School of Life Sciences' Friday Seminar

March 13, 3:30pm - 4:30pm
Mānoa Campus, Bilger 150

"Marine Stewardship Through the Lenses of Loko I驶a and Mauka-Makai Interactions" - Speaker: Dr. N膩koa Farrant, Assistant Professor, School of Life Sciences * Abstract: The reciprocal relationships that Native Hawaiians form with 驶膩ina are rooted in the interconnectedness of terrestrial and marine ecosystems, overlapping with principles of ridge-to-reef stewardship that are gaining popularity. Communities restoring dozens of loko i驶a (Hawaiian fishponds) and other biocultural systems across Hawai驶i perpetuate these practices today. Many loko i驶a are situated along the coast to leverage the exchange of nutrients and energy to create nurseries for fish and amplify abundance in marine ecosystems. Yet questions persist regarding how past and present land uses impact restoration and what strategies could enhance the function of loko i驶a as hubs of marine resilience. I combine quantitative and qualitative methods and observe processes across scales from microbially-mediated nutrient cycling to changes in landscape ecology to investigate mauka-makai dynamics and their implications for loko i驶a restoration. Through this diversity of methods, I aim to uplift community voices and bridge ancestral knowledge and contemporary observations to advance our understanding of the role that loko i驶a can play in culturally grounded, community-led marine conservation.


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School of Life Sciences, Mānoa Campus

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