Mountains
Distant lands intertwine: PI-CASC hosts Alaska CASC scientists in Hawaiʻi
From icy fields to humid jungles, partner researchers from Hawaiʻi and Alaska have had a pair of opportunities this year to visit each other’s work spaces and get an up-close look at the parallels their regions had in science, community, and natural resources. The Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center, in coordination with the University…
Research across the Pacific: PI-AK scientists meet in Juneau
On the banks of Montana Creek in Juneau, Alaska, a group clad in colorful rain gear watches expectantly as AK CASC graduate student Kevin Fitzgerald empties a throng of juvenile salmon from a small wire trap. His audience has traveled across the Pacific from Hawai`i to observe stream research in Alaskan watersheds and compare methodologies…
Understanding flooding processes in Hawaiʻi and Southeast Alaska
Different flood‐producing mechanisms may not change uniformly in a future climate, and floods may increase or decrease in magnitude or change in seasonal timing. To understand the effects of climate change on floods and how ecosystems and human communities may be affected by flood‐related changes, this project will look at the main flood‐producing mechanisms in high-elevation basins in Southeast Alaska and Hawaiʻi.
Connecting ecosystems from the mountains to the sea during a changing climate
Changes to streamflow patterns and precipitation impact river, estuary, and coastal ecosystems that host native aquatic species in Hawaiʻi rely on. PI-CASC researchers will work collaboratively with researchers in Alaska to expand the capacity in addressing climate impacts on aquatic ecosystems from the mountains to the sea.
This project will build upon existing efforts to assess the impact of changing climate on nine groups of native aquatic species, applying the concept of Ridge-to-Reef and using tools to prioritize conservation efforts for Hawaiʻi aquatic ecosystems.