make it possible for researchers in Hawaiʻi, across the nation and around the world to use astronomy data produced by the 糖心Vlog官方 (IfA),” said Curt Dodds, IT manager at IfA and KoaStore co-investigator. “We plan to share data from cosmological simulations, a dynamic database of the entire night sky, and machine learning models of the Sun’s atmosphere and distant galaxies.”

Data from the , also known as StePS, a novel astrophysics simulation method, are an example of public datasets available for download through KoaStore.

KoaStore will be integrated with the NSF cloud computing infrastructure and allow researchers to easily span cloud computing environments to support new deep learning and artificial intelligence workflows, visualization and applications.

Additionally, the platform will aid hands-on training in data and computational science for the next generation of researchers and data scientists through a partnership with the and local community to provide workshops and classroom access.

For the first time in its history, the University of Hawaiʻi 10-campus system topped half a billion dollars in extramural funding with a record $505 million in fiscal year 2022 (FY2022), which ended June 30. The record total tops 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 previous record of $488.6 million in FY2011 and is a $19.5 million or 4% increase over FY2021.

Extramural funding is external investments from the federal government, industry and non-profit organizations that support research and academic activities conducted by university faculty and staff. Extramural projects support research and innovation—increasing knowledge and providing solutions to improve quality of life.

“We are extremely pleased to have reached this significant milestone in our extramural funding history,” said 糖心Vlog官方 Vice President for Research and Innovation Vassilis L. Syrmos. “Much of the credit is due to the hard work and dedication of our faculty, staff and graduate students who keep the 糖心Vlog官方 research enterprise on a steady course despite significant challenges from our economy, world affairs and fallout from the recent pandemic.”

糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补, the system鈥檚 flagship campus, accounted for $366 million of the extramural awards, followed by units at the 糖心Vlog官方 System level ($70.6 million), 糖心Vlog官方 Community Colleges ($43.6 million), 糖心Vlog官方 Hilo ($18.0 million) and 糖心Vlog官方 West Oʻahu ($6.7 million).

糖心Vlog官方 research expenditures contribute to Hawaiʻi鈥檚 economy through business sales, employee earnings, state tax revenue and job creation; and serve as the main component in the diversification of Hawaiʻi鈥檚 economy. According to a 2021 economic impact report by the 糖心Vlog官方 Economic Research Organization, 糖心Vlog官方 research-related expenditures of $476.8 million in extramural funding in FY2020 generated $734.8 million in total business sales, $236.9 million in spending, $41.2 million in state tax revenue, while supporting an estimated 5,428 jobs.

“We are incredibly proud to have grown our 糖心Vlog官方 extramural enterprise into a major economic sector for Hawaiʻi that creates thousands of jobs and provides economic stimulation across our islands,” said 糖心Vlog官方 President David Lassner. “Our faculty and staff are collaborating with and training our students to engage in research and problem-solving that addresses the great challenges and opportunities that face Hawaiʻi and the world. This includes everything from climate change and energy solutions to addressing health disparities, educational inequities and training our residents for the jobs of today and tomorrow.”

Several examples of 糖心Vlog官方 programs that attracted the attention of funders:

• The and 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 (SOEST) was awarded $5.5 million, part of a five-year $25 million investment by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, to develop an engineered coral reef ecosystem to protect coastlines. Read more on 糖心Vlog官方 News.
• 糖心Vlog官方 received over $11 million for natural resource management programs covering endangered and invasive species, as well as marine and coastal ecosystems protection.
• 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 (HNEI) received $6.2 million from the (ONR) for its Asia-Pacific Research Initiative for Sustainable Energy Systems for testing and evaluation of renewable generation and power system controls for smart- and micro-grids. HNEI also received $6 million from ONR to continue its research and maintenance support of the U.S. Navy鈥檚 Wave Energy Test Site in 碍腻苍别ʻ辞丑别 Bay. Read more on 糖心Vlog官方 News.
• The 糖心Vlog官方 System received more than $5 million from ONR for tank inspection (糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 ), hydrogeological research of groundwater and contaminant flow (SOEST) and enhanced water quality testing (糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 ) related to the Red Hill water crisis.
• The was awarded $4.6 million, part of a five-year $23 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for Ola HAWAIʻI, a multidisciplinary research center that addresses health disparities in the underserved, multiethnic populations in Hawaiʻi. Read more on 糖心Vlog官方 News.
• 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research received $3.5 million, part of a five-year $20 million grant by the , to integrate climate and data science research under its Change HI initiative. Read more on 糖心Vlog官方 News.
• DHHS awarded $2.9 million to the to continue its important Multiethnic Cohort Study. Read more on 糖心Vlog官方 News.
• received $2 million from the National Science Foundation for its Akeakamai I Ka L膩 Hiki Ola initiative that encourages and promotes STEM education to Native Hawaiian students.
• received a $1 million donation from the to create the Hawaiʻi Institute for Sustainable Community Food Systems, a food system transformation hub grounded in complementary STEM disciplines, indigenous knowledge and cultural practices. Read more on 糖心Vlog官方 News.
• 糖心Vlog官方 贬颈濒辞鈥檚 received $712,000 from the U.S. Department of the Interior to conduct geological, geochemical, geophysical and risk mitigation research related to the K墨lauea, Mauna Loa and Haleakal膩 volcanoes.

University of Hawaiʻi President David Lassner provided the latest on 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 response to COVID-19 in his monthly report today, May 19, at the Board of Regents meeting at . Lassner cited the increase in positive cases in the state when explaining why the mask requirement for educational spaces will remain in place for the summer sessions.

He also provided progress reports on the tenure working group and Strategic Planning Initiative, discussed pay increases for employees and student employees and highlighted a five-year, $20 million National Science Foundation grant awarded to 糖心Vlog官方 to fund research and capacity building in support of actionable climate science.

• Mahalo to host Honolulu Community College ()
• COVID-19 update ()
• Tenure working group update ()
• Strategic Planning Initiative progress report ()
• Employee collective bargaining agreements ()
• Raises for student employees ()
• Higher payscale for graduate assistants ()
• Fall 2022 enrollment down slightly ()
• $499 million in research funding ()
• $20 million NSF award for data science ()
• Zero-cost textbook project ()

See previous president’s reports to the Board of Regents.

The National Science Foundation has awarded the (Hawaiʻi EPSCoR) a five-year $20-million grant to fund research and capacity building in support of actionable climate science through a collaboration called Change HI.

Hawaiʻi faces unique challenges as climate change impacts resource availability, ecological sustainability, economic vitality and human health in the islands. To help the state face the critical issues brought on by climate change, this multidisciplinary research effort will integrate expertise in climate and data science to enhance fundamental knowledge and develop new climate models, data products and tools.

As a collaborative program with multiple partners inside and outside the 糖心Vlog官方 System, Change HI will advance education and workforce readiness in these areas for Hawaiʻi and help build a new data-driven knowledge economy statewide, targeting the growth of computer and data science that can be applied in critical areas of state need and growth.

“Change HI represents an amazing opportunity for us to advance even further one of our globally distinctive strengths, climate change and resilience,” said 糖心Vlog官方 President David Lassner. “At the same time we will continue to build fundamental capacity in Hawaiʻi in data science, which is increasingly vital across the full spectrum of inquiry and activity in academia, business and government.”

Integrated climate and data science research

Change HI research comprises eight data and climate science-focused projects. The team of researchers will work in areas of climate downscaling, numerical modeling sensitivity studies, functional trait analysis, carbon sequestration, cloud water interception and soil moisture characterization. All areas of research will use a variety of advanced data science techniques such as computational simulations, data visualization, natural language processing, machine learning, artificial intelligence and statistical modeling.

“This exciting project brings together an outstanding team of scientists and educators and has enormous potential to address two critical challenges for our state—preparing for the impacts of climate change and building a resilient data driven economy,” said Information Technology Services Director of Cyberinfrastructure and Principal Investigator Gwen Jacobs.

In addition, Change HI will build research capacity through new data science faculty hires, developing and creating access to climate data and products and building immersive data analytics environments to aid in decision making.

Education and training programs

Change HI will support data science education and workforce development for the state through a variety of programs. These programs include graduate fellowships, summer undergraduate research experiences, internships and data science training and certification.

The focus of both science and education efforts of the Change HI collaboration are to increase the state鈥檚 climate resilience through leveraging climate and data science research and support diversification and growth of Hawaiʻi鈥檚 economy through data analytics.

“Change HI will deliver human and program infrastructure that supports critical education and workforce development initiatives to ensure Hawaiʻi has the highly skilled, data-ready workforce that will power our future economy,” said Garret Yoshimi, Information Technology Services vice president and chief information officer. “Broad-based training efforts under Change HI will also help to ensure opportunities for everyone in our community to strengthen our support for equity and inclusion in our STEM-powered future workforce.”

Participating organizations include: 糖心Vlog官方 System, 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补, 糖心Vlog官方 Hilo, Chaminade University, Island of Opportunity Pacific Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP), Hawaiʻi IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE), 糖心Vlog官方 LGBTQ+ Center, 糖心Vlog官方 Office of Innovation and Commercialization, Waianae Mountains Watershed Partnership, Hawaiʻi State Energy Office and Hawaiʻi Community Foundation.

Rainfall map accuracy is vital in climate and hydraulic modeling and supports environmental management decision making, water resource planning and weather forecasting. University of Hawaiʻi and East-West Center researchers have developed more accurate monthly rainfall maps by using machine learning. According to IBM, machine learning is a branch of artificial intelligence (AI) and computer science that focuses on the use of data and algorithms to imitate the way that humans learn, gradually improving its accuracy.

Funded by the National Science Foundation鈥檚 ʻIke Wai project, a team of researchers used a machine learning technique to detect erroneous rainfall maps. The results of this study were recently published in the .

“This approach demonstrates how, with a moderate amount of data, a low-level machine learning algorithm can be used to train, evaluate and classify an unrealistic map output,” said lead author Matthew Lucas, a climate data analyst for the 糖心Vlog官方 . “This allows for minor corrections of automated interpolation (the process of calculating an approximate value based on values that are already known) that can produce a much more accurate and realistic map of the spatial patterns of rainfall. If this workflow can work in Hawaiʻi with its extreme climate gradients it can definitely work elsewhere.”

Supported with computational resources from , this finding was made during the development of the Hawaiʻi Climate Data Portal (HCDP), which was made publicly available this past March. The online portal offers an innovative automated solution that works well and preserves the overall accuracy of the map outputs.

The study resulted in high-resolution, gridded monthly rainfall time series data for the state of Hawaiʻi spanning a period of 30 years. Rainfall maps range from as early as 1990 up to 2019 using data from more than 600 weather observation stations located throughout the islands.

“Having a wide range of gridded products will allow researchers the opportunity to develop important decision support for the state such as fire, flood and drought risk and early warning systems,” said co-author Ryan Longman, an Oceania research fellow at East-West Center. “Now that high-quality rainfall maps are available in near-real-time, researchers can spend less time processing data and more time answering important questions that can help us better understand and adapt to changing environmental conditions.”

In addition to ongoing improvements of current climate data products, researchers are in the process of developing methods to automate the production of daily rainfall maps and other gridded climate products for the state of Hawaiʻi. All data products are available for data visualization and download to the public through the Hawaiʻi Climate Data Portal.

• Related 糖心Vlog官方 News story: Revolutionary climate data portal critical to future planning, March 3, 2022

—By Maria Dumanlang

Knowledge of climate patterns is critically important for a variety of resource management issues, including groundwater and surface water development and protection, controlling and eradicating invasive species, protecting and restoring native ecosystems, and planning for the effects of global warming. Resource managers, climate researchers, educators and students have a powerful new tool with the launch of the Hawaiʻi Climate Data Portal (HCDP).

In support of closing data gaps and providing easy public access to climate data and information for the state, the University of Hawaiʻi鈥檚 (Hawaiʻi ESPCoR) ʻIke Wai project and the have partnered with the 糖心Vlog官方 (WRRC) and on this online open-source platform that hosts a wide range of data products, climate tools and resources.

“The Hawaiʻi Climate Data Portal provides streamlined access to high-quality reliable data and information that can be utilized by a range of stakeholders and be incorporated into near-real-time planning activities and management decisions,” said East-West Center Fellow and ʻIke Wai researcher Ryan Longman, who worked on the development of the portal with a team of about 20 from across 糖心Vlog官方 and the community.

Demonstrating the portal鈥檚 power

After almost a decade of development, the HCDP launched on March 3, 2022, during a Hawaiʻi EPSCoR and Hawaiʻi Data Science Institute virtual event. Longman, WRRC director and ʻIke Wai project co-investigator Thomas Giambelluca, Sean Cleveland, lead software engineer from 糖心Vlog官方 Information Technology Services, and a team of climate and data scientists who contributed to the development of the HCDP, demonstrated the data, tools and information available through the portal. These included the data visualization and download tool, Indigenous climate knowledge perspectives, and a variety of gridded climate products.

Climate data available through the portal include more than 100 years of monthly rainfall maps, 30 years of daily temperature maps and a range of other variables and products, most of which are updated in near-real-time. Other features of the HCDP include climate map visualization and download tools, a library of related journal publications and reports, climate research highlights, information on Indigenous knowledge and climate perspectives, and links to decision support tools and resources.

Fire risk, drought forecasting in the future

In the near future, the HCDP will host data from the Hawaiʻi Mesonet project which will deploy more than 90 climate stations statewide. Other features under development include near-real-time fire risk and early warning, drought forecasting and an avian malaria risk warning tool.

“Improving weather and climate monitoring in Hawaiʻi through the Hawaiʻi Mesonet and providing easy access to the data and data products through the HCDP will revolutionize Hawaiʻi-based research across a broad range of disciplines and provide much needed information to resource managers, emergency response agencies, decision makers and Hawaiʻi residents,” said Giambelluca.

Future features are being supported by the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

More information on the HCDP and related 糖心Vlog官方 research can be found on the .

—By Tori Miranda

Teaching critical data science skills to a broad group of students is the focus of a University of Hawaiʻi project that just received a $300,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The (JABSOM) and the (HI–DSI) announced the award for the two-year project entitled “JADE-Justice-oriented Approaches to Data Science Education.”

“Data science skills are going to be critical for the jobs of the future. Whether that job is in healthcare, in finance or fighting climate change, data science will be a component of day-to-day employment, in the same way that word processing and spreadsheets became essential 30 years ago,” said Principal Investigator Alexander Stokes, JABSOM assistant professor of cell and molecular biology and affiliated faculty with HI–DSI. “This award focuses on developing these skills in the widest possible group of students, especially those who are not in traditional computer science undergraduate or graduate programs. This NSF-funded research will look at new teaching methods to engage a wide cross-section of students in data science training and research. We want to enrich their undergraduate or graduate experience, and arm them with skills and experiences that give them a competitive edge in tomorrow鈥檚 job market.”

HI–DSI Co-Director Gwen Jacobs said, “We are celebrating this award to Dr. Stokes, who is an excellent example of our ‘virtual institute’ model at HI–DSI, where we invite faculty from a broad range of scientific domains across 糖心Vlog官方 to enrich their research and teaching with data science approaches. As a HI–DSI member, Alex started using advanced data science approaches to identify new or understudied therapeutic targets for heart and other diseases and then started exploring the integration of data science and analytics into teaching. This is a highly competitive award that reflects NSF investment both in a research program and an individual who is a future leader in STEM education and research.”

The JADE award will support research on data science pedagogy and directly links to Gov. David Ige鈥檚 Digital Economy vision and the focus area of “” to strengthen science, technology and the economy.

“A digital economy recognizes that data are everywhere,” Stokes said. “As a university, and a state, we need to make sure that the analysts, engineers, physicians, nurses, entrepreneurs, climate scientists, journalists, etc., that we are training, have the skills to enhance their field through data-driven decision making.”

Camaron Miyamoto, director of the , who supported the grant鈥檚 design and submission, said the award is also fundamentally about equity.

“Alex is looking at inclusive pedagogy in data science, not only for students outside traditional computer sciences, but importantly asking how we reach and include groups who have been historically excluded and marginalized in STEM.” Miyamoto said. “Alex believes that focusing students on social justice issues in their research projects and involving them in wrangling data that can be used to effect social change, will resonate with under-represented students including BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning one鈥檚 sexual or gender identity, intersex and asexual/aromantic/agender) participants.”

A national collaboration led by the University of Hawaiʻi aims to enhance cyberinfrastructure (CI) access and capabilities for scientific research and education. A National Science Foundation (NSF) supported workshop will be hosted by 糖心Vlog官方, Montana State University and the University of Nevada, Reno to assess CI capacity and readiness across NSF (EPSCoR) jurisdictions and institutions.

“A goal of EPSCoR is to catalyze research capabilities across and among its jurisdictions. An important way to reach this goal is through intentional investment in cyberinfrastructure. This workshop provides a way to assess the current state of CI nationally and beyond,” said principal investigator and 糖心Vlog官方 Director of Cyberinfrastructure Gwen Jacobs.

Cyberinfrastructure, information technology systems that provide resources required to advance data and compute-intensive science, faces historical underinvestment and uneven distribution and availability across the nation. EPSCoR jurisdictions include 25 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico.

“This grant will enable researchers from diverse communities to participate in CI workshops that will open the doors for greater research and collaboration opportunities,” said co-principal investigator and Jackson State University Chief Information Officer Deborah Dent.

CI workshop

The goals of the workshop are to increase knowledge of, and aid access to, CI capabilities not only across EPSCoR jurisdictions but also under-resourced institutions.

“Many of these institutions find themselves struggling with internal awareness and priority for smart research technology investments. This workshop is designed to also give internal planning efforts a boost,” said co-principal investigator and University of Nevada, Reno Cyberinfrastructure Director Scotty Strachan.

The workshop will include training, facilitated discussion, a case-study panel on regional collaboration and group working sessions. An open access report, publication and related outreach activities will be made available to share findings and planning and partnership initiatives. The workshop will be co-located with the NSF EPSCoR National Conference to be held in Portland, Maine, May 22–25, 2022.

—By Maria Dumanlang

Eleven global leading-edge research and education networks in North America, East Asia, Southeast Asia and Oceania, including the University of Hawaiʻi, are collaborating to improve high-speed network services in the Asia Pacific Oceania region.

The networks and organizations support important multidisciplinary discoveries made by teams of experts spread around the world, collaborating and sharing data and scientific instruments across national boundaries. Explosive growth in the resolution of sensors and scientific instruments, very high-resolution imagery and video, coupled with global scale instruments, has led to unprecedented volumes of experimental data.

The Asia Pacific Oceania network (APOnet) collaboration will connect East Asia, Southeast Asia, Oceania and North America. The networks and organizations involved are:

• University of Hawaiʻi
• Australia鈥檚 Academic and Research Network
• Arterial Research and Educational Network in Asia-Pacific
• University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development, also called Internet2
• Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information
• National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
• National Institute of Informatics
• Singapore Advanced Research and Education Network
• Pacific Wave International Exchange
• Research and Education Advanced Network New Zealand
• TransPAC

“This collaboration highlights the important relationships between all of the major [research and education] operators in the Pacific region,” said Garret T. Yoshimi, 糖心Vlog官方 vice president for information technology and chief information officer. “The APOnet fabric of networks serves to bring the largest geographic region on the globe together as a community, further driving world-wide innovation and partnership. The spirit of collaboration and support represented by this growing fabric of networks and relationships are the hallmark of our international communities.”

To support these multinational collaborations and associated data requirements, these global research and education networks will contribute resources that together can be managed to create a high-speed trans-oceanic network services delivery system that is more resilient, flexible and consistent than any individual network on its own. The intent is to elevate the services available for research and education across all of the collaborating networks.

• Related 糖心Vlog官方 News stories:
  • $4.5M NSF grant for Pacific cyberinfrastructure, August 18, 2020
  • Agreement advances regional high-speed data networking, August 30, 2018
  • Share of $5 million grant to improve international research networks, May 12, 2015

The scope of this collaboration includes enabling multiple paths between networks, providing backup connectivity in case of network outages, coordinating engineering and management activities, cooperating on deployment of emerging network technologies and services, experimenting with and developing applications with high-bandwidth demands, supporting shared routing practices, and sharing of measurement data.

糖心Vlog官方 also hosts an annual meeting called the Trans-Pacific Research and Education (TPRE) for network engineers and other leaders in the region. The 6th meeting was held virtually on January 16, 2021. These annual meetings serve as an opportunity for 糖心Vlog官方 and Pacific Island partners to share updates about what is going on in their areas.

—By Maria Dumanlang

The first study to characterize the frequency of several atmospheric disturbance types in Hawaiʻi and the magnitude of rainfall associated with them aims to help inform future water management decisions in the state.

The study by researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi, East-West Center and the University of Albany was recently published in 鈥檚 . The team analyzed 20 years of storm data for Hawaiʻi to help scientists and policy makers better understand how rainfall is impacted by specific weather events. The main objective was to determine how each of four types of atmospheric disturbances contribute to rainfall at different times of the year in Hawaiʻi.

The research team, led by East-West Center research fellow Ryan Longman, built time series data that categorized cold fronts, Kona lows (storms that form in the mid-latitudes and move southeast toward Hawaiʻi), upper-tropospheric disturbances (upper-level lows) and tropical cyclones that occurred between October 1990 and September 2010. The researchers aligned this data with that of the average daily rainfall for the entire island of Oʻahu to gain insights on how weather events drive rainfall.

“As global climate change increasingly affects our weather locally, it is important for us to better understand the role of different kinds of weather disturbances in producing rainfall on the island,” said co-author Thomas Giambelluca, a 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 geography professor and director of the . “These research results provide a guide to assessing how future changes in the number of cold fronts, Kona storms, and other disturbances will change the amount of rainfall we get.”

Nearly half of island鈥檚 wet season rainfall

Researchers found that rainfall driven by weather events can account for as much as 48% of total rainfall in a single season and bring much needed precipitation to dry-leeward areas of Oʻahu. In addition, they found that cold fronts are the most common type of weather event (avg. 14 per-year) and fronts that pass over the island contribute significantly to our annual totals. However, fronts that approach but do not cross the island actually result in less rainfall for the entire island of Oʻahu than on days with no disturbances.

“If storm tracks are to shift poleward due to climate change, then we may see fewer cold fronts pass over the islands. As a result, leeward areas that are dependent on disturbance driven rainfall could potentially become even drier in the future,” said Longman.

This research was initially funded by the Honolulu Board of Water Supply, with additional support coming from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the National Science Foundation (EPSCoR) project and Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center over more than five years.

This research is an example of 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 goal of (PDF), one of four goals identified in the (PDF), updated in December 2020.

Future research for Longman and team includes the creation of new high-resolution daily rainfall maps that will be updated in near-real time. This will provide additional opportunities for researchers to better understand the nature of disturbance driven rainfall and for resource managers to make important water management decisions in near-real time.

As the University of Hawaiʻi enters into its final year, researchers will share significant project results with the international community that could provide decision support for improved water resource management around the globe.

ʻIke Wai in partnership with the 糖心Vlog官方 (WRRC) is hosting the to engage with water scientists, water managers and community members. The virtual event, from April 12 to 15, 2021, is being organized in collaboration with partner water centers from , the and the .

“This important conference will showcase the work of the entire ʻIke Wai research team and share the major outcomes with colleagues in tropical island environments,” said 糖心Vlog官方 Director of Cyberinfrastructure and Hawaiʻi EPSCoR Project Director Gwen Jacobs. “This information exchange between scientists is vital to sustaining water resources in island communities.”

In 2016, the awarded $20 million to 糖心Vlog官方 to do a five-year, groundbreaking study of water sustainability issues through the collaborative project. ʻIke Wai aims to ensure Hawaiʻi鈥檚 future water security through an integrated program of research, education, community engagement and decision support. The project collected new hydrological and geophysical data to develop actionable and informative models of two of Hawaiʻi鈥檚 important aquifers, their water flow and transport processes. In addition, the project aims to develop an advanced cyberinfrastructure platform to serve as a data repository and visualization and decision support tool.

International interest

Including participation from eight different countries, the conference explores a variety of themes to share cutting-edge research and aims to provide a platform to discuss and learn from each other鈥檚 experiences in managing and understanding water resources across a broad range of tropical island settings. Conference themes include climate change; watershed management; managing water for ecosystems and people; Indigenous and local knowledge, perspectives and management; leading-edge technological advances in water science and more. Virtual field trips will also be featured.

“Unlike previous WRRC-hosted conferences, this one is reaching out to the international community. It is an opportunity to talk with and listen to colleagues in corresponding positions, including scientists, water managers and stakeholders, in island communities that, while widely separated around the world, share a lot in common,” said WRRC Director and Geography Professor Tom Giambelluca.

ʻIke Wai science gateway

The , which will be demonstrated at the conference, is a science gateway developed by the ʻIke Wai project. It serves as the central location for data management, analysis, visualization and dissemination of all data and data products generated by the project. Geophysical, geochemistry, precipitation and marine geophysics data are among the publicly available data sets collected by the ʻIke Wai project.

Data such as the marine controlled source electromagnetic imaging of freshwater plumes and the submarine aquifer off the west coast of Hawaiʻi Island, which demonstrated twice as much freshwater is stored offshore than was previously thought, is available to download on the site.

Available data also includes compiled current and historical data sets from government, private and university sources such as water quality, well and rainfall data. Additionally, which aided in directing and educating the local community and the ʻIke Wai research team in the understanding of water in Kona, Hawaiʻi and ʻEwa, Oʻahu are also available through interactive story maps.

—By Maria Dumanlang

The first imaging of substantial freshwater plumes west of Hawaiʻi Island may help water planners to optimize sustainable yields and aquifer storage calculations. University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 researchers demonstrated a new method to detect freshwater plumes between the seafloor and ocean surface in a study recently published in .

The research, supported by the Hawaiʻi EPSCoR ʻIke Wai project, is the first to demonstrate that surface-towed marine controlled-source electromagnetic (CSEM) imaging can be used to map oceanic freshwater plumes in high-resolution. It is an extension of the groundbreaking discovery of freshwater beneath the seafloor in 2020. Both are important findings in a world facing climate change, where freshwater is vital for preserving public health, agricultural yields, economic strategies, and ecosystem functions.

Profound implications

While the CSEM method has been used to detect the presence of resistive targets such as oil, gas and freshwater beneath the seafloor, this study is the first time CSEM was applied to image freshwater in the ocean water column, according to ʻIke Wai research affiliate faculty Eric Attias, who led the study.

“This study has profound implications for oceanography, hydrogeology and ocean processes that affect biogeochemical cycles in coastal waters worldwide,” said Attias. “Using CSEM, we now can estimate the volumes of freshwater emanating to the water column. This is indicative of the renewability of Hawaiʻi鈥檚 submarine freshwater system.”

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD), the leaking of groundwater from a coastal aquifer into the ocean, is a key process, providing a water source for people, and supporting sea life such as fish and algae. According to 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 Associate Professor and study co-author Henrietta Dulai, the location of offshore springs is extremely hard to predict because of the unknown underlying geology and groundwater conduits.

“The flux of such high volumes of nutrient-rich, low salinity groundwater to the ocean has great significance for chemical budgets and providing nutrients for offshore food webs,” said Dulai. “It is great to have a method that can pinpoint discharge locations and plumes as it opens up new opportunities to sample and identify the age of the water, its origin, chemical composition, and its significance for marine ecosystems in this otherwise oligotrophic (relatively low in plant nutrients and containing abundant oxygen in the deeper parts) ocean.”

Four Olympic swimming pools

This study included electromagnetic data driven 2D CSEM inversion, resistivity-to-salinity calculation, and freshwater plume volumetric estimation. Through the use of CSEM, the research team was able to image surface freshwater bodies and multiple large-scale freshwater plumes that contained up to 87% freshwater offshore Hawaiʻi Island. The results imply that at the study site substantial volumes of freshwater are present in the area between the seafloor and the ocean鈥檚 surface. A conservative estimate for one of the plumes suggests 10,720 cubic meters or approximately the volume of four Olympic-sized swimming pools.

The methodology used in this study can be applied to coastal areas worldwide, thus improving future hydrogeological models by incorporating offshore SGD and optimizing sustainable yields and storage calculations. Attias plans to extend the novel use of CSEM to further prove its application in imaging freshwater at other volcanic islands around the globe.

Attias will present his work at the taking place April 12–15, 2021. Hosted by the and Hawaiʻi EPSCoR, this conference brings together water scientists, water managers and community members from around the world to share cutting-edge research and learn from each other鈥檚 experiences managing and understanding water resources across a broad range of tropical island settings.

This project is supported by the National Science Foundation EPSCoR Program Award OIA #1557349.

This work is an example of 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 goal of (PDF), one of four goals identified in the (PDF), updated in December 2020.

—By Maria Dumanlang

Twice as much freshwater is stored offshore of Hawaiʻi Island than was previously thought, according to a University of Hawaiʻi study with important implications for volcanic islands around the world. An extensive reservoir of freshwater within the submarine southern flank of the Hual膩lai aquifer has been mapped by 糖心Vlog官方 researchers with the Hawaiʻi EPSCoR ʻIke Wai project. The groundbreaking findings, published in Science Advances, reveal a novel way in which substantial volumes of freshwater are transported from onshore to offshore submarine aquifers along the coast of Hawaiʻi Island.

This mechanism may provide alternative renewable resources of freshwater to volcanic islands worldwide. “Their evidence for separate freshwater lenses, stacked one above the other, near the Kona coast of Hawaiʻi, profoundly improves the prospects for sustainable development on volcanic islands,” said 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 (SOEST) Dean Brian Taylor.

Paradigm shift

Through the use of marine controlled-source electromagnetic imaging, the study revealed the onshore-to-offshore movement of freshwater through a multilayer formation of basalts embedded between layers of ash and soil, diverging from previous groundwater models of this area. Conducted as a part of the National Science Foundation-supported ʻIke Wai project, research affiliate faculty Eric Attias led the marine geophysics campaign.

“Our findings provide a paradigm shift from the conventional hydrologic conceptual models that have been vastly used by multiple studies and water organizations in Hawaiʻi and other volcanic islands to calculate sustainable yields and aquifer storage for the past 30 years,” said Attias. “We hope that our discovery will enhance future hydrologic models, and consequently, the availability of clean freshwater in volcanic islands.”

• Related 糖心Vlog官方 News story: Ocean sensors help 糖心Vlog官方 researchers understand Hawaiʻi Island aquifers, April 9, 2019

Co-author Steven Constable, a professor of geophysics at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, who developed the controlled source electromagnetic system used in the project, said, “I have spent my entire career developing marine electromagnetic methods such as the one used here. It is really gratifying to see the equipment being used for such an impactful and important application. Electrical methods have long been used to study groundwater on land, and so it makes sense to extend the application offshore.”

Kerry Key, an associate professor at Columbia University who employs electromagnetic methods to image various oceanic Earth structures, who not involved in this study, said, “This new electromagnetic technique is a game changing tool for cost-effective reconnaissance surveys to identify regions containing freshwater aquifers, prior to more expensive drilling efforts to directly sample the pore waters. It can also be used to map the lateral extent of any aquifers already identified in isolated boreholes.”

Two-times more water

Donald Thomas, a geochemist with the Hawaiʻi Institute of Geophysics and Planetology in SOEST who also worked on the study, said the findings confirm two-times the presence of much larger quantities of stored groundwater than previously thought.

“Understanding this new mechanism for groundwater…is important to better manage groundwater resources in Hawaiʻi,” said Thomas, who leads the Humuʻula Groundwater Research project, which found another large freshwater supply on Hawaiʻi Island several years ago.

Offshore freshwater systems similar to those flanking the Hual膩lai aquifer are suggested to be present for the island of Oʻahu, where the electromagnetic imaging technique has not yet been applied, but, if demonstrated, could provide an overall new concept to manage freshwater resources.

The study proposes that this newly discovered transport mechanism may be the governing mechanism in other volcanic islands. With offshore reservoirs considered more resilient to climate change-driven droughts, volcanic islands worldwide can potentially consider these resources in their water management strategies.

This project is supported by the National Science Foundation EPSCoR Program Award OIA #1557349.

—By Kelli Abe Trifonovitch