Community and Academic Research Join Forces: Adapting to the Rising Sea Along the Kaʻūpūlehu Shoreline
By: Ivan Vicente, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
At the intertidal zone between the Kaʻūpūlehu community on the Island of Hawaiʻi and the ocean lies the ‘opihi; one of Hawaii’s most culturally, environmentally and economically valuable creatures. ‘Opihi are Hawaiian limpets, marine invertebrates that live in squat, dome-shaped shells inhabiting the surf zone where they graze on algae while clinging tightly to a rock.
ʻOpihi represents the majority of shellfish consumption in Hawaiʻi and is a vital community subsistence fishery. ’Opihi picking is an indispensable part of Hawaiian culture. ’Opihi were once the most commonly eaten shellfish in the Islands, and stories about the mighty limpets are woven into Hawaiian folklore. To others, the ‘opihi is a bioindicator of a functional and resilient ecosystem.
This resource faces a number of threats including overfishing and increased development along shorelines which limits inland ‘opihi migration as sea level rises. Other anthropogenic influences such as coastal run off and development also pose issues regarding available habitat for all intertidal organisms. Community-driven research looks to provide a better future for this precious resource to Kaʻūpūlehu and many other Hawaiian communities.
Science-driven-community working at the intertidal forefront
In 2016, The Kaʻūpulehu Marine Life Advisory Committee (KMLAC) established a 3.6 mile long rest area for the shores of Kalaemanō. The KMLAC includes a combination of dedicated community leaders, non-profit organizations, and invested state agencies. The initiatives pushed forward were initially created by the community members themselves.
The initial partnership between Nā Maka Onaona and the Ka‘ūpūlehu Interpretive Center at Kalaemanō is connected by Aunty Leinaʻala Keakealani Lightner, the Centerʻs Director and a representative of Kaʻūpūlehu community. Aunty Lei currently serves as the cultural curator for the education center. This particular relationship goes beyond surveys and data collection. This relationship has evolved over many generations and separate investments which keep NMO committed. Through evolving collaborations, the Kaʻūpūlehu Interpretive Center has partnered with the non-profit organization NMO to lead research expeditions centered upon assessing the health and wellness of Kalaemanō’s community and marine ecosystems, while also facilitating educational programs.
The Kalaemanō shoreline is located in the ahupuaʻa of Kaʻūpūlehu and the moku of Kona, Hawaiʻi Island. Up until recently, this particular coastline has served as a thriving and productive ecosystem that has fed many generations. Kalaemanō is a low slope, basalt coastal zone that is dominated seasonally by Southern swell in summer months, and North Pacific and Kona storm swell during the winter months. Kalaemanō is one of the most ideal places to study the impacts of sea level rise upon intertidal resources because of the longstanding relationships between the research team and the Kaʻūpūlehu community.
In 2008, NMO partnered with the Kaʻūpūlehu community to begin conducting monthly ‘opihi monitoring at the Kalaemanō shoreline through various programs and outreach events. Since then, this partnership led by NMO has created a unique historical dataset of intertidal resources at Kalaemanō that spans over a decade. NMO strives to strengthen communities by building conscientious watchers and observers who actively engage with place to understand the needs of the community (people and place). Invested communities like the ones of Kaʻūpūlehu welcome all forms of education to ensure that their resources are healthy, resilient, and able to sustain the collective into the future.
A landmark project surfaces at the Kalaemanō shoreline
The numerous Kaʻūpūlehu community-driven initiatives in the past decade have spurred interest and questions to better understand the ecosystem health and productivity of our intertidal resources. Current projects look to understand ‘opihi habitat shifts as sea level rise increases. SLR continues to be a problem — one that the community has decided to address in order to maintain their well-being.
These questions led NMO to apply for a program called the Manager Climate Corps (hilo.hawaii.edu/pi-casc), which was created by the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo as part of their participation in the USGS Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center (PI-CASC). Through their efforts, UH Hilo strives to facilitate collaborative research teams comprised of managers, communities and researchers to address adaptation needs and questions important to on-the-ground management and response.
A partnership between NMO, UH Hilo, PI-CASC, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Kaʻūpūlehu coastal community was formed to bring expertise, and financial and knowledge resources to study the impact of sea-level rise on this coastal area and answer questions posed by the community.
One of the most compelling aspects of this partnership is that the UH Hilo graduate student to work on this project has been a part of the community research team for 7 years prior to her entering graduate school. Lauren Kapono, a native Hawaiian student in UH Hiloʻs Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science graduate program, has worked as a part of NMO in monitoring ʻopihi while teaching groups on their methodology. Her connections to both the community and UH Hilo researchers makes her the ideal expert to be leading this research.
When asked to provide what resonates with her about this project, Lauren Kapono quoted Leinaʻala Keakealani Lightner: “Kalo, wai, limu, paʻakai, these are all resources that need to exist so that we can exist. This long-term collaboration has allowed people to reconnect and learn something they never knew about their own land, their own ocean, their own environment, their own selves”, added Lightner.
Ms. Kaponoʻs study proposes two main research questions that describe intertidal habitat shifts in response to sea level rise. 1. What are the seasonal shifts in ‘opihi habitat during present day conditions?; and 2. How the development of a model will help predict where ‘opihi habitat will be at times in the near future when the rising sea reaches 1.5 ft and later 6 ft? The project final products will include models and maps of shifting intertidal habitats for ‘opihi, which will directly support the ability of on-the-ground managers to make more informed decisions by incorporating past, present and future datasets into the decision making process. Additional opportunities will be provided to undergraduate and graduate students wishing to assist with the research, as well as interactive sessions to share information learned with the local community.
Intertidal breakthrough
Thanks to the partnership between the Kaʻūpūlehu community and NMO, the questions of ‘opihi population seasonal changes are evolving and growing into new pathways to better understand what the future may hold for ‘opihi.
This co-production research approach brings the important long-term knowledge held by people of a place together with other researchers to help guide behaviors to be better suited and support healthy and resilient ecosystems in the face of change (climate and social), land use, and unknown future pressures.
This project has great potential to provide information that will allow the Kaʻūpūlehu community (and perhaps other coastal Hawaiian communities) to make their best decisions possible.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information, connect with us through any of these social media channels at https://www.facebook.com/PacificIslandsFWS, www.flickr.com/photos/usfwspacific/, or www.twitter.com/USFWSPacific.
