For the first time, researchers have documented a round-trip migration of a tiger shark between Hawaiʻi and Mexico. This discovery was made by the University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz�’s (HIMB) Shark Lab and the (PacIOOS). The finding helps advance the understanding of the species and highlights the importance of international data-sharing initiatives.

The female tiger shark was originally tagged in ����Ա�ʻ�dz�� Bay, Oʻahu, in November 2016. Less than a year later, she was detected at the Revillagigedo Islands and Cabo Pulmo in Mexico by equipment maintained by Mauricio Hoyos and James Ketchum from the non-profit Pelagios Kakunjá in Mexico. After three years, the shark returned to Hawaiʻi, where she was consistently detected until early 2024.

“We had previously documented a shark swimming from Hawaiʻi to Mexico,” said Carl Meyer, a researcher at the HIMB Shark Lab. “However, that shark was caught by fishermen and not released, leaving uncertainty about whether these transoceanic travelers return to Hawaiʻi. This latest discovery resolves that question, providing the first direct evidence that individual tiger sharks are capable of completing round-trip migrations between Hawaiʻi and Mexico.”

Sharing data, active collaboration

This transoceanic connection was realized because both the ����Vlog�ٷ� and research teams from Mexico shared their data with the PacIOOS-led PIRAT Network and its partner organization Migramar. Identifying such long-range movements is extremely difficult without active collaboration. The PIRAT Network provides a data-sharing platform for researchers that automatically checks for cross-matches like this every four months, paving the way for future discoveries.

“Most detections of our tagged sharks occur within the Hawaiian Islands,” said Meyer. “This individual, for instance, was tagged off O‘ahu but later detected near Maui and Hawaiʻi Island, in addition to making a remarkable journey to Mexico and back.”

“Identifying long-range movements like these are often difficult, unless the researchers involved happen to collaborate directly and actively share data,” said Tom Tinhan, PIRAT Network lead. “Not only is this a valuable piece of evidence that advances our understanding of this highly migratory species, but it illustrates the importance of data sharing initiatives like these.”

While the finding confirms a round-trip migration, HIMB shark researcher Kim Holland noted that many details about the journey remain unknown. “We don’t know the route by which the shark crossed the ocean (in both directions) so it’s a little misleading, although tempting, to draw straight lines between Hawaiʻi and Mexico,” said Holland. “This event is in line with other sharks we have tracked that show offshore movements of several hundred miles before returning to Hawaiʻi.”

In a first-of-its-kind effort, a 3-meter long blue shark in the Atlantic Ocean is aiding researchers with a highly sophisticated sensor that provides oceanographic data in real time. The study is led by University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (HIMB) Research Professor Kim Holland together with colleagues at the University of the Azores. This was part of an expanding “Sharks as Oceanographers Program” funded by the .

The bathygraph (a graph of the relationship between depth and temperature) tag enables the shark to record ocean temperature as it roves the water column and transmit the data via satellite when it resurfaces. Researchers can access the data in near real time, and the tags are designed to fall off after roughly four months.

“The bathygraph tags are an example of the increasingly sophisticated animal telemetry tools that are available to scientists,” said Holland. “These tags are now able to tell us not only where the animal is, but they can also describe the environment that it is experiencing. In the future this will include parameters such as oxygen content and plankton density.”

The most recent shark to be tagged in Hawaiʻi was a 4.2-meter long tiger shark in September 2024 near Kāneʻohe Bay. It is now 280 miles away at Nihoa Island and provides a steady stream of temperature and depth profiles.

Sharks gather interesting findings

The data from both sharks is already yielding some surprising results.

“An unexpected result from the tracking experiments is how deep these supposedly coastal, or surface-oriented species, dive,” said Holland. “Both the tiger and blue sharks regularly dive to over 500 meters, where the water is much colder than at the surface.”

Tracking experiments offer a sense of “instant gratification” because the animal’s movements and the associated oceanographic data can be viewed in near-real time.

“The blue shark is now 300 miles south of where we tagged it [in the Azores], and it has already produced over 70 temperature/depth profiles,” said Holland. “So we have two sharks simultaneously in two oceans, providing critical habitat information and high quality oceanographic data.”

The HIMB will continue its efforts to provide year-round data on ocean structure in Hawaiʻi, and it plans to expand its work to include different species—including blue sharks in Hawaiʻi.

–By Maria Frostic

A new for the Territory of American Samoa was released to the public, enabling the community to visualize how the shoreline is likely to change from coastal flooding, sea-level rise, hurricane storm surge and high tides.

The visualization tool will be an essential component in future planning to assess the short and long-term impacts of rising seas and to minimize the risks to coastal communities, infrastructure and the environment.

A partnership of organizations at the University of Hawaiʻi developed the American Samoa Sea Level Rise Viewer over the course of two years, with the (PacIOOS) preparing the platform for the (����Vlog�ٷ�SLC) using funding from the (PI-CASC) and local extension facilitation from (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant).

While there are other sea-level rise viewers throughout the continental U.S. and Hawaiʻi, this mapping tool is of particular importance to American Samoa. Local sea levels have been rising from climate change effects at rates 2.8 times faster than the global average. Beyond that, ever since a devastating 2009 earthquake and tsunami, American Samoa has been actively sinking. This sinking, called subsidence, contributes even more relative change in water levels, with estimates suggesting roughly twice as much total sea-level rise, for these islands, by 2060 than what is predicted from climate effects alone.

Kelley Anderson Tagarino, Hawaiʻi Sea Grant extension agent based at the , along with local colleagues began to notice a distinct increase of sea levels in tide gauge data, beginning at the time of the 2009 earthquake. She ultimately created a partnership to develop an interactive tool demonstrating sea-level rise projections, engaging Phil Thompson, director of ����Vlog�ٷ�SLC, and his PI-CASC graduate scholar Carla Baizeau and the PacIOOS team.

Tagarino said, “I sought funding for a sea-level rise viewer to empower our community to plan for our future. Now, everyone can use the viewer to zoom in to specific areas and even individual homes, which is critical to developing resilience plans at the village level.”

The sea-level rise viewer is already being used to inform the design of the new Pago Pago airport terminal buildings.

Threatening natural, cultural resources

Beyond critical infrastructure, the high rates of sea-level rise also threaten natural and cultural resources, agriculture, water resources, critical habitat and much more.

Alphina Liusamoa, a turtle biologist with the , is thrilled to find areas with important ecological zones included, like sea turtle nesting beaches on outer islands. “This is incredibly valuable as it allows us to comprehensively assess the risk of rising sea levels to these important nesting habitats. The tool’s interactive nature provides a valuable opportunity for education and outreach, and it can assist us in implementing conservation measures to protect these fragile ecosystems.”

Baizeau traveled from Hawaiʻi to join Tagarino and present the sea-level rise viewer to community leaders and other officials throughout the territory, and at Amerika Samoa’s 2nd Annual Disaster Resilience Summit in September.

“I was lucky enough to go to American Samoa and meet with the village chiefs and students,” said Baizeau. “Everyone was very interested in learning how to use the viewer so they can start planning for their future. It has been really gratifying to be part of this project, and I hope to continue to improve on the work we’ve started.”

Future plans for the tool include adding the effects of wind and wave activity.

For more information, contact: Kelley Anderson Tagarino (kelleyat@hawaii.edu); Cindy Knapman (lknapman@hawaii.edu); Rachel Lentz (rlentz@hawaii.edu) or info@PacIOOS.org.

A five-year study into the impacts of sea-level rise on the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve (HBNP) predicts 88% of the preserve’s usable beach will be underwater by 2030.

Conducted by researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (HIMB), the study evaluated the biological, physical, and social carrying capacities of this pristine natural destination; taking into account the impact of visitors to assist in planning for sustainable tourism. In Hawaiʻi, warm ocean temperatures and high water visibility draw more than 85% of tourists to ocean recreation activities, with a similar percentage of entries into Hanauma Bay (about 85%) coming from non-local visitors.

The study, which spanned the nine-month pandemic closure of HBNP in 2020, includes predictions of how the rising sea level may impact this pristine natural destination. Models show the combination of the lowest predicted sea-level rise (0.5 feet) and highest tide will result in 88% of HBNP’s usable beach being submerged by 2030. “Usable beach” is defined as the sandy area.

“The predictions of the extent that sea level will impact the usable area at Hanauma Bay was eye-opening,” said Kuʻulei Rodgers, researcher at HIMB. “It will assist management in preparation and to develop recommendations, other alternatives and solutions.”

The sea-level rise models used by Rodgers and her team were developed by the ’s Sea Level Rise Laboratory and .

Other findings in the study include fluctuations of the abundance and diversity of fish, water clarity increases during the closure, and the increased use of HBNP by local residents.

Fish flight initiation

Researchers conducted non-invasive stereo video monitoring, a two-camera technique used to create a 3D image without harming the fish, to determine the fish flight initiation distance and the minimum approach distance for different species. Basically, how close humans can get to certain fish before they swim away.

The majority of fish were more approachable and fled later during the closure. A few species such as pualu, the ringtail surgeonfish, did not appear to perceive visitors as a threat. Possibly due to their larger size. This was contradictory to wrasses and butterflyfish, which were among other species found to be less approachable upon reopening.

Also observed during the pandemic closure were increases in fish abundance and biomass. When researchers examined fish community compositional shifts they noticed a corresponding decrease in the amount and diversity of fish following the reopening of HBNP in December 2020. Most notably the “keyhole,” the most popular snorkeling location within the shallow reef flat, saw substantial increases in fish communities during the closure.

����Vlog�ٷ�or demographics

Surveys were conducted following the reopening of HBNP in December 2020. At this time, there were quarantine restrictions upon returning to Japan, which resulted in a drop of visitors from Japan from 25% in 2005 to less than 1% in 2022.

Another shift in demographics is the increase in Hawaiʻi residents from 3% in 2001 to 13% in 2022. Management has been instrumental in this change by allowing early entry for Hawaiʻi residents without reservations and the continued fee waiver.

The preservation of �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s nearshore ecosystem is imperative to the economic continuation of the tourism industry. In the 1980’s, HBNP visitor use reached a peak of 4 million visitors annually. In 2023, visitor use is projected to be down to approximately 500,000 annually. Contributing factors include: closing HBNP two days per week, a reservation system, increased fees, and effective management strategies.

Water clarity

During the pandemic closure, the water clarity was 56% clearer as compared to prior to the closure. Following the reopening of HBNP at 25% visitor capacity, the water clarity decreased by 30%.

Other factors such as wave height contributed to decreases in water clarity along with visitor counts. However, visitors were the most influential factor.

Research that contributed to this work was published in , and .

Graduate assistants who also contributed to this research include: Andrew Graham, Yuko Stender and Shannon Murphy, and research assistant Kaylee Skidmore-Rossing.

To improve coastal community resilience nationwide, NOAA’s announced two complementary initiatives totaling $8.1 million. Of that total, the (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant) will be awarded $624,725.

Hawaiʻi Sea Grant faculty and their collaborators will lead two projects:

• improving coastal water quality across the state and forecast fecal bacteria levels in Waikīkī;
• assisting communities on the North Shore of Oʻahu to adapt to climate change, including energy, water, food sustainability, watershed restoration and more.

Margaret McManus, professor and chair of the Department of Oceanography at ����Vlog�ٷ� ��ā�ԴDz�’s is leading aspects of the water quality project. She noted “Oftentimes after storms we see brown water along our coasts. This research will allow us to determine the level of terrestrial derived sewage and fecal matter in these waters. We will be working closely with the (PacIOOS) to establish initial test sites. PacIOOS has also contributed instrumentation to support this critical work.”

Kawela Farrant, Hawaiʻi Sea Grant’s newest extension faculty and lifelong North Shore resident is leading the project on the North Shore. Farrant noted “Community members and nonprofit groups in this area have a long history of advocating for natural resource protection, sustainability initiatives, climate change adaptation, and Hawaiian cultural preservation. Direct partnership with Hawaiʻi Sea Grant will provide additional financial capacity and technical expertise to initiatives that are strongly wanted, if not driven, by the local community.”

More on the projects

Through a joint competition with the , 10 new projects were selected for a total of $3.9 million in funding to translate research into application for communities. Project activities span California, Georgia, Hawaiʻi, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Wisconsin, South Carolina and Texas. and access the full list of the USCRP-Sea Grant projects and descriptions.

Sea Grant programs across the nation received an additional total of $4.2 million in Sea Grant funds to increase local capacity, engagement, research and implementation for addressing resilience challenges. to develop and implement extension programming on ��ʻ�����’s North Shore, as well as the full list of resilience awards and descriptions awarded nationwide.

–By Cindy Knapman

In the quest to prepare for and mitigate the effects of climate change, Kauaʻi Mayor Derek Kawakami signed a historic bill on October 14, Bill No. 2879, that will regulate construction based on future sea-level rise projections. This unique measure is the result of dedicated collaboration between the University of Hawaiʻi at ��ā�ԴDz�’s and the Kauaʻi County Planning Department.

This bill makes Kauaʻi one of the first counties in the nation to commit to using scientific model projections as the basis for construction and planning regulations—thus prioritizing the safety and resilience of communities, infrastructure and ecosystems.

For many years, the ����Vlog�ٷ� Mānoa Climate Resilience Collaborative (formerly the Coastal Geology Group) has developed innovative computer model projections of areas across the Hawaiian Islands where chronic coastal flooding and erosion are expected to occur as sea level rises in the coming decades. These published and peer-reviewed predictions are the basis for the that will now be used to ensure resilient planning and design.

“The Climate Resilience Collaborative has worked closely with the Kauaʻi County Planning Department to fine-tune the data to ensure the highest quality and create a stand-alone viewer that can be used as a planning tool,” said Chip Fletcher, interim dean of the ����Vlog�ٷ� Mānoa and director of the collaborative.

Historically, land use decisions have been made by legislatures based on various zoning and planning policies combined with recognized environmental hazards, such as one hundred-year floods.

“By using modeling, as opposed to historical data, we’re in a better position to ensure that efforts to build or rebuild infrastructure and homes are being made with the future in mind,” said Kaʻaina Hull, director of planning for Kauaʻi County. “This bill is a culmination of years of hard work and we are proud to be one of the first counties to lead in implementing progressive building policies related to sea-level rise.”

“The latest IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] reports tell us with high confidence that sea-level rise will persist for ‘centuries to millennia’ due to ongoing warming of the oceans and melting of the ice sheets,” said Fletcher. “There is nothing we can do to stop sea-level rise, and in the interest of public health and safety, we need to adapt to its impacts. This measure will minimize the flood threat, promote resilient planning and design, and minimize the expenditure of public money for costly flood control projects necessitated by accelerating sea-level rise. Kauaʻi is providing an example for coastal communities around the nation of the next right step in building community resilience to climate change impacts.”

In addition to the Climate Resilience Collaborative and the Kauaʻi Planning Department, partners include: Hawaiʻi Sea Grant, Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System, SSFM International and Sea Engineering, Inc.

–By Marcie Grabowski

A provides predictions of coastal flooding in West Maui under various scenarios of sea-level rise and a range of wave events for community members, property owners, businesses, as well as state and county officials. The West Maui Wave-Driven Flooding With Sea Level Rise tool was created by researchers at the (PacIOOS) based at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

The combination of high sea levels and large swells can result in significant coastal erosion, damage to infrastructure and properties, and land-based sedimentation that impairs coastal water quality. Hawaiʻi has experienced an increase in wave plus tide-driven flooding in recent years, and these events are expected to grow in numbers and duration due to sea-level rise and changing wave energies.

“Along with other planning tools, we hope these scenarios that are tailored for West Maui will be useful to inform land use planning,” said Tara Owens, co-investigator on the grant that funded this work and extension specialist with .

The public is invited to learn about this new tool on August 30, 4–5 p.m. to receive log-in information.

Factors impacting West Maui

The water level—and the associated risk of coastal flooding—in West Maui is impacted by several factors that are included in the flooding product: daily tidal cycles, long-term sea-level rise, moderate to large wave events, and the slowly-oscillating ocean sea level height around Maui (caused in part by El Niño). PacIOOS, based at ����Vlog�ٷ� ��ā�ԴDz�’s , created the new West Maui Wave-Driven Flooding With Sea Level Rise tool by adopting a next-generation modeling approach to combine these factors and augment the annual high wave flooding model represented in the .

In addition to chronic coastal erosion leading to severe damage of properties, wave overtopping and flooding also pose a major safety concern to infrastructure, in particular to Honoapiʻilani Highway, the major access corridor to West Maui.

“Coastal managers and planners in Hawaiʻi rely on science-based information that can support decision making,” said County of Maui Coastal Planner Jim Buika. “This scenario-based tool is powerful because it is locally specific and easy to use. It can guide us to promote sustainable land use and environmental protection.”

The wave flooding tool and a related in West Maui were developed by PacIOOS through a collaborative effort led by the Coastal Hazards Group in the Department of Oceanography at ����Vlog�ٷ� Mānoa, and funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration grant “” (award #NA17NOS4730143).

–By Marcie Grabowski

The (PacIOOS) based at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is helping to enhance disaster and climate resilience in the Republic of Palau. Palau experiences frequent natural hazards, and the impact of climate change and sea-level rise has become a priority issue. Those extreme weather and climatic events often result in disruption of economic activity, and loss of people’s livelihoods.

A new Waverider buoy was deployed in Palau through an international collaboration. The buoy provides data—; ; and —will enhance disaster and climate resilience in the Republic of Palau. This wave buoy, the only Waverider in Palau, is located on the East side of the island of Babeldaob, about 1.4 miles offshore of Ngaraard State.

This effort is led by the Palau National Weather Service Office (NWSO) through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)’s Enhancing Disaster and Climate Resilience (EDCR) project, with PacIOOS serving as the technical partner.

“PacIOOS strives to provide timely, reliable, and accurate ocean information to enhance safety and resilience,” said Melissa Iwamoto, PacIOOS director. “As such, we are honored to collaborate with Palau NWSO and all the partners on this effort, and we are dedicated to enhancing the capacity in Palau to maintain these valuable ocean instruments to serve user needs.”

See more stories involving PacIOOS.

PacIOOS will continue to provide technical support as needed in the coming years. The buoy will also provide essential validation points for future development of a high resolution wave model for the island nation.

In addition to being a central user of the data, Palau NWSO will steward the Waverider buoy to ensure its ongoing operations and maintenance. Based on the experience gained from this project, Palau NWSO plans to expand the national wave buoy in the future with Green Climate Fund support managed through the UN Environmental Programme.

“Accurate and reliable wave and current data provide critical information to our weather forecasters, other agency officials, fishers, mariners and many other recreational and commercial ocean users to better understand prevailing ocean conditions and to make safe decisions,” said Maria Ngemaes, Palau NWSO meteorologist-in-charge. “The new wave buoy will help us to validate and/or compare satellite and altimeter derived information on the same variables that the buoy measures. It will also help us to monitor the conditions of the ocean in the event of severe weather and climate variability phenomenon, such as the extremes of ENSO: La Niña and El Niño, the monsoon, tropical cyclones, tropical disturbances and shear lines that dip near and north of Palau, as well as sea level characteristics.”

Supporting local efforts, future advances

Currently, PacIOOS also provides a . This is the first time PacIOOS has been a part of deploying and supporting a wave buoy in Palau.

While in Palau for the wave buoy deployment, PacIOOS wave buoy specialist Andreia Queima gave presentations to local agencies, organizations and communities that are interested to learn more about the buoy, the data it provides and how to access and use the data. She also worked with the Palau NWSO team to implement protocols to maintain the wave buoy.

For data access, visit the and the . For more information, see the .

Vibrio vulnificus, a “flesh-eating” bacterium that lives naturally in the water of the Ala Wai Canal in Waikīkī is likely to increase substantially in coming decades, but infections are rare. In recently , University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa scientists highlight the potential for using oceanographic sensors to make accurate predictions of V. vulnificus. By assessing rainfall, water temperature, dissolved nutrients and organic matter the team can forecast potential spikes in levels of the bacteria.

V. vulnificus has been relatively understudied in tropical ecosystems and further, the implications of climate change for this and other coastal human pathogens are generally unknown.

The research team collaborated with the ����Vlog�ٷ� Strategic Monitoring and Resilience Training in the Ala Wai Watershed () where at least 20 undergraduate students and six graduate students from the ����Vlog�ٷ� Mānoa (SOEST) participated in sample collection from the canal and processing at the .

Consistent with another published , rainfall was found to be critically important for both elevating the pathogen’s abundance in the canal and transporting V. vulnificus to the adjacent Ala Wai Boat Harbor.

“We also found that measuring the amount of a particular kind of dissolved organic matter in the water significantly improved our model’s accuracy in predicting V. vulnificus abundance,” said lead author Jessica Bullington, who was pursuing her master’s degree in the SOEST Department of Oceanography at the time of this work.

Ocean sensors provide necessary data

Water quality monitoring that involves collecting samples and analyzing them in a laboratory is expensive and often limited to select locations. Fortunately, there are oceanographic that continuously monitor water quality at the mouth of the Ala Wai Canal.

“What is really exciting about our research findings is the ability to use real-time and forecast data from the —which includes water temperature, salinity, currents and dissolved organic matter—to predict V. vulnificus abundance in the canal and harbor now and three days into the future,” said Bullington, who is now a doctoral student at Stanford University. “The next steps are to make these predictions accessible and communicate the risk of infection, both for short-term use and adaptation to the impacts of climate change.”

Bacteria to increase with climate change

V. vulnificus abundance was higher when temperatures were warmer, and climate change is predicted to increase water temperature in the Ala Wai Canal.

By combining climate change projections of rainfall and air temperature with their computer model of bacteria dynamics, the team found that average V. vulnificus abundance in the canal may increase twice or three times current levels by the end of the century. Armed with this information, communities can make decisions on how to adapt to the changing conditions.

“Ultimately, we wanted to generate something that would be useful for people,” said Bullington. “This project is a great example of one of the many ways in which our departmental expertise can be of service for our local community and coastal management.”

This effort is an example of ����Vlog�ٷ� ��ā�ԴDz�’s goal of (PDF), one of four goals identified in the (PDF), updated in December 2020.

–By Marcie Grabowski

Indigenous coastal communities have depended on ocean resources over millennia, but climate change is creating a more unpredictable ocean by influencing waves, sea level, temperature and other factors, profoundly impacting remote coastal communities.

The (PacIOOS) within the University of Hawaiʻi at ����ԴDz�’s (SOEST) is collaborating with partners in the Pacific Islands, the Pacific Northwest and Alaska to improve access to ocean data for Indigenous coastal communities through a new project funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) .

The goal of the project is to get oceanographic data into the hands of Indigenous communities in a way that takes advantage of existing, lower-cost wave buoy technology and enables sustained community-led stewardship of the buoys. Through co-design, the team aims to revolutionize the status quo by providing new tools and new connections that will provide critical safety information at a locally relevant scale.

“Wave data, for example, can help a local mariner determine whether it is safe to fish that day or travel to another island to deliver goods,” said Melissa Iwamoto, director of PacIOOS and co-principal on the NSF project. “Our partners and users are asking for more ocean information to enhance safety and improve decision-making, and many also want more autonomy in maintaining the instrumentation.”

Collaboration is key to developing solutions

Partners will collectively work to develop solutions to overcome existing hurdles of observing technologies that are too expensive to purchase and sustain when conducted in isolation. They include three regional systems of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (PacIOOS in Hawaiʻi and the U.S. Pacific Islands, in the northwest U.S. and in Alaska); , a low-cost buoy and sensor company; and Indigenous partners from the Pacific Islands (villages in the Marshall Islands and American Samoa via the and the ), Washington coast (Quileute Tribe and Quinault Indian Nation) and Alaska (11 whaling villages in the Arctic).

In the initial phase of the project, partners will work to assess coastal community needs and determine how existing lower-cost Sofar Ocean Spotter wave buoy and Smart Mooring technologies can address those needs. Working together, they will develop community-driven stewardship programs that can maintain the buoys into the future in partnership with the regional ocean observing systems, utilizing the strengths of the regional systems to serve data to remote communities in ways that work for them.

The collaboration embraces new, lower-cost technologies and utilizes the power of local ownership for maintaining ocean observations that are critical to serve the blue economy worldwide. The Indigenous communities in turn will provide feedback on the utility of the technologies, as well as offer input on ocean conditions from centuries of local observations. The co-designed approach is in line with the focus of NSF’s Convergence Accelerator: advancing use-inspired solutions into practical applications that address large-scale societal challenges.

“Increased access to ocean data is essential for coastal communities’ safety and livelihoods,” said Iwamoto. “We are excited by how this project will help us to quickly advance our goals to address our user needs through collaboration with new and existing partners across disciplines and geographies.”

In addition to providing localized data for coastal communities, the data will be available for large-scale scientific research to improve understanding and prediction of coastal dynamics, especially in a changing ocean.

This project is an example of ����Vlog�ٷ� ����ԴDz�’s goal of (PDF), one of four goals identified in the (PDF), updated in December 2020.

The (PacIOOS) within the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is embarking upon a new five-year cooperative agreement with the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) through NOAA that helps hundreds of thousands of people each year. PacIOOS is receiving $3.08 million in competitive funding for the first year of this five-year award to collect, manage and serve coastal and ocean observing and forecasting data.

“Coastal resilience continues to be at the forefront of concerns throughout the islands, as increasing temperatures, flooding events and storm intensification threaten lives and livelihoods. We need accurate observations to improve our ability to make short- and long-term coastal and ocean predictions to protect our communities, shorelines and marine resources. I am pleased that PacIOOS is receiving federal funding to continue to serve as a regional data hub for the U.S. Pacific Islands,” said U.S. Sen. for Hawaiʻi, Brian Schatz.

The focus of the upcoming five years will be to sustain and enhance existing coastal and ocean observations and forecasts, support coastal resiliency and climate adaptation, and strive for a more balanced geographical coverage throughout the Pacific Islands region.

“Our network of real-time observations and short-term forecasts informs more than half a million users every year. Federal, state and county agencies, non-governmental organizations, and commercial and recreational ocean users utilize information from PacIOOS to inform their activities, operations, planning and response. Our team looks forward to collaborating with our partners and users to enhance coverage and serve Pacific Island communities,” said Melissa Iwamoto, principal investigator and director of PacIOOS.

Established in 2007 within the at ����Vlog�ٷ� Mānoa, PacIOOS has evolved from a pilot project focusing on Hawaiʻi to a regional system that also includes the U.S. territories, Freely Associated States and Minor Outlying Islands. PacIOOS collects real-time observations, generates forecasts and develops user-friendly data products and visualizations to help inform decision making. Wave buoy data and forecasts, wave run-up forecasts, sea surface current observations and predictions, and water quality measurements are among the information that PacIOOS offers.

In 2015, PacIOOS was the first regional association to receive certification from IOOS, meaning it provides high-quality data that meet federal standards. All data and tools are easily accessible, publicly available and free of charge.

“The Regional Associations link on-the-ground needs to our national system, ensuring its flexibility, responsiveness, and diversity while coordinating a network of regional coastal observing systems,” said Carl Gouldman, director of IOOS.

To support the continued growth, expansion and modernization of the nation’s coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes observing capabilities, IOOS awarded 11 regional associations with five-year cooperative agreements. A total of $41 million were awarded this year across the U.S. IOOS system.

This research is an example of ����Vlog�ٷ� ��ā�ԴDz�’s goal of (PDF), one of four goals identified in the (PDF), updated in December 2020.

A University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa undergraduate student literally swam for his student job. Peter Felicijan has long been engaged in a variety of academic, athletic and personal pursuits. From a small farming town in Prosser, Washington, Felicijan credits his high school clubs with teaching him leadership and nurturing his creative side.

During summers, Felicijan worked in the cherry orchards with his family to make extra money to pay for college. “It was a very humbling job and taught me to value my education and to push myself to be the best version of myself that I can imagine,” he said. “Everything I did in high school I have used to build and prepare myself for my future.”

His work ethic and enthusiasm has undoubtedly been a strength in the (GES) bachelor’s degree program in the at ����Vlog�ٷ� ��ā�ԴDz�’s (SOEST).

Nearshore sensor internship

Felicijan connected with Gordon Walker, an oceanographic technician with the (PacIOOS), after Walker came to Felicijan’s GES 100 class as a guest lecturer to share his work which uses near shore sensors to better understand water quality and the physical dynamics of coastal waters—sparking Felicijan’s interest.

Impressed by Felicijan’s enthusiasm and curiosity, Walker recommended him for an internship with the led by Margaret McManus, professor and chair of the Department of Oceanography. Walker and fellow technician Shaun Wriston taught Felicijan to download temperature, salinity and other water quality data from the sensors; make moorings and prepare sensors for field deployment.

After a successful semester-long internship, McManus offered Felicijan a paid position as a student assistant. His main responsibilities include assisting Walker and Wriston by snorkeling to recover nearshore sensors, downloading data and performing a variety of lab services or repairs to ensure the data are accurate.

“Before coming to ����Vlog�ٷ� I didn’t have any experience in this area of science or work,” said Felicijan. “All I knew was to work hard and perform my best every day. I have enjoyed the wonderful stress-free work environment that Gordon and Shaun have made. It is probably my best achievement this school year and something I am very proud of.”

This internship is an example of ����Vlog�ٷ� ��ā�ԴDz�’s goal of (PDF), one of four goals identified in the (PDF), updated in December 2020.

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–By Marcie Grabowski

A high-resolution, real-time wave run-up forecast tool, able to predict coastal flooding up to six days in advance, has been developed for the West Maui shoreline. The (PacIOOS) created the novel tool, which will help increase preparedness and coastal resiliency for West Maui community members, property owners, businesses, as well as state and county officials.

West Maui’s shoreline has experienced an increase in wave plus tide-driven flooding in recent years, and these events are expected to grow in numbers and duration due to sea-level rise and changing wave energies. Chronic coastal erosion is leading to severe damage of properties and the associated land-based sediment impairs the nearshore water quality. Wave overtopping and flooding also pose a major safety concern to infrastructure, in particular to Honoapiʻilani Highway, the only access point to West Maui.

“West Maui has an extremely complex nearshore environment. Waves, currents and water levels are influenced by the highly variable ocean floor, which ranges from deep ocean channels to shallow plateaus. This dynamic environment can lead to significant, yet unexpected, wave run-up and coastal flooding,” said co-investigator Douglas Luther, Department of Oceanography at University of Hawaiʻi ��ā�ԴDz�’s (SOEST). “The areas of impact and the severity of impact are not only a function of wave height, wave direction and tides. Our modeling efforts capture all the physical drivers that contribute to wave run-up, allowing us to shed light on this intricate interplay.”

The public is invited to join on Tuesday, June 8, 4–5 p.m. for an informational presentation via Zoom to introduce the new tool and answer questions. to receive log-in information.

Six-day outlook

To account for the complexity and differences along the West Maui shoreline, the team divided the shoreline into 12 regions. Each region, from Pāpalaua Wayside Park in the south to Lipoa Point in the north, has its own unique forecast that provides a six-day outlook of potential wave run-up.

With the dedicated support of volunteer citizen scientists, photo documentation has been collected in recent years to capture wave run-up and flooding events at various sites along the West Maui coastline. This database of photos is a key element for the project to better understand on-the-ground vulnerabilities. It also allowed the project team to establish region-specific thresholds, distinguishing between “light impacts,” “hazardous impacts,” and “critical impacts.”

Photo documentation

Tara Owens, (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant) coastal specialist and co-investigator for this project, said, “With the concentration of impacts in West Maui already, I am really pleased that the community now has a tool at hand that gives advance notice of potential flooding and run-up impacts. Knowing what to expect now and in the future will allow us to be proactive in our approaches to prepare and mitigate.”

The forecast will continue to evolve over time as more wave run-up events occur and additional photo documentation becomes available. Participants can get involved and help improve the forecast by collecting photo documentation of wave run-up events along the .

The forecast was developed by PacIOOS in collaboration with SOEST, Hawaiʻi Sea Grant, the County of Maui and the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources. The project was made possible through funding from NOAA’s Regional Coastal Resilience Grants Program. Additional funding was provided by the , Hawaiʻi Sea Grant and PacIOOS along with in-kind support from Ultimate Whale Watch, Sands of Kahana of Soleil Management and .

This effort is an example of ����Vlog�ٷ� ��ā�ԴDz�’s goal of (PDF), one of four goals identified in the (PDF), updated in December 2020.

–By Fiona Langenberger

Oceans are changing at an alarming rate, which has severe consequences on many valuable ecosystems, especially coral reefs. Researchers developed a new tool called the Hawaiian Koʻa (coral) Card to help monitor coral health and coral bleaching in Hawaiʻi. The card is at the Division of Aquatic Resources Offices on Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi Island and other select sites, allowing ocean users to develop a sense of kuleana (responsibility) and mālama (stewardship) for �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s reefs.

Kuʻulei Rodgers, a researcher at University of Hawaiʻi at ��ā�ԴDz�’s (HIMB) and senior author of the paper, and Keisha Bahr, an assistant professor at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and lead author of the paper, set out to develop an inexpensive, rapid and non-invasive coral health tool that could be used by the public to assess and report on coral health and bleaching severity. The research was .

Coral bleaching is a process wherein corals lose their symbiotic algae, zooxanthellae, which provide a significant food source and color to their coral host. The white coral skeleton is then visible through the transparent tissues giving a “bleached” appearance. Mortality will occur if the coral and symbiont relationship is not re-established quickly.

An easy and effective field method of determining the severity of bleaching is comparing different shades of color over time, between sites, and coral colonies. With the increasing occurrence of coral bleaching events, there was a pressing need to standardize observations across resource managers, community members and scientists when capturing the changes occurring on reefs.

“With our waters getting warmer, we don’t have the capacity to monitor every reef for bleaching and mortality. We needed more eyes in the water, and we needed to equip them with a tool to quantify their changes,” said Sarah Severino, a research assistant at HIMB.

How to use the Hawaiian Koʻa Card

The Hawaiian Koʻa Card is a waterproof color wheel, divided into four sections that represent the main color groups of corals found in Hawaiʻi. Each section of the card has colors that have dark to light shades, which represent the stages of coral bleaching.

“To use this tool you basically go up to the coral in the water, hold the card up, and you want to try to find the color that best represents the whole coral colony,” said Anita Tsang, a graduate assistant at HIMB’s Coral Reef Ecology Lab.

Each color on the Hawaiian Koʻa Card is represented by a number. When assessing a coral colony through the and view coral health conditions across the State of Hawaiʻi.

“A similar coral health color chart was developed in the 2000s for corals in the Indo-Pacific and has been very successful, but those corals are not well representative of the corals’ colors in Hawaiʻi,” said Bahr.

Community involvement leads to action

Since the development of the Hawaiian Koʻa Card, Bahr, Rodgers and their team have conducted several outreach and training events to reach resource managers, educators, students, community groups and individuals.

“It will allow us to identify where coral bleaching is happening and also identify areas of resilience, where we can focus our efforts,” said Tsang. “And that way managers can actually take action and directly address these issues.”

“In the past, resource users’ observations were the most effective way to determine coral reef conditions,” added Rodgers. “The Hawaiian Koʻa Card restores this skill and trains ocean users to detect these differences, giving individuals and communities a sense of kuleana and mālama for their reefs.”

Find more information about the or visit HIMB’s .

To better understand climate impacts on pelagic and coastal fisheries in Hawaiʻi, the (PacIOOS) Ocean Modeling Group was awarded $510,000 in grant funding by NOAA’s Climate Program Office.

A suite of projections will be developed to predict future changes through the end of the century in order to inform adaptive management strategies in the Pacific Islands region. Modeling results will be made available through PacIOOS, based at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (SOEST).

In the southern portion of the subtropical gyre, Hawaiʻi marine ecosystems are impacted by waters from the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre as well as the western Pacific—creating a distinct regime for ocean life to thrive. Climate change will alter planetary circulation, resulting in potentially longer and more intense marine heat waves in the Pacific and potentially stronger El Niño impacts.

Modeling regional, island-scale changes

Combining state-of-the-art global, regional and island-scale numerical models, the project team strives to identify the mechanisms and predict how large-scale climate will influence �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s ocean environment and associated impacts to fisheries.

“We will utilize global climate ensemble projections and downscale them to physical and biogeochemistry models specifically for Hawaiʻi. We have validated our model runs with over 50 million observations over the past 10 years, allowing us to train and fine-tune the model,” said project-lead Brian Powell, a professor in SOEST’s Department of Oceanography.

Malte Stuecker, assistant professor in the Department of Oceanography, and PacIOOS Research Scientist Tobias Friedrich, will implement the modeling efforts.

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–By Fiona Langenberger

To support ongoing efforts to sustain and enhance coastal and ocean observing in the U.S. Pacific Islands region, the (PacIOOS) received $4.26 million in federal funding. PacIOOS helps to increase ocean safety, protect public and environmental health and support the economy. This funding cycle marks the last year of a 5-year cooperative agreement with the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System.

PacIOOS, based at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa , currently owns and operates more than 35 observing platforms throughout the Pacific Islands region, including the State of Hawaiʻi, the U.S. territories and U.S. Freely Associated States. PacIOOS also maintains modeling data that inform coastal, ocean and atmospheric forecasts.

PacIOOS information is used by the National Weather Service for ocean forecasts, harbor pilots for safe marine navigation, coastal managers for inundation forecasts and recreational users for surfing, fishing, boating and other activities. Accurate and reliable data of waves, currents, water quality, wave run-up and more can be accessed for free on the PacIOOS website via a variety of visualization tools that allow for easy access.

“PacIOOS observations from buoys, sensors, stations and animal tags provide information about the most recent coastal and ocean conditions, and the data help to improve short- and long-term forecasts. We are establishing time series that can record changes in the ocean environment and detect trends over time. Pacific Island communities are vulnerable to sea level rise and extreme weather events—our data empower decision-makers and coastal communities to make safe and informed decisions,” said Melissa Iwamoto, director of PacIOOS. “As PacIOOS embarks upon our 13th year in operation, we are grateful for the continued funding support and trust in our system.”

Expansion of observing assets

This year, PacIOOS also received funding from the U.S. State Department and is partnering with federal and local agencies to expand its network of real-time wave buoys in the insular Pacific. Large areas in the Freely Associated States currently lack real-time data, posing a safety concern both on land and in the ocean. Three new wave buoy sites are planned, and additional buoys will be available to maximize operational uptime. Capacity building and training are also in development to expand technical expertise among local partners and authorities.

Additional funding from NOAA will help replace PacIOOS’ aging instrumentation and infrastructure in Hawaiʻi and increase observations in the insular Pacific. Plans are underway to provide real-time sea surface currents information between the islands of Guam and Rota (part of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands), an area known for its challenging ocean conditions. Real-time and modeled data of currents are extremely important for search and rescue operations and to inform the safety of ocean users.

Contributing to national network

PacIOOS is one of 11 regional associations of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®). More than $39 million was awarded in 2020 across the U.S. IOOS. Regional associations coordinate local coastal and ocean observing and decision-support projects to address community needs that integrate into the national system.

PacIOOS is currently developing a new (2021–2026) and a 10-year outlook. To provide suggestions and input, contact info@pacioos.org.

Researchers have been tagging sharks for decades to learn about their habits and migration patterns. In recent years, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers have tapped tiger sharks to help capture other data critical to measuring changes in the ocean and weather, all while they continue to swim out their normal lives.

Research Professor Kim Holland at the has been studying sharks for 30 years. Holland and his team have been attaching tags to tiger sharks off of Oʻahu and Maui to collect data that will help feed into oceanographic and meteorological models.

“Sharks play an extremely important role in the world’s ecosystems,” Holland said. “So it’s really important for us to know what habitats they choose, how far they go, what their behavior is.”

����Vlog�ٷ� researchers travel by boat and lay out lines with bait and hooks. When a tiger shark takes the bait, researchers pull the shark close to secure it front and back to the boat and flip it over, putting the tiger shark into a temporary state of inactivity called tonic immobility. During this time, researchers measure the tiger shark, and when it’s flipped back over, they have a few minutes to attach a tag to its dorsal fin before it wakes up and swims away.

The tags work as very small, sophisticated computers measuring ocean depth, temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen and light levels. When a tagged tiger shark comes to the water’s surface, the tag’s antenna will transmit the data collected via satellite and land-based stations.

“So we’re trying to increase the amount of science that we can get out of these tracking projects, by employing this new generation of tags,” said Holland. “Which tells us not only where the shark is going and how deep it is, but also is telling us about its environment.”

The based at ����Vlog�ٷ� Mānoa, and the Integrated Ocean Observing System are supporting this project and are in the process of making the oceanographic data available through the Animal Telemetry Network.

“We can provide data on a much denser more frequent basis than traditional oceanography can,” said Holland. “This will improve our understanding of how the ocean is rapidly changing and this in turn can improve weather forecasting.”

����Vlog�ٷ� researchers choose to work with tiger sharks because they can study their behavior and impact on human safety, as tiger sharks are the species most involved in attacks on humans. Tiger sharks have a significant role in the environment as a top-level predator and are easier for researchers to work with because of their susceptibility to tonic immobility. However, Holland hopes the research will expand to other species including blue sharks and hammerhead sharks, which travel to other parts of the ocean and have different diving patterns.

—By Sarah Hendrix

Hawaiʻi and other Pacific islands highly depend on the delivery of goods transported by sea. In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical to keep marine transportation, port navigation and other coastal activities safe and efficient to support island communities.

The (PacIOOS), based at the University of Hawaiʻi at ��ā�ԴDz�’s , collects and provides coastal and ocean observations that directly inform decision-making for safe ocean practices.

Captain Tom Heberle, president of the Hawaiʻi Pilots Association said, “Hawaiʻi’s state licensed port pilots are responsible for safely maneuvering large vessels such as container ships and oil tankers in and out of our commercial harbors. Real-time environmental data from PacIOOS such as wave height, current and wind speed readings provides us with the information needed to help ensure smooth delivery of essential consumer goods to Hawaiʻi’s residents.”

PacIOOS maintains an array of coastal and ocean observing assets throughout the Pacific islands to collect data, including real-time information on waves, sea surface currents, ocean temperature and wind. PacIOOS also generates high-resolution forecasts of wave run-up and inundation, wave and atmospheric conditions and currents.

“We believe coastal and ocean information helps save lives and protects livelihoods and resources, and our team is doing everything we can to safely and responsibly fulfill our vision and mission during these uncertain times. We are committed to serving our partners and stakeholders across the region with reliable coastal and ocean observations and forecasts,” said Melissa Iwamoto, director of PacIOOS.

All of PacIOOS’ data is freely . Commercial and recreational ocean users, such as fishermen, shipping companies, boaters and surfers, as well as agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather Service and the U.S. Coast Guard, rely on this type of information.

PacIOOS is one of 11 regional associations within a national network, the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System.

–By Fiona Langenberger

, the (PacIOOS) at the and partners have launched a new buoy in American Samoa’s Fagatele Bay national marine sanctuary. The buoy will measure carbon dioxide and other important seawater characteristics within the bay’s vibrant tropical coral reef ecosystem.

“This new monitoring effort in a remote area of the Pacific Ocean will not only advance our understanding of changing ocean chemistry but will also help us communicate these changes to diverse stakeholders in the Pacific Islands and across the United States,” said Derek Manzello, coral ecologist with NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory.

Fagatele Bay is home to more than 160 species of coral, as well as giant clams, fish, dolphins and the critically endangered hawksbill sea turtle. Coral reefs and shellfish are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of increasing carbon dioxide in our ocean. As the ocean absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, the acidity of seawater increases. This is known as ocean acidification, which can threaten the ability of shellfish and corals to build their skeletons, hamper new coral growth and accelerate reef erosion. The loss of coral reefs impacts local economies, affects the health of fisheries and tourism, and exposes coastal communities to increased storm surge.

Supporting ongoing coral reef research

“PacIOOS is excited to collaborate with NOAA and many local resource management agencies to implement this valuable ocean observing asset in the Pacific Islands region,” said Chip Young, PacIOOS operations coordinator. “This new buoy site in the Southern Hemisphere will support the ongoing coral reef research being conducted by NOAA and other agencies in the region with near real-time observations, and complement two similar existing coral reef monitoring sites in Kāneʻohe Bay and on the south shore of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi.”

The buoy measures carbon dioxide in the atmosphere as well as seawater measurements of carbon dioxide, temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and chlorophyll. All data can be viewed online on the and websites.

Partners in the project include the National Park of American Samoa, Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources of American Samoa, Coral Reef Advisory Group of American Samoa, PacIOOS and NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Program, Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, Coral Reef Conservation Program, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center and National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa.

—By Fiona Langenberger