Visualizing a future where to survive rising tides has earned a University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa research team the 2026 Architectural Research Centers Consortium (ARCC) Best Journal Article Award.

The team leveraged scientific data, studies and community participation to create architectural renderings that visualize how 奥补颈办ī办ī鈥檚 built environment can be modified to accommodate future flooding.

“By merging climate science with architectural design and integrating direct community feedback, we are creating forward-looking, actionable visions that will help coastal communities like Waikīkī successfully adapt to the growing realities of sea-level rise,” said Wendy Meguro, principal investigator and associate professor.

Selected for its “exceptional quality, methodological rigor, and relevance to the field,” was honored in April at the 2026 ARCC–EAAE International Conference at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia.

Engaging stakeholders

The research engaged more than 1,000 individuals, including residents, urban planners, government employees and local business owners. Presentations of these strategies have drawn hundreds of participants from recreation, hotel and restaurant industries. The findings are already being utilized by the City and County of Honolulu, the State of Hawaiʻi and the Honolulu Climate Change Commission to guide adaptation policies.

“This recognition underscores the immense value of community-driven design in climate resilience,” said research associate Josephine Briones. “Our process shows that when you actively listen to stakeholders and combine their local insights with rigorous scientific evidence, the resulting adaptation strategies become much more practical, impactful and relevant.”

Authored by Meguro, Briones, German “Gerry” Failano and Charles “Chip” Fletcher, the project represents a partnership between the , and . It was funded by Hawaiʻi Sea Grant, National Sea Grant and the Office of Naval Research.

The one-year anniversary of the official designation of Papahānaumokuākea as a National Marine Sanctuary was celebrated on March 3, a historic milestone in the ongoing protection of one of the most sacred and ecologically significant places on Earth. In recognition of this anniversary, the (PMDP), (SAC) and the (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant) are starting the new, community-centered initiative, Papahānaumokuākea: Bringing the Place to the People.

Papahānaumokuākea is a place of profound cultural, ecological and ancestral significance. Yet for many, it remains distant and abstract. The project seeks to bridge that distance by fostering meaningful, community-led engagement that deepens public awareness, stewardship, trust and cultural connection to the Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary. Beginning in summer and fall 2026, PMDP, SAC and Hawaiʻi Sea Grant will host community talk story sessions on Hawaiʻi Island (Hilo and Kona), Maui, Lānaʻi, Molokaʻi, Oʻahu and Kauaʻi.

This initiative centers Native Hawaiian voices, values and leadership, elevating cultural resource conservation and protection as foundational to the sanctuary鈥檚 past, present and future. Their vision is a living, island-to-island exchange where communities do not simply learn about Papahānaumokuākea, but actively shape how its story, stewardship and future are carried forward.

Rooted in listening

These gatherings are not presentations delivered to communities, they are conversations rooted in listening. This initiative allows SAC, whose kuleana is to represent the communities, to learn directly from each island community and amplify their voices. The sessions will explore how Western science and Indigenous knowledge systems can be meaningfully integrated, community perspectives on stewardship and management, cultural resource protection priorities, opportunities for youth engagement and leadership, and how communities wish to remain connected to Papahānaumokuākea.

Community organizations, cultural practitioners, educators and schools, conservation groups, youth leaders, kupuna and ʻike holders, and interested individuals are invited to express their interest in hosting, partnering or participating in a talk story session on their island. The initiative is an invitation to listen, learn and steward together.

The initiative was funded by the . Find more information on .

Following a competitive proposal process initiated in October 2025, the (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant) announced five organizations to establish the first–of–its–kind Community Funding Hubs for Resilience and ʻĀina Stewardship. The five regional hubs are across the moku/hui moku (districts) of West Kauaʻi, Waiʻanae (Oʻahu), Molokaʻi, Central Maui and Kohala (Hawaiʻi Island).

Each hub will receive up to $300,000 over three years to strengthen its administrative, financial and relationship–building capacities needed to support future community–led projects. Aligned with the cooperative vision of the project, these hubs will serve as central resources for managing and distributing funding on behalf of community–based organizations, effectively lowering the barriers to local stewardship.

“In Hawaiʻi, we know the health of our families and our communities is inextricably tied to the health of our lands and our waters, and we benefit from ʻIke Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian Knowledge) that teaches us how humans and nature can thrive together in our island systems,” said Kawika Winter, associate professor at and director of the Heʻeia National Estuarine Research Reserve. “The Moku System provides us a framework to not only address the problems we face today, but to do so while honoring our ancestors and ensuring that our descendants will be better off than we are today.”

The 5 organizations and their projects

• Kauaʻi Economic Development Board—Strengthening West Kauaʻi: A Funding Hub for Community–Led ʻĀina Restoration & Climate Resilience
• 鈥楨lepaio Social Services—The Waiʻanae Kaiāulu Funding Hub
• Molokai Heritage Trust—Ka Lāhui Hoʻolako
• Living Pono Project—Central Maui Resilience Funding Hub: Expanding Access, Equity, and Administrative Support
• Vibrant Hawaiʻi—Kākoʻo Kohala

Empowering community-led stewardship

The hubs act as trusted intermediaries, forging direct partnerships between funders and local communities. By providing guidance with proposal development and budget management, these hubs help local organizations overcome technical barriers that often prevent small, grassroots groups from accessing vital funding for ʻāina (land) stewardship.

“These hubs are critical for a number of reasons,” said Eric Co, chief executive officer of the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation. “During COVID, we learned how difficult it was to get support to where trust was greatest and activities were most meaningful—at the grassroots level. These hubs build the equitable capacity needed to do so efficiently across the islands.”

Later this year, Hawaiʻi Sea Grant will launch a separate round of adaptation and resilience project funding. These future opportunities will allow smaller community–based organizations to collaborate with their local Community Funding Hub to develop and manage projects.

This effort was made possible through funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office for Coastal Management awarded in 2024.

A PhD candidate at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa was selected as one of five 2025 NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)–Sea Grant Joint Fellows across the U.S. Leon Tran is representing the and joins four other fellows who are pursuing doctoral degrees at universities in other states.

The research projects span topics related to modeling and managing systems of living marine resources and fisheries, as well as the economics of their conservation and management.

“I’m honored to be selected for such an exciting opportunity and to contribute to the program鈥檚 legacy of conserving our oceans,” said Tran. “Through the fellowship, I’ll be able to move my experimental work in the lab into the conservation sphere, and help me advance my career as a marine conservation biologist and ocean steward.”

Under the guidance of Hawaiʻi–based fisheries researchers Jacob Johansen, Erik Franklin, Tye Kindinger and Lisa McManus, Tran is developing a tool to forecast how future changes impact habitat suitability for important subsistence fisheries. By integrating laboratory studies on the metabolism of the convict tang (manini) and day octopus (heʻe mauli) with computer–based habitat models, he is exploring where these species can thrive across the Pacific. As coral reefs change under local and global pressures, this work helps reveal how animal physiology shapes where it can live, providing essential insight into how coral reef ecosystems can shift in the future.

Former NMFS–Sea Grant Joint Fellows have gone on to serve in key roles within NOAA Fisheries, other agencies, academic institutions and fishery management councils, making substantial contributions to the management and conservation of marine ecosystems.

Since 1999, this fellowship program has supported more than 134 population dynamics fellows and 42 marine resource economics fellows.

–By Cindy Knapman

A new $4.6–million multi-institute collaborative project to help grow coral restoration capacity in American Samoa will begin in early 2026, leveraging more than two decades of coral heat tolerance studies to inform a restoration with resilience approach.

The project will bring together partners from American Samoa Community College, , American Samoa Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources, 东精影业 Mānoa and Old Dominion University with local agencies and village leaders to focus on restoring healthy coral reefs and training the next generation of natural resource managers.

American Samoa has some of the healthiest coral reefs within inhabited U.S. waters that are exceptionally heat tolerant, as well as the world’s oldest continuously monitored coral reef transect, making it an excellent coral reef study site. American Samoa also has the highest rate of relative sea-level rise recorded within the NOAA global tide gauge network. Since the fringing reef crests (the shallow part of the reef where the waves break) remove up to 97% of wave energy before reaching the shore, maintaining healthy reefs is key to protecting the land. Coral restoration, where corals are grown and outplanted onto the reef, is one method of helping reefs recover from impacts such as storms and ship groundings.

Understanding heat tolerant corals

Researchers have made progress in understanding the environmental and genetic drivers of heat tolerant corals.

“Heat tolerance is key for coral survival due to the increase in marine heatwaves causing mass coral bleaching and coral die-offs,” said Kelley Anderson Tagarino, 东精影业 Sea Grant College Program extension agent in American Samoa and co-lead on the project. “By ensuring some of the corals in our restoration nurseries are heat tolerant, we can help our reefs have a better chance to withstand marine heatwaves. American Samoa has long been known to have highly resilient corals, and now we will be able to weave together local knowledge with Western science to help our reefs continue to protect our islands and feed our people.”

Funding student positions

The project includes funding for three graduate student positions for residents of American Samoa to study coral restoration at either 东精影业 Mānoa or Old Dominion University, and will provide support for local positions focused on coral restoration in partnership with the American Samoa Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources.

Oceana Francis, professor in the 东精影业 Mānoa and coastal sustainability faculty with the 东精影业 Sea Grant College Program, will provide critical project support by conducting hydrodynamic modeling (understanding how our ocean water moves) to help identify suitable places for the restoration nurseries as well as which shorelines are at most risk to flooding. These areas will be prioritized for coral restoration outplanting.

The project was funded by the NOAA Coastal Zone Management program.

In 2025, Hawaiʻi experienced its second–driest year in more than a century, alongside persistently above average temperatures throughout the year—a stark reality detailed in the inaugural . Published by the , this first-of-its-kind report uses plain language, along with easy-to-interpret maps and figures, to summarize statewide rainfall, temperature, and drought conditions over the past year.

The report is designed to connect communities, resource managers, and policymakers with the climate data behind what many experienced firsthand, providing essential information to support climate preparedness and long-term planning across the islands.

This report reflects decades of effort to monitor Hawaiʻi鈥檚 climate and conduct high-level scientific research, paired with more than eight years of collaboration by a team of climate and data scientists to develop an expanding suite of high-quality climate maps and decision support tools. These maps are hosted on the Hawaiʻi Climate Data Portal (HCDP) and, for the first time, make it possible to summarize climate conditions consistently across the entire state.

“Throughout 2025, we heard people across the state talking about just how hot and dry the year felt,” said Ryan Longman, director of the Hawaiʻi Climate Data Portal. “Now we have the data to show what people were experiencing on the ground. We hope this type of reporting helps connect residents to their own lived experiences with Hawaiʻi鈥檚 climate and gives communities the information they need to plan for what鈥檚 ahead.”

The report is accompanied by a detailed, interactive website that allows users to explore the same climate information for individual islands and even for specific ahupua驶a or watersheds. Together, the report and website provide a clear picture of what many residents across Hawaiʻi experienced firsthand in 2025.

Highlights from the report

• 2025 was the second driest year in Hawaiʻi鈥檚 106-year record, with statewide rainfall averaging just 42 inches—about 20 inches below the 30-year average.
• Maui experienced its driest year on record, while Hawaiʻi Island recorded its second driest year.
• Rainfall was below average for 11 out of 12 months, and August ranked as the driest August in the past 35 years.
• Statewide, 2025 ranked as the sixth warmest year on record, averaging 0.8掳F warmer than normal. For Maui and Kauaʻi, it was the third warmest year since 1990.
• Drought conditions were widespread and severe. By the end of the year, 65% of the state was classified as abnormally dry or worse, and all of Molokaʻi experienced dry conditions. The most intense drought occurred in February, when 56% of Hawai驶i was in severe drought or worse.

Future data collection to expand

Looking ahead, the establishment of the Hawaiʻi Mesonet is expected to further improve the quality and detail of future reports by expanding on-the-ground climate observations. This report marks the first in a new annual series, to be released at the start of each year and refined and expanded over time as Hawaiʻi鈥檚 climate data and monitoring networks continue to grow.

The report also announced the launch of monthly climate update summaries, expected later this spring, which will send the latest information on rainfall, temperature and drought directly to subscribers鈥� inboxes, with a focus on the parts of the island chain that matter most to the individual subscribers.

“The goal of the monthly climate summaries is to provide an early signal of emerging rainfall and drought conditions,” said Longman. “By delivering site-specific information at the scales people actually work at, these updates can support more proactive planning and decision-making.”

The report was compiled by the Hawaiʻi Climate Data Portal and Hawaiʻi Mesonet teams. Funding was provided by the National Science Foundation, the State of Hawaiʻi Commission on Water Resource Management, and the U.S. Geological Survey Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center.

Through an innovative new ocean engineering course at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, graduate students created a low–cost water sampler that is aiding researchers in their efforts to monitor the impacts of the destructive 2023 wildfires in Lahaina, Maui.

The course, launched in spring 2025 with funding from the 东精影业 Mānoa Strategic Investment Initiative and 东精影业 Mānoa (SOEST) Dean鈥檚 Office, was driven by a dual purpose: to address community concerns that require technical or engineering solutions and to satisfy student鈥檚 significant drive to get hands–on experience solving real–world problems.

Lead instructor Camille Pagniello and the five students in the inaugural cohort teamed up with Andrea Kealoha, Nick Hawco, Eileen Nalley and Craig Nelson, all faculty members in the SOEST Department of Oceanography or Hawaiʻi Sea Grant, who have an ongoing project monitoring water chemistry, reef health and fish populations in waters off Lahaina. The sponsoring scientists challenged the students with a mission: design a low–cost water sampler for coastal monitoring that can be deployed in the ocean and autonomously collect seawater.

Working together, and mentored by Pagniello, the students successfully designed and built a water sampler that satisfied all the requirements and cost approximately $800 for the base model. Their cost–effective solution allows scientists to measure key carbon chemistry parameters such as pH, and offers the flexibility to substitute various components to expand its use for measuring trace metals and organic material.

“This effort was a win–win,” said Pagniello, who is also an assistant professor in SOEST鈥檚 . “Students got real, end–to–end design–and–build experience in marine instrumentation while also delivering a new tool to the scientific community that helps democratize ocean science.”

Expanding students鈥� passion, potential

This course is training a new generation of engineers who are community–minded and capable of addressing complex scientific problems with practical and affordable solutions.

“This class was one of the most meaningful experiences I鈥檝e had at 东精影业,” said Maliheh Gholizadehsarvandi, ocean and resources engineering graduate student. “It showed me that I could take on a real–world challenge from start to finish, even though I felt overwhelmed at first. With Camille鈥檚 support, I gained confidence in handling complex problems and learned to enjoy the process. Seeing our project become something real that could benefit the community was very rewarding, and the teamwork and final presentation were definite highlights.”

Pagniello will be teaching the course again in spring 2026 and is interested to hear from the industry partners, non-profit organizations, and community members about problems that could benefit from a technical solution. To share your interest in partnering with the spring 2026 students, fill out this .

—By Marcie Grabowski

In past years Kauaʻi has experienced devastating tropical cyclones, wildfires, flooding, high surf and wave events. In response, the County of Kauaʻi and (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant) developed a framework to help Kauaʻi鈥檚 communities prepare more effectively and better support recovery following natural disasters. The written guidelines for disaster recovery operations were formally adopted by the Kauaʻi County Council in September.

The Kauaʻi County Council recognized the increasing threats due to climate change, and the importance of the , through the passage of the “Resolution Adopting the County of Kauaʻi Pre-Disaster Recovery Framework.”

“This framework represents the power of preparation and collaboration,” said Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami. “I am deeply grateful to our partners at Hawaiʻi Sea Grant, our County departments, and our community organizations for helping Kaua鈥榠 be ready to recover stronger, safer, and more resilient than ever.”

Recovery requires community coordination

This is the first set of written guidelines in Kauaʻi that have been developed to guide the actions and decision-making for recovery and redevelopment post disaster. The guidelines recognize that effective disaster recovery requires the entire community, including state and local governments, utilities, nonprofit organizations and community members.

“This framework establishes a recovery management organization with clear kuleana for County and State government departments as well as other non-profit organizations that are involved with recovery,” said Ruby Pap, Hawaiʻi Sea Grant extension specialist who led the project. “It will help to facilitate better working relationships within the recovery community, better relationships between government and communities, more resilient rebuilding, and will result in a more holistic view of disaster recovery.”

As part of this project, ʻĀina Alliance, a non-profit community-based organization in Anahola, Kauaʻi conducted disaster recovery community visioning exercises with the Anahola community, which culminated in the “Building Back Better: Pre-disaster Framework for Anahola, Kauaʻi” report. Their process can serve as a model for other communities to follow across the island.

The plan was developed with guidance from the County Recovery Working Group and Stakeholder Advisory Group, with representatives from more than 40 departments and organizations led by the Office of the Mayor, Kauaʻi Emergency Management Agency, Kauaʻi County Planning Department and the Office of Economic Development.

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–By Cindy Knapman

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa alumna Lauryn Hansen can pinpoint the moment she realized she could turn her passion for the environment into a career, beginning a journey that would eventually lead her to dive deep into the intricate links between ocean and human health.

“My high school history teacher showed our class a clip of a late-night talk show where lobbyists in powerful positions chatted about their stance on climate regulation,” said Hansen. “It was the first time I really thought about how the world worked—and how often people making the biggest decisions may not act in the public’s best interest. That was an ‘aha’ moment for me: realizing that I could channel my deep care and interest in the environment into a career.”

That realization led Hansen, who grew up in California and the Pacific Northwest, to 东精影业 Mānoa. She enrolled in the (GES) bachelor’s degree program in the (SOEST).

For her GES senior thesis, Hansen worked with Robert Richmond at the Kewalo Marine Laboratory to investigate how exposure to PFAS, a type of “forever chemical,” influenced different phases of the coral life cycle. This project sparked a strong interest in toxicology and contamination, which ultimately steered her toward pursuing a bachelor’s and master’s (BAM) combined degree in public health at 东精影业 Mānoa.

“The transition to public health ended up being a really natural fit,” Hansen said.

Linking research and community

Now, as an with the 东精影业 Sea Grant College Program (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant), Hansen is focusing on coastal marine resource management related to contaminants of emerging concern, such as forever chemicals, pesticides and microplastics. She collaborates with researchers, water quality managers and government agencies to improve local monitoring and management of these contaminants.

In addition to her research, Hansen contributes to 东精影业 M膩noa’s efforts to become a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning. After completing Cohort Kaulua, a professional development program, she became a trained Pilina Circle co-facilitator to support spaces for reflection and connection among the campus community.

Looking ahead, Hansen plans to continue working in environmental health with a focus on outreach.

“What matters most to me is being in a role where I can take research beyond the ‘ivory tower’—working with people, shaping conversations, and helping create solutions that make a real difference,” Hansen said.

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The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa has secured a nearly $1.1 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to unlock reliable spawning techniques for a Native Hawaiian sea cucumber species, the warty sea cucumber (stichopus horrens).

The project aims to address a major barrier in developing sustainable aquaculture in Hawaiʻi and supporting traditional Hawaiian fishpond (loko iʻa) restoration efforts. It is a partnership between 东精影业’s (CTAHR) and (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant).

A growing global aquaculture market

Sea cucumbers, which are related to starfish, have a global market of nearly $1 billion, primarily as food and medicinal products. Overfishing has severely depleted them in the ocean. In Hawaiʻi, the lack of dependable methods for breeding local species has been the primary hurdle to commercial aquaculture of this marine animal.

“We plan to address key barriers to the controlled spawning of sea cucumbers in Hawaiʻi by focusing on protocols to induce egg development and spawning in captivity,” said lead principal investigator Andre P. Seale, a researcher and professor in CTAHR’s .

The project integrates 东精影业’s research and extension resources—which use university knowledge to create solutions in communities—with cultural and industry partners, including the Pacific American Foundation’s Waikalua Loko Iʻa fishpond and Kauaʻi Sea Farms. This combined effort is designed to rapidly advance research findings into reliable food production methods and conservation restocking.

This award builds on recent foundational research by the team that was published in . That work identified a protein that causes eggs to mature in the warty sea cucumber, providing the scientific framework for the current project.