PacIOOS now offers a new, high resolution Wave Run-up Forecast for West Maui. The tool predicts high wave flooding for the upcoming six days along West Maui's shoreline to help increase preparedness and coastal resiliency. Due to the complexity and differences along the shoreline, the project team divided the shoreline into 12 regions. Each region has its own unique forecast with region-specific thresholds to describe the potential level of impact. The thresholds of light, hazardous, and critical impacts were established with the support of photo documentation that was collected by dedicated volunteer community scientists. Check out a short, 3-minute tutorial video to learn how to use the forecast. To visit the new tool and to learn more about the forecast, please go to pacioos.org/west-maui. The project was funded by NOAA's Regional Coastal Resilience Grants program, along with additional support from the Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant, and PacIOOS. [Photo: Screenshot of the new wave run-up forecast for West Maui that predicts high wave flooding for the upcoming 6 days.]

In Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia, the Conservation Society of Pohnpei (CSP) has been collecting sediment data at Dausokole Bay for over ten years and continues to monitor the effects of sediment loads from soil run-off to Pohnpei's nearshore coral reef ecosystems. To support CSP's ongoing watershed management, PacIOOS is loaning a nearshore water quality sensor to the non-profit organization as part of the Water Quality Sensor Partnership Program (WQSPP). In addition, PacIOOS has provided a rain gauge to be installed at the summit of Nahnalaud, the highest peak of Pohnpei, to get a better understanding of the amount of rain water entering the system. Both sensors will provide critical data that may be utilized to guide informed decision-making by Pohnpei's watershed and coral reef management programs. [Photo: A team of staff from CSP installs the rain gauge at the summit of Nahnalaud. Credit: CSP]

Kaua‘i Sea Farms is participating in PacIOOS' Water Quality Sensor Partnership Program (WQSPP), deploying a water quality sensor for a one-year period at Nomilo Fishpond, Kaua‘i. The fishpond is a naturally formed resource within an ancient volcanic caldera located in Kalaheo, Kaua‘i and has a centuries long history of food production. However, it has been underutilized in the past 100 years and is undergoing a renaissance. To reduce excessive phytoplankton and prevent oxygen depletion events, the seawater channel between the pond and ocean has been restored and shellfish farming has been introduced. A research project is expected to begin later this year to introduce native sea cucumber aquaculture to better cycle nutrients along the pond bottom. The PacIOOS water quality sensor will be utilized to measure changes in three areas of the pond throughout the year, to assist with spatial planning and optimization of aquaculture activities, and to determine potential impacts of these activities on the aquatic environment of the fishpond. [Photo: The PacIOOS Seabird nearshore sensor is ready for deployment at Nomilo Fishpond. Credit: PacIOOS/S.Ellis]

The PacIOOS Mōkapu wave buoy was redeployed at the beginning of June, and now continues to collect real-time data on wave height, direction, and period, as well as sea surface temperature. The buoy is located approximately 3 miles offshore of Lanikai Beach on the windward side of Oʻahu. Also located on the windward side of Oʻahu, the Kāneʻohe Bay wave buoy was redeployed to its station approximately 1 mile offshore of Pyramid Rock. The third windward wave buoy, Kāneʻohe WETS, is planned to be redeployed in the coming months. Data management is made possible through long-term partnerships with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Coastal Data Information Program (CDIP). [Photo: Kāneʻohe Bay wave buoy with the Koʻolau Mountain Range in the background. Credit: PacIOOS/M. Sudnovsky]

The 5th Data Buoy Cooperation Panel Pacific Islands Training Workshop on Ocean Observations and Data Applications (DBCP-PI-5) was held virtually this year. Representatives from 14 Pacific island country meteorological services and other ocean observing agencies gathered on four days to enhance Pacific Islands Nations' capacity to apply ocean observations for social and economic benefit. The themes for the workshop included ocean observing with new technologies, data access and data applications, data quality control and quality assurance, as well as design and coordination of ocean observing throughout the Pacific Islands. PacIOOS provided presentations on wave buoys and PacIOOS Voyager. The workshop was hosted by the Pacific Community (SPC) in collaboration with the Data Buoy Cooperation Panel, a joint initiative of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO. [Photo: Wave buoy in the Pacific Islands. Credit: SPC]

Summer marks King Tide season in Hawai‘i! The Hawai‘i and Pacific Islands King Tides Project is seeking your help for the upcoming photo surveys on July 22&23 and August 19&20, 2021. Coordinated by the Hawai‘i Sea Grant Program, community scientists are encouraged to help document shoreline conditions and impacts around peak high tide times to get a better understanding of high water level events and future impacts from sea-level rise and other coastal hazards. Get your smartphones or cameras ready and submit photos online. Also be sure to check out previously submitted photos.

[Photo: Flooded parking area at Kamalo Wharf, Moloka'i. Credit: Hawai‘i Sea Grant King Tides Project]

Restore with Resilience focuses on proactive reef restoration at three sites across the State of Hawaiʻi. The project uses selective propagation of local, thermally resistant coral stocks to enhance future reef resilience. The public is invited to participate in this cutting-edge coral restoration at the Maunalua Bay site. Volunteers will have the opportunity to tag live corals of opportunity (COO), photograph and identify COO from the bay, use a diamond band saw to fragment two test fragments for future resilience testing, glue fragments onto aragonite plugs, and learn how to identify thermally-resilient corals - all from the safety of the beach. The Hana Pūkoʻa events events are scheduled for Saturday, July 31, August 14, September 18, October 16, and December 11 from 9am-1pm. Be sure to reserve your spot in advance. The project is funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, and coordinated by the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, NOAA, DAR, and Mālama Maunalua. [Photo: Divers attach corals to a nursery table, which is located close to the restoration site, allowing corals to acclimatize prior to outplanting. Credit: Kuleana Coral Restoration/B. Thompson]

Join NOAA, ClimateGen, and educators from American Samoa, Guam, CNMI, and Hawai‘i for a free, virtual workshop on climate change education on July 13/14, 21/22, and 22/23 (*for exact dates and times for each time zone, please check the registration links below). Build relationships and get the tools, resources, and confidence to teach climate science. Nicole Yamase, the youngest woman and first Pacific Islander to visit Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the Earth, will be the keynote speaker at this event. Registration priority is given to 5-12th grade educators; however, all are welcome to attend. Register by July 1 (ASAP!) for American Samoa, Guam, CNMI and Hawai‘i.

With a Master of Business Administration, Edwin Reyes initially worked for the University of Guam, Office of Sponsored Programs and Research, managing various projects and cooperative agreements that helped to expand the university's research capabilities and opportunities. This position allowed Edwin to better understand natural sciences and the types of information needed to make management decisions. For the last 6 years, Edwin has served as the Administrator for the Guam Coastal Management Program (GCMP), which is based at the Guam Bureau of Statistics and Plans, and funded through NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management under the Coastal Zone Management Act.

Edwin and his team of coastal professionals advise the Guam Land Use Commission on proposed development applications, providing recommendations to ensure compliance with the Guam Comprehensive Development Plan. In a recent application, a large hotel and condo complex was under review to be developed at a cliff line and highly exposed oceanfront area. In order to characterize the wave exposure and the associated hazard level, GCMP analyzed wave data from the PacIOOS Ritidian Point wave buoy to understand regular seasonal conditions and extreme typhoon conditions. The wave data allowed GCMP to back up the assumption of this high wave environment, which led to a recommendation that the applicant must implement and maintain a recreational water safety plan to ensure guests’ safety.