University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers revealed that Waikīkī is facing a fundamental shift in flood hazards as sea levels rise—transitioning from a flooding that is driven primarily by rainfall to events increasingly dominated by tidal processes. The team identified two key pathways that will become more significant with sea-level rise, both of which will increase public exposure to sewage-contaminated waters. The study was published in .

“Our findings make clear that current flood management strategies for Waikīkī are incomplete,” said Kayla Yamamoto, climate modeling analyst at the in the ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ Mānoa (SOEST). “Most planning focuses on surface damage and economic loss from storms, but largely ignores the contamination dimension. Our results show that contaminated flooding will become more frequent, more extensive, and eventually a daily occurrence rather than a storm-driven one. There are currently no effective management strategies in place to address this.”

Simulating future scenarios

The team used an open-source, physics-based flood model to simulate how multiple flood sources interact in Waikīkī. The team used an advanced flood model that, unlike previous models, integrates all sources of flooding—rain, tides, underground water behavior, and storm drains—to provide a single, complete view of the hazard

“What we found is that during extreme rainfall like we’ve been experiencing, high tides and elevated water levels in the Ala Wai can combine to create conditions where contaminated water flows back into low-lying streets and sidewalks,” said Shellie Habel, study co-author and coastal geologist with the Coastal Research Collaborative and . “As sea level rises, it will take less extreme rainfall and tides to cause similar flooding in the future.”

The two key pathways they identified were: storm drain backflow, where polluted water from the Ala Wai Canal is forced into streets and public spaces in Waikīkī through drainage systems, and groundwater emergence, which brings sewage and other contaminants from aging and leaking sewage infrastructure to the surface.

The model simulations show that storm drain backflow is projected to occur even when there is no rainfall:

• 1 foot of sea-level rise: Storm drain backflow occurs during extreme tides, even without rain.
• 2 feet of sea-level rise: Storm drain backflow occurs during moderate daily tidal conditions.
• 4 feet of sea-level rise: Groundwater emergence (bringing sewage to the surface) begins to occur without rain.

Researchers compared their model simulations against tide gauges, canal water level sensors, groundwater monitoring wells, and photographs of street-level flooding during three real recent storm events, including a major 50-year Kona storm in December 2021, a moderate storm in April 2023, and a five-year Kona storm in May 2024.

Implications for Waikīkī, beyond

The Ala Wai Canal is one of the most polluted waterways in Hawaiʻi, containing sewage, heavy metals and pathogens such as Vibrio and MRSA. Exposure to these waters is a documented risk, with MRSA infections linked to Hawaiʻi waters already contributing to an estimated 200 deaths per year in the state. Because Waikīkī is a primary economic engine where residents and visitors are in constant contact with coastal waters, the anticipated flooding represents a growing public health and environmental crisis.

Many coastal cities around the world rely on estuarine waterways to drain their stormwater, and face the same combination of aging infrastructure, rising seas and contaminated waters.

“Our modeling framework is transferable, and we hope this study serves as a wake-up call to modernize stormwater and wastewater infrastructure, integrate contamination risk into coastal flood planning, and build early warning systems before these thresholds are crossed,” Yamamoto said.

Internationally acclaimed poet and Marshall Islands climate envoy Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner, who is serving as the Spring 2026 Dan and Maggie Inouye Distinguished Chair in Democratic Ideals at the University of Hawaiʻi at ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹, will deliver a keynote lecture and poetry performance on April 1 at Orvis Auditorium. The free, public event invites the campus and broader community to hear directly from one of the Pacific’s leading voices on climate and justice.

As this year’s Inouye Chair, Jetñil-Kijiner is engaging the community on urgent issues shaping democratic life. Her lecture explores how the climate crisis in the Marshall Islands is inseparable from histories of colonialism, nuclear testing and displacement, offering a powerful, Pacific-centered perspective that connects lived experience to global climate conversations.

“As a writer, performer and diplomat, she moves across disciplines while creating art that brings people together,” said Peter Arnade, dean of the . “She offers a vital Pacific voice against the violence of the past and present. She reminds us what poetry can do, and why the humanities matter in a dehumanizing age.”

Jetñil-Kijiner currently serves as a climate envoy for the Marshall Islands, where she works on international climate diplomacy and national adaptation policy.

“Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner is a force in culture and climate diplomacy,” said Joyce Mariano, chair of the . “She has ignited audiences with poetry and performance from Majuro to Suva, Brisbane to Bonn. Her work will resonate deeply in Hawaiʻi, and we are thrilled to have her in residence.”

Jetñil-Kijiner is co-teaching a class at ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ and holding regular workshops with students. She will also headline a community arts event at Native Books Hawaiʻi on April 17 at 6 p.m.

Inouye chair

The Dan and Maggie Inouye Distinguished Chair in Democratic Ideals, established by the late Senator Daniel Inouye and his wife, is jointly administered by ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹â€™s and the .

This event is produced in collaboration with Hawaiʻi Contemporary and in partnership with the ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ Better Tomorrow Speaker Series, a joint venture of ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹, Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, Kamehameha Schools and ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ Foundation. For more information or contact btss@hawaii.edu.

From 135 mph wind gusts on Hawaiʻi Island to 62 inches of rainfall on Maui, a recent Kona low system brought weather conditions usually reserved for major hurricanes to the state. These extreme totals were captured by the University of ±á²¹·É²¹¾±ʻ¾±â€™s Hawaiʻi Mesonet, a weather monitoring system that is mapping localized threats across areas that previously had no data available. ¶«¾«Ó°Òµâ€™s Hawaiʻi Climate Data Portal team created a report on the storm.

Alongside immense flooding, the storm brought destructive winds. The Hawaiʻi Mesonet station at Kaiāulu Puʻuwaʻawaʻa on Hawaiʻi Island recorded a maximum wind gust of 135.4 mph. Winds were briefly sustained at speeds equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane, averaging 105 mph over a 15-minute period.

Maui was hit the hardest, with peak rainfall totals reaching 62 inches in localized regions. Hawaiʻi Island also saw heavy precipitation, with areas recording 16–32 inches, and isolated spots also nearing 62 inches. Both Kauaʻi and Oʻahu recorded maximum totals ranging 16–32 inches. Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi experienced peak amounts 4–16 inches.

The upper elevations of Haleakalā experienced the most extreme rainfall, with 33.2 inches falling during the 24-hr period beginning March 13 at 8:30 a.m., nearly double the highest 24-hr rainfall previously recorded there. That amount is much greater than the NOAA‘s official estimate of 19.7 inches in 24 hours for the 1000-year storm (the rainfall amount with a 0.1% chance of being equalled or exceeded in any given year). Rainfall was even higher at the Kuiki Hawaiʻi Mesonet station on the east rim of Haleakalā crater with 36 inches falling in 24 hours beginning at 6 p.m. on March 13. This amount exceeded the NOAA 24-hr 1000-year extreme rainfall estimate of 28.5 inches.

“Before the project began, Hawaiʻi was one of only 20 states without a comprehensive statewide weather monitoring system, meaning we previously had no access to information in many of these areas,” said Tom Giambelluca, Hawaiʻi Mesonet project lead, and former director of the ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ Water Resources Research Center. “Now, the system is constantly collecting data on rainfall, soil moisture, and other weather variables that can tell us in real time if an area is highly susceptible to fires or flooding, which ultimately allows us to be as prepared as possible”

To make this information accessible, ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ launched a real-time weather dashboard offering public access to live weather data from more than 70 monitoring stations currently active across the state. The dashboard updates data every 15 minutes, allowing users to view current, localized conditions including temperature, rainfall, wind, humidity, solar radiation and soil moisture. This creates one of the most comprehensive and timely weather resources available in Hawaiʻi.

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo will lead a new $1.2 million, three-year grant funded by NASA to better understand how ±á²¹·É²¹¾±ʻ¾±â€™s coastlines can withstand climate change while expanding hands-on research and workforce development opportunities for students across the 10-campus ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ System.

John Burns, an associate professor of will co-lead the project with Haunani Kane, assistant professor of at the ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ .

“We are very excited to connect students from across the ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ system through applied research experiences that help build educational pathways into careers in science and conservation,” said Burns.

The team will study how sea level rise and warming oceans are affecting coral reefs and nearshore areas. Students will learn satellite mapping, drone surveys, reef modeling and data analysis. They will also work with faculty, community partners and NASA scientists.

Burns directs ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ ±á¾±±ô´Ç’s , where he creates detailed three-dimensional maps of reefs. Those maps show how storms, bleaching and human activity change reef structure and health over time.

—By Susan Enright

A team of researchers are calling for a new generation of carefully designed ocean iron fertilization (OIF) field trials to determine whether this marine carbon dioxide (CO2) removal method can safely and effectively leverage a natural ocean process to pull CO2 out of the atmosphere. Led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the authors, including two from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, argue that larger, longer studies with rigorous monitoring and clear “go/no-go” safeguards, are needed to accurately assess OIF as a potential long-term CO2 storage solution. The paper was .

“The ocean science community must explore all possible means for reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, and identify any unintended ecological consequences,” said David Karl, co-author, professor of and director of the in the ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ Mānoa (SOEST). “Humans continue to pollute our planet; the time for bold action is now.”

Past OIF field studies found that relatively tiny additions of iron in some parts of the ocean can stimulate the growth of small, plant-like organisms known as phytoplankton that live in the surface ocean. These organisms use sunlight and CO2 dissolved in seawater to grow and multiply, which in turn pulls more CO2 out of the atmosphere into the surface ocean in the process. However, those early experiments were not designed to assess the efficacy, durability and feasibility of OIF, nor did they specifically evaluate the broader ecological and biogeochemical impacts of large-scale additions of iron.

The next generation of trials would need to capture phytoplankton bloom development, and the process of bloom decay, the fate of newly produced carbon, and any potential ecosystem impacts. The authors propose experiments lasting more than 3–6 months and spanning an area of about 1,000 square kilometers, with an explicit requirement to document a return to natural conditions after iron additions end.

The authors suggested the Gulf of Alaska in the Northeast Pacific as a promising location based on the region’s low-iron conditions, the availability of decades of research in the area at Ocean Station Papa, evidence of natural iron-driven blooms in the past, and physical characteristics that may help keep the iron-fertilized patch from dispersing too rapidly.

Traditional Hawaiian fishponds (loko iʻa) are emerging as a model for climate resilience, according to a study from the University of Hawaiʻi at at ²Ñā²Ô´Ç²¹â€™s (HIMB). The research, published in , revealed Indigenous aquaculture systems effectively shield fish populations from the negative impacts of climate change, demonstrating resilience and bolstering local food security.

“Our study is one of the first in academic literature to compare the temperatures between loko iʻa and the surrounding bay and how these temperature differences may be reflected in potential fish productivity,” said lead author Annie Innes-Gold, a recent PhD graduate from ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ. “We found that although rising water temperature may lead to declines in fish populations, loko iʻa fish populations were more resilient (fish populations did not decline as much as fish populations in the surrounding estuary) to rising water temperatures than those in the surrounding estuary. This result is likely due to the temperature regulation that the loko iʻa receives from freshwater input, both at the surface and below the ground.”

The authors found that the combined benefits of fisheries regulations, nutrient flow restoration, and restocking were found to offset some of the potentially negative effects of warming on fish populations and substantially increase short– and long–term estuarine and loko iʻa fish density.

Ancient tech for modern management

Innes-Gold worked with an interdisciplinary team that included university researchers, resource managers and loko iʻa practitioners.

“These findings highlight how important freshwater inputs are as a source of temperature regulation,” said Innes-Gold. “They also support the importance of biocultural restoration in terms of enhancing fish populations and increasing social–ecological resilience in a changing climate.”

For Hawaiʻi, the findings demonstrate the value that Indigenous knowledge and systems have on guiding modern science.

“Loko iʻa are a system unique to Hawaiʻi, and their restoration can have wide–reaching benefits including cultural preservation, education, healthy ecosystems, food security, and now—from what we found in our study—also climate resilience,” said Innes-Gold.

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Four postgraduate fellows from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa were selected to work directly with Hawaiʻi-based organizations through the (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant) E. Gordon Grau Coastal and Marine Resource Management and Policy Fellowship Program (Grau Fellowship).

“We’re thrilled to mark the sixth year of the Grau Fellowship, which has grown to include 18 Grau Fellows in this newest cohort,” said Maya Walton, Hawaiʻi Sea Grant assistant director for research and fellowships. “The host offices, dedicated mentors, and Hawaiʻi Sea Grant staff and faculty are all collaborating to provide the practical training and experience necessary to prepare the next generation of professionals working at the interface of science, policy and resource management.”

Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR)

Olivia Boucher will focus on DAR’s Holomua Marine Initiative, building and expanding on the work of past fellows who designed island-based management strategies and community-based monitoring plans for this initiative. Boucher will focus her efforts on community engagement, policy research, and cross-sector collaboration that will help bridge science, the public and decision-making. Boucher holds a master of environmental management from ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ ²Ñā²Ô´Ç²¹â€™s (NREM).

Department of Land and Natural Resources Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands

Leigh Engel will be supporting the Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands in managing and protecting Hawaiʻi’s shoreline resources. She will be implementing place-based approaches that mirror natural systems to address coastal erosion and hazard mitigation, while advancing long-term goals of conserving beaches, dunes, estuaries and other vital ecosystems. Engel earned a master of science in NREM from ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ Mānoa, where she was also a Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center Scholar.

City and County of Honolulu Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resilience

Maddy McKenna will be working with the Coastal and Water Program team to implement the city’s adaptation strategy, honoring both Western science and Indigenous ecological knowledge in developing people-centered solutions for Oʻahu’s threatened coastlines. McKenna earned a master of arts in climate and society from Columbia University, and a PhD in from ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ Mānoa.

Matt Miller will work on cutting-edge climate mitigation strategies such as managed retreat and to support and enhance the city’s partnerships with community-based organizations. His goal is to use his experience researching severe and shifting weather in the tropics to help build a resilient Oʻahu through planning and outreach measures. Miller earned a master of science in atmospheric science from ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ Mānoa.

The paid fellowship, named in honor of Emeritus Professor E. Gordon Grau, Hawaiʻi Sea Grant’s visionary former director, provides early career professionals the opportunity to obtain relevant resource management and policy experience in Hawaiʻi and, for many, to pursue career opportunities in their home state.

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–By Cindy Knapman

A University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa project aimed at boosting climate resilience on Oʻahu’s Waiʻanae coast has been awarded a $2.4 million grant from the Department of Defense’s Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation. Led by the (CRC) in the (SOEST), the “Building Climate Resilience in Waiʻanae Moku” initiative will address escalating threats from natural hazards. This funding will support efforts to safeguard communities and critical military infrastructure in the Lualualei Annex, ensuring a more resilient future for the geographically vulnerable leeward region.

“Located in a region highly vulnerable to wildland fires, extreme heat, drought, coastal erosion, flooding, and compound hazard events, Waiʻanae Moku faces growing risks that jeopardize community resilience, transportation access, and effective military operations,” said Juliette Budge, project lead and operations project manager with CRC. “This project integrates cutting-edge climate hazard modeling with robust community engagement to build resilience across both military and civilian landscapes.”

“A hallmark of the project is its inclusive, participatory approach,” said Chip Fletcher, SOEST dean and director of CRC. “The funding specifically supports the creation of two key advisory bodies that will bring together installation leadership, local agencies, and, most importantly, community representatives. This structure ensures that adaptation strategies reflect shared priorities and are grounded in local, place-based knowledge.”

18-month initiative

The 18-month initiative will culminate in an installation readiness assessment, prioritized adaptation projects, and a comprehensive action plan that enhances both defense capabilities and regional resilience.

CRC researchers will develop high-resolution computer models simulating future wildfire behavior, rainfall-induced flooding, groundwater inundation, coastal erosion, and wave-driven flooding under various coastal flooding scenarios. These models will identify threatened infrastructure, assess risk timelines, and inform adaptation strategies. Results will be shared through an interactive geospatial platform and maps that can guide future decision-making, planning, and investment.

Engaging communities

Broader engagement with surrounding neighborhoods will ensure that the final action plan is a collective effort, reflecting the shared needs of the region. By integrating local knowledge with scientific data, CRC and its partners, including Clay Trauernicht, wildfire expert with ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ ²Ñā²Ô´Ç²¹â€™s ’s Ecosystems and Landcare Program, will co-develop a comprehensive plan that directly addresses the shared vulnerabilities of the region’s interconnected roads, utilities and emergency response systems, allowing communities to be better prepared to adapt to and recover from future climate disruptions.

The project is modeled after the Koʻolau Poko Readiness Review, a collaborative effort between the City and County of Honolulu Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency and the Coastal Research Collaborative that was recognized with an Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award from the Hawaiʻi Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

The lyrics of traditional Okinawan songs were found to record past climate and geological history of the Ryukyu Islands (now called Okinawa Prefecture, Japan), according to a new study by a University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Earth scientist and fellow Ryukyuan music practitioners. Their study was published in and was selected as an Editor’s Choice article by the journal’s publisher.

“This paper is a proof-of-concept for using classical Ryukyuan music as records of Indigenous knowledge,” said Justin Higa, lead author of the study and postdoctoral fellow in the at the ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ Mānoa (SOEST). “This work aims to show how science and culture are not two distinct entities, but can be combined to teach both Indigenous arts and Indigenous science.”

Bridge between science, culture

The study assessed a repertoire of Indigenous Ryukyuan classical music that documented the 18th–century ocean voyages of envoys from the Ryukyu Kingdom and the winds, waves, and volcanoes they observed along the way. With Higa’s geologic background and the musical expertise of master instructors June Uyeunten and Kenton Odo, the authors worked together to combine Indigenous Ryukyuan knowledge in song with Western scientific knowledge in the scientific literature to find where the knowledge matched.

The authors are all classical Ryukyuan music practitioners with the Ryukyu Koten Afuso Ryu Ongaku Kenkyu Choichi Kai USA, Hawaiʻi Chapter, a music school with groups on Oʻahu, Maui, and Kauaʻi and in Los Angeles.

Matching ancient observations with modern data

By comparing these observations with 20th– to 21st–century scientific literature, they found wind directions in the songs match seasonal changes following the East Asian Monsoon season and that rough ocean conditions may be related to Pacific Ocean circulation patterns and typhoons in the past and currently. They also interpreted a record of an 18th–century volcanic eruption on an isolated island.

“Indigenous knowledge, tied to the land someone is most familiar with, is one avenue for applying place-based learning to make complex environmental science more accessible to general learners,” said Higa. “Identifying sources of Indigenous knowledge, by the knowledge holders/practitioners themselves, is a unique opportunity to make new connections between art and science, improve how we connect science to the daily lives of Indigenous Peoples, and ensure the correct interpretation and usage of Indigenous knowledge.”

With 2025 marking the 125th anniversary of Okinawan immigration to Hawaiʻi, incorporating geoscience and his Okinawan heritage in this publication is especially meaningful to Higa.

“I hope this work can help connect the descendants of Okinawan immigrants in Hawaiʻi, who generations later, may not speak the language, with the arts and knowledge recorded in these songs,” said Higa. “More of these descendants may then be inspired to become scientists or Indigenous practitioners, or both.”

In the future, the authors hope to catalog more classical and folk Ryukyuan songs to document additional historical records of environmental science, including water resources, ocean life, and flora and fauna.

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s (HIMB) developed a plan to prepare Moku o Loʻe (Coconut Island) for predicted sea-level rise, providing a template for how other islands can do the same. With its comprehensive Mālama ʻĀina Plan for Moku o Loʻe, HIMB is charting a new course for environmental stewardship at ¶«¾«Ó°Òµ. Grounded in Indigenous knowledge and practices (ʻike kupuna), the plan positions the university as a global leader in sustainable land and ocean management, offering an example for other islands grappling with environmental challenges.

The plan provides a holistic framework for the care and management of Moku o Loʻe, a 29-acre island in Kāneʻohe Bay that serves as HIMB’s home. Moving beyond conventional conservation, the plan is framed around Indigenous stewardship principles, particularly the eight considerations of pono (values-based) stewardship developed by Hawaiʻi’s ʻAha Kiole (people’s councils) in the pre-aliʻi (chief) era. It addresses critical issues such as shoreline erosion and sea-level rise through both near- and long-term strategies, while emphasizing biocultural stewardship practices to restore a sense of place, expand cultural and physical access, and enrich educational and research legacies.

“This plan envisions our stewardship of the island and the science we do here as fundamentally interdependent and valued,” said HIMB Director Megan Donahue. “It’s about ensuring that our research and education not only advance understanding of the ocean but also contribute to the health and resilience of our ʻāina and our community for generations to come.”

Stewardship walk

¶«¾«Ó°Òµ President Wendy Hensel visited Moku o Loʻe on September 5, to learn more about the institute’s groundbreaking research and new stewardship plan. The visit began with a cultural and historical briefing from HIMB Associate Professor Kawika Winter before Hensel was greeted on the island with a welcoming oli (chant) and lei from the HIMB community. Joined by representatives from the Castle Foundation, which supported the plan’s creation, she was briefed on the Mālama ʻĀina Plan, a first-of-its-kind template for island resilience.

“The work happening on Moku o Loʻe is truly at the forefront of marine science, and the Mālama ʻĀina Plan provides a powerful framework for its future,” Hensel said. “It is inspiring to see how our faculty and students are blending cutting-edge research with vital educational outreach and a deep respect for place. This plan is a prime example of how the University of Hawaiʻi is leading the way in developing resilient, culturally grounded solutions to global challenges.”

Collaborative effort

The plan was led by the Principal Investigators Phoebe White ASLA from the School of Architecture and Priyam Das PhD, from the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, and included the active participation of HIMB faculty, staff and students; the Kūpuna Council for the Heʻeia National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR); and other respected leaders in the Native Hawaiian and local community. This collaborative approach, guided by cultural practitioners and subject matter experts, allowed for the exploration of place-based climate adaptation strategies that are responsive to Hawaiʻi’s unique context.

“Our work at NERR has consistently shown the power of weaving Indigenous Knowledge with university science,” said Winter, who is also NERR director. “The Mālama ʻĀina Plan exemplifies this synergy, demonstrating how community-driven stewardship, deeply informed by ancestral wisdom, can lead to effective and sustainable management of our resources. This is how we bring ʻāina momona—abundant land—back to our communities.”

Moku o Loʻe hosts a living laboratory for biocultural restoration, where research, education and community engagement are inextricably linked to the well-being of the island and its surrounding marine environment.

“Our kuleana, our responsibility, is to care for this special place,” said Aimee Sato, HIMB stewardship coordinator. “The Mālama ʻĀina Plan provides us with a clear roadmap, guiding our daily actions and long-term goals. It’s about perpetuating the Hawaiʻi values of mālama ʻāina and aloha, ensuring that the people and community of Moku o Loʻe thrive.”

–By Maria Frostic