Ka Pili Kai. University of Hawaiÿi Sea Grant College Program Vol. 36, No. 4 Winter 2014

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1 Ka Pili Kai University of Hawaiÿi Sea Grant College Program Vol. 36, No. 4 Winter 2014 UH Sea Grant Highlights from 2014

2 University of Hawai i Sea Grant College Program Ka Pili Kai Contents Vol 36, No. 4 3 Ascent: Building a Secure and Sustainable Water and Energy Future for Hawai i 4 Oÿahu Highlights 7 Maui Highlights 8 Hawaiÿi Island Highlights 9 Kauaÿi Highlights 10 Pacific Region Highlights In this issue of Ka Pili Kai... In 2014 UH Sea Grant bid a fond aloha to its beloved director of 15 years, Professor E. Gordon Grau, who moved into a part-time position with Sea Grant to focus his time and effort on his endocrinology research and mentoring the next generation of graduate students. While Sea Grant is in good hands under the leadership of its new director, Dr. Darren T. Lerner, Gordon s inspirational leadership and vision reshaped UH Sea Grant into a program that touches the lives of countless people throughout the state and the region. In addition, his vision extended far past Hawai i and, through his years of service as president of the Sea Grant Association, he altered the path of the entire nationwide network to make it more adaptive and relevant to the communities we serve. To us, Gordon is he ho okele wa a no ka la ino, (Hawaiian proverb which translates to a steersman for a stormy day, or a courageous person ) and we will do our best to carry on his long tradition of excellence. Ka Pili Kai (ISSN X) is published quarterly by the University of Hawai i Sea Grant College Program (UH Sea Grant), School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST). UH Sea Grant is a unique partnership of university, government and industry, focusing on marine research, education and advisory/extension services. University of Hawai i Sea Grant College Program 2525 Correa Road, HIG 208 Honolulu, HI Director: Darren T. Lerner, PhD Communications Leader: Cindy Knapman Multimedia Specialist Assistant Communications Leader: Heather Dudock Periodicals postage paid at Honolulu, HI Postmaster: Send address changes to: Ka Pili Kai, 2525 Correa Road, HIG 208 Honolulu, HI (808) ; fax: (808) uhsgcomm@hawaii.edu The University of Hawaiÿi was designated a Sea Grant College in 1972, following the National Sea Grant College and Program Act of Ka Pili Kai is funded by a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, project C/CC-1, sponsored by the University of Hawaiÿi Sea Grant College Program/SOEST, under Institutional Grant No. NA14OAR from the NOAA Office of Sea Grant, Department of Commerce. The views expressed herein are those of the authors only. UNIHI-SEAGRANT-NP Ka Pili Kai Editor: Cindy Knapman Layout and Design: Heather Dudock On the Cover: Close-up image of Tridacna squamosa, fluted giant clam, in Amalu, American Samoa. Photo: Jeffrey Kuwabara Cindy Knapman Communications Leader 2 Ka Pili Kai

3 Ascent Building a Secure and Sustainable Water and Energy Future for Hawai i On April 15, 2014, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore presented an impassioned speech about the dangers of climate change to a crowd of nearly eight thousand people at the University of Hawai i at Mänoa Stan Sheriff Center. At the invitation of the University of Hawai i Sea Grant College Program (UH Sea Grant), U.S. Senator Brian Schatz, and UH Mänoa s Chancellor Tom Apple, Vice President Gore spoke for over an hour about how, if we act together, we can solve the global climate crisis. Vice President Gore s seminar was the capstone event of Ascent, a day-long conference on clean energy and a sustainable future co-hosted by UH Sea Grant. The conference opened with a speech by U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. She was joined by other visionaries such as Mr. Geoffrey Anderson, President, Smart Growth America; Mr. Kyle Datta, Co-founder, Ulupono Initiative; Ms. Hermina Morita, Chair, Hawai i Public Utilities Commission; Mr. Bruce Karas, Vice President, Environment & Water Resources, The Coca Cola Company; and Mr. Nainoa Thompson, President, Polynesian Voyaging Society; among other leaders at the conference. That discussion continued in the afternoon breakout sessions with experts from the public and private sectors who are on the front lines of sustainability efforts. The working groups focused on specific topics, including: Energy, Green Building, Community Design, Water, and Implementation/Funding. The working groups have remained active and are working to achieve specific outcomes identified during the sessions. Gore ended the conference by imploring the audience to think about future generations. He said I want them to look back at us, at our time, and ask, how did you find the moral courage to stand up and do the right thing, and turn the tide? And part of the answer is that the state of Hawai i provided leadership and the U.S. finally listened. Always remember that the only thing we need is political will, and political will is a renewable resource! The seminar was the fifth UH Sea Grant Stephen and Marylyn Pauley Seminar in Sustainability. These seminars were established by UH Sea Grant to bring to Hawai i individuals with extraordinary achievement and vision in their respective fields, and who have demonstrated an ongoing passion to connect scholarship to application for the betterment of humankind. Seminars are only offered when a particularly significant, timely and critical issue and notable speaker are identified. 3 Ka Pili Kai

4 o ahu highlights Appointed New Sea Grant Director In October, Dr. Darren T. Lerner was named the new director of UH Sea Grant and interim director of the UH Water Resources Research Center. Dr. Lerner took over the helm from Professor E. Gordon Grau who served as director for nearly 15 years. Grau, professor in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) at the University of Hawai i for over 30 years, stepped down to focus his attention on mentoring students and furthering his research on fish endocrinology and environmental physiology at the Hawai i Institute of Marine Biology. 4 Ka Pili Kai Longest-Serving Sea Grant Employee Retires After 43 consecutive years of service to UH Sea Grant, Joan Yamada retired in July of She was recognized by the National Sea Grant Office leadership as the longestserving Sea Grant employee out of the entire network of 33 Sea Grant programs around the country. Joan s dedication and positive attitude will be dearly missed. Demonstrated Place-Based Community Design The UH Sea Grant Center for Smart Building and Community Design partnered with the City and County of Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting and the local non-profit, Better Block Hawai i, to provide interactive demonstrations at an all-day public symposium focused on Transit-Oriented Development. The demonstrations, designed to enhance community engagement in the planning of the new rail transit corridor on O ahu, included multiple scenarios of street and sidewalk environments that would be more accommodating to pedestrians and businesses and a pop-up active/passive park. Formed Partnership with Make-A-Wish Foundation In September of 2013, the City and County of Honolulu and the Hanauma Bay Education Program (HBEP) finalized an exciting new partnership with the Make- A-Wish Foundation to grant the wishes of children diagnosed with life-threatening medical conditions. This program began as an initiative of the city parks staff with the encouragement of HBEP volunteers. The park staff, education program staff, and volunteers, as well as park concessions, UH Sea Grant extension faculty and staff on the island of O ahu include: Rosie Alegado, Coastal Sustainability Faculty; Andrew Bohlander, Shoreline Specialist; Dolan Eversole, NOAA Sea Grant Coastal Storms Program Coordinator, Pacific Region; Oceana Francis, Coastal Sustainability Faculty; Matthew Gonser, Community Planning and Design Extension Agent; Dennis Hwang, Coastal Hazard Mitigation Specialist; Denise Konan, Director, Center for Sustainable Coastal Tourism; Elizabeth (Liz) Kumabe Maynard, Regional Environmental Education Specialist; Wendy Meguro, Coastal Sustainability Faculty; Stephen Meder, Director, Center for Smart Building and

5 Community Design; Craig Nelson, Coastal Sustainability Faculty; Eileen Peppard, Sustainability Specialist; Michael Roberts, Coastal Sustainability Faculty; Bradley Romine, Coastal Management Specialist; Kanesa Seraphin, Director, Center for Marine Science Education; Daniele Spirandelli, Coastal Sustainability Faculty; Mehana Vaughan, Coastal Sustainability Faculty UH Sea Grant Hanauma Bay Education Program staff: Mahealani Kaneshiro-Pineiro, Morgan Mamizuka, Cassidy Lum, Gavin Iwai, and Anne Rosa For contact information, please call (808) or visit our website hawaii.edu. team up to host Make-A-Wish families and ensure that they have a memorable experience. In one year, 115 Make-A-Wish children and their families (a total of 522 people) were hosted at Hanauma Bay. Published Climate Change Impacts Report A new user-friendly report titled Climate Change Impacts in Hawai i: A summary of climate change and its impacts to Hawai i s ecosystems and communities answers basic questions such as What does climate change look like? What is the current state of scientific knowledge regarding climate change globally, and how does it relate to Hawai i specifically? By addressing these fundamental questions, UH Sea Grant is striving to improve the general understanding of climate change and its associated impacts, which in turn will help communities be better prepared to undertake climate adaptation and mitigation efforts. Provided a Window to the Past Between 1834 and the late 1940 s, more than 100 newspaper publications equaling approximately 125,000 pages of text in the native Hawaiian language were published for an avid and highly literate public. To learn from these voices from the past, as well as help train the next generation of translators, UH Sea Grant is collaborating with the Hawai inuiäkea School of Hawaiian Knowledge and Awaiaulu, a local nonprofit organization, to translate the material and make the information widely accessible. Updated Homeowner s Handbook to Prepare for Natural Hazards The Homeowner s Handbook to Prepare for Natural Hazards, Third Edition, published by UH Sea Grant, was updated to include information on the 2014 Hurricanes (Iselle, Julio, and Ana), as well as new appendices on installing storm panel screws, reroofing, securing solar PV systems, and helping the community become resilient. To date, over 75,000 copies of the guidebook have been distributed to the community. Seven other Sea Grant programs around the country have developed state-specific versions using the Hawai i handbook as a guide, and it is in preparation in three other locations. GOES satellite image, NOAA. 5 Ka Pili Kai

6 o ahu Published Article in Journal Science Dr. Michael Roberts, UH Sea Grant coastal sustainability faculty and UH Mänoa associate professor of economics, coauthored an article that appeared in the journal Science. The article, titled Greater Sensitivity to Drought Accompanies Maize Yield Increase in the U.S. Midwest determined that corn production in the Midwest is more sensitive than ever to bad weather, and especially drought conditions. The study included more than one million records for crops grown across Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana between 1995 and Helped Native Hawaiian Students Pursue Careers in Science Dr. Rosie Alegado, UH Sea Grant coastal sustainability faculty and UH Mänoa assistant professor of oceanography, has been actively involved with the SOEST Maile Mentoring Bridge program. Through this program, native Hawaiian undergraduate students are recruited into ocean, earth, and environmental science fields and paired with an established mentor who provides free tutoring, support, advice, and encouragement. Established Hawai i Shore and Beach Preservation Association The Hawai i Shore and Beach Preservation Association, a local chapter of the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association, was established in 2013 under the leadership of UH Sea Grant. In 2014 UH Sea Grant extension faculty served in leadership roles on the board of directors, including serving as vice president as well as four other positions on the board. chair of the Sea Grant Communicators Network. In this role she is leading a national effort to increase the visibility of the Sea Grant network, and serves as the communications representative on several network-wide committees. Contributed to Proposed Presidential Center Wendy Meguro, UH Sea Grant coastal sustainability faculty and assistant professor in the UH School of Architecture, contributed to the proposal to host a Barack Obama Presidential Center, which is envisioned to be an exemplar of resilient coastal building design. She provided information on coastal risks and mitigation strategies as well as high-performance building and landscape criteria for this high profile project. Provided Energy Saving Strategies to Military Housing UH Sea Grant s Center for Smart Building and Community Design has worked with Forest City Military Communities Hawai i (Forest City) for four years to identify potential energy saving measures. In 2014, Forest City, which manages 7,000 homes, completed air conditioning retrofits for 700 homes which reduced overall energy use by 14 percent. Due to this success the company is in the process of completing 633 more, and also beginning a $2.2 million program to repair and maintain solar water heating systems in 1,382 homes next year. Chaired the Sea Grant Communicators Network In 2014, Cindy Knapman, UH Sea Grant communications leader, served her first of two years as 6 Ka Pili Kai

7 maui UH Sea Grant extension faculty on the island of Maui include: Robert Howerton, Aquaculture Extension Specialist; Tara Owens, Coastal Processes Extension Agent For contact information, please call (808) or visit our website hawaii.edu. highlights Developing Guidelines to Rebuild Safer, Stronger, and Smarter Through a grant from the NOAA Sea Grant Coastal Storms Program, UH Sea Grant and the Maui County Department of Planning are developing postdisaster reconstruction guidelines and protocols for the County of Maui. Using knowledge and experiences from previous coastal hazard events, the guidelines seek to reduce permitting delays and protect environmental and cultural resources by enabling the county to offer immediate direction and pre-determined steps to residents for repairing or rebuilding damaged property. Protecting and Restoring Sand Dunes on Maui Tara Owens, UH Sea Grant extension agent, worked closely with the South Maui Volunteers to install dune walkovers at several beaches in South Maui. In the past two years six dune walkovers/ramps were installed, four of which were built to be ADA-compatible. Five projects were completely new installations and one replaced an old deteriorating walkover at Kamaole II Beach Park. The projects vastly improve shoreline access, mitigate coastal hazards, and protect natural resources and habitat. Providing Technical Assistance to Improve Decision-Making In response to shoreline erosion of up to five feet per year or more on Maui, some of the hotel, condominium, and homeowners have resorted to haphazard erosion control measures (e.g., seawalls, groins, and rock revetments), which in many cases have caused further damage to the beaches. To address this problem as well as other many other coastal issues, UH Sea Grant is providing a wide range of technical support and assistance on shoreline processes, coastal hazard mitigation, and planning for shoreline development. Increasing use of Aquaponics Systems Dr. Robert Howerton, UH Sea Grant aquaculture extension specialist, continues to train families, schools, and small businesses throughout Maui County on how to construct and maintain low-cost, small-scale, integrated backyard aquaponics systems. These efforts have increased the affordability and access to fresh healthy foods within the community, and are continually expanding to additional residents and commercial entities throughout the state. 7 Ka Pili Kai

8 island hawai i island highlights Caring for our Islands through Nä Kilo Äina Nä Kilo Äina refers to the watchers and observers of our sustenance...the places and things that feed us. Our lands, oceans, and elements contribute to our overall health (physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally), and through the development of the Nä Kilo Äina network, Pelika Andrade is working directly with the community to actively care for the shoreline and marine environment. Through ongoing, monthly monitoring activities and training based on Pilinakai (conservation) and care of our islands through relationships, she is increasing the awareness of natural cycles of place and management strategies. Honoring Hawaiian Voyaging Canoe through Ocean Festival To honor the third Hawaiian voyaging canoe launched from the shores of Hawai i Island nearly 20 years ago, UH Sea Grant co-hosts the Mälama Makali i Ocean Festival in February of each year. The familyfriendly event is organized in partnership with Nä Kälai Wa a, a nonprofit organization focusing on 8 Ka Pili Kai Hawaiian voyaging and traditional navigation, UH Hilo, and multiple partners. The festival celebrates the Hawai i Island communities and offers an array of educational booths that raise awareness of the voyaging community and the importance of ocean stewardship. Promoting the Safe Use of Rainwater Catchment in Rural Communities As many as 60,000 people in the state of Hawai i depend on rainwater catchment for their potable water needs. Well-designed and maintained catchment systems can provide abundant clean water, however, poorly maintained systems could pose serious health risks. To assist rural communities on Hawai i Island, UH Sea Grant organized workshops that will be held in early 2015 to teach residents about rainwater catchment operations, safety, and maintenance, and will distribute 10,000 water testing kits free of charge. Enhancing Stewardship of Coastal Resources To promote the conservation and restoration of the South Kohala region, UH Sea Grant, along with various community members, associations, organizations, resource managers, and state and federal agencies, formed the South Kohala Coastal Partnership. Through this effort, the stakeholders are implementing strategies from the South Kohala Conservation Action Plan, Wai ula ula Watershed Management Plan, and Pelekane Bay Watershed Plan to enhance the health of the coastal and marine ecosystems. UH Sea Grant extension faculty and staff on the island of Hawai i include: Pelika Andrade, Hawai i Island Extension Agent; Chantal Chung, Office Assistant; Sierra Tobiason, Hawai i Island Extension Agent, South Kohala Coastal Partnership Coordinator

9 kaua i UH Sea Grant extension faculty on the island of Kaua i include: Adam Asquith, Extension Specialist; Ruby Pap, Coastal Land Use Extension Agent; Kanesa Seraphin, Director, Center for Marine Science Education; Mehana Vaughan, Coastal Sustainability Faculty For contact information, please call (808) or visit our website hawaii.edu. highlights Establishing Progressive Shoreline Setback Law With the assistance of UH Sea Grant extension faculty, Ordinance 979 was passed into law in December 2014 which amended the shoreline setback rules to incorporate erosion rate data generated by the UH Coastal Geology Group and establish new minimum construction setbacks based on average lot depth and long-term shoreline erosion rates. Its intent is to protect life, property, and preserve coastal resources on Kaua i, and has been lauded as one of the most progressive shoreline setback rule in the nation. Collaboratively Managing a Coastal Fishery A Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Area was designated in the Hä ena ahupua a in 2006, to reaffirm and protect fishing practices traditionally exercised for native Hawaiian subsistence, culture, and religion. With assistance from Dr. Mehana Vaughan, one of UH Sea Grant s seven coastal sustainability faculty who focused her dissertation research on documenting this effort, the state s Board of Land and Natural Resources unanimously approved communitygenerated rules for this area in October, making it the first of its kind in the state. Planning for Coastal Hazards To effectively plan for short- and long-term coastal hazard impacts from climate change, the Kaua i County Planning Department commissioned UH Sea Grant to produce the Kaua i Climate Change and Coastal Hazards Assessment. The report synthesizes the best available science and offers a suite of policy and planning options to consider when incorporating sea-level rise into the Kaua i General Plan (GP) update. Restoring Native Hawaiian Fishpond Adam Asquith, UH Sea Grant extension specialist, guided the restoration and management of the Kamo omaikai fishpond which is located on a 63.6-acre site near Hanalei Bay, Kaua i. The science-based information he provided led to the revision of the development plan which now maximizes the ecosystem of the fishpond and surrounding area, and also the cultural and social values of the resource. Assessing Water Availability on Kaua i In partnership with University of Hawai i s Ka Huli Ao Center for Excellence in Native Hawaiian Law, UH Sea Grant held a series of workshops and briefings for the Kaua i County Council to facilitate a discussion about the physical and legal issues surrounding water availability on the island, with a specific focus on Lïhu e. 9 Ka Pili Kai

10 pacific region Pacific Region highlights Hosted NOAA Sea Grant Coastal Storms Program The Coastal Storms Program in the Pacific Islands Region, a partnership between the NOAA Coastal Storms Program and UH Sea Grant, provides funding to U.S. affiliated Pacific island coastal communities to help reduce and mitigate the impacts from coastal storms and other climate-related coastal hazards. Seven projects focusing on atmospheric and weather forecast modeling and observation, geospatial data hosting and serving, community resilience training, disaster recovery planning, and coastal hazard mitigation and education continued in In total, one million dollars was distributed to communities in Hawai i, Guam, the Marshall Islands, and Micronesia. Awarded Six Prestigious Telly Awards The Voice of the Sea television series, a signature project of the UH Sea Grant Center for Marine Science Education, recently received six 2014 Telly Awards, which are the premier regional 10 Ka Pili Kai television awards honoring excellence in programming. Out of a highly competitive field of nearly 12,000 entries from all 50 states and 5 continents, Voice of the Sea won a silver Telly, the most prestigious award, for Cultural Programming and five bronze Tellys for Educational Programming, Documentary Programming, Use of Graphics, Editing, and Videography. REPUBLIC OF THE MARSHALL ISLANDS Monitored Significant Coral Bleaching Event The worst coral bleaching event ever recorded in the Marshall Islands has been occurring since mid-september, Karl Fellenius, UH Sea Grant s coastal management extension agent based at the College of the Marshall Islands, has been assisting the Marshall Island Marine Resources Authority by engaging local stakeholders in monitoring efforts, and is also providing data to NOAA s Coral Reef Watch program. Producing Homeowner s Handbook to Prepare for Natural Hazards Partnering with Dennis Hwang, UH Sea Grant coastal hazard specialist, Karl has been working on the UH Sea Grant extension faculty and staff working in the Pacific Islands region include: Dolan Eversole, NOAA Sea Grant Coastal Storms Coordinator, Pacific Region; Dennis Hwang, Coastal Hazard Mitigation Specialist; Kanesa Seraphin, Director, Center for Marine Science Education

11 UH Sea Grant extension faculty and staff working in the Republic of the Marshall Islands and American Samoa include: Karl Fellenius, Coastal Processes Extension Specialist; Kelley Anderson Tagarino, Aquaculture Extension Agent For contact information, please call (808) or visit our website hawaii.edu. production of the Homeowner s Handbook to Prepare for Natural Hazards for the Marshall Islands. He engages local stakeholders on early warning and emergency planning and evacuation, and recently conducted public meeting to focus on construction retrofit practices. The handbook will be completed in the spring of Surveyed and Assessed Sewer Outfalls In the Marshall Islands, the sewer outfalls in Majuro and Ebeye are in less than adequate condition and will require upgrades and extended piping. In cooperation with the College of the Marshall Islands and the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority, Karl has conducted dive surveys on these outfalls to identify the best routing of the new pipe for an over-the-reef solution. TERRITORY OF AMERICAN SAMOA Connected Samoan Youth with Voyaging Canoes The voyaging canoes Höküle a and Hikianalia visited Tutuila, American Samoa twice during 2014, giving the community ample chances to connect with the crew and better understand the cores issues that the Mälama Honua world-wide voyage are highlighting. Rex Lokeni, a past student of Kelley Anderson Tagarino, was honored to join the crew during their voyage to Swains Island (a remote atoll located near Tokelau). After the completion of this leg of the voyage UH Sea Grant organized an inspirational talk for other students, staff, and faculty where Rex and two other crew members shared how profoundly the voyage had affected them. Mentored local high school students Tiara Drabble, a local high school student mentored by Kelley Anderson Tagarino, won first place at the Territorial Science Symposium, the annual fall competition where students present their findings in a scientific presentation. Kelley helped Tiara conceptualize her project which focused on finding alternative ways to eradicate the invasive Crown of Thorns Starfish (alamea in Samoan), provided the tools and location to carry it out, and assisted Tiara in her data analysis. Tiara will also have the opportunity to present her findings at the regional symposium in Honolulu in 2015 and interact with other students from throughout the region. 11 Ka Pili Kai

12 Read Ka Pili Kai online at: Pili Kai Ka Pili Kai (ISSN X) University of Hawai i Sea Grant College Program 2525 Correa Road, HIG 208 Honolulu, HI Subscription/publication request (also available online ) Publication title/ ID number Your Address Nä mea like ole UH SEA GRANT HAS A NEW DIRECTOR! Darren T. Lerner E. Gordon Grau Congratulations to Dr. Darren T. Lerner, UH Sea Grant s new director! Dr. Lerner takes over the helm from Professor E. Gordon Grau who served as director for nearly 15 years. seagrant.soest.hawaii.edu Recycled Paper Ka Pili Kai is printed on recycled paper with soy based inks 12 Ka Pili Kai