Ku‘i’s research is currently focused on co-collaborating with loko wai‘ōpae (Hawaiian anchialine shrimp pond) caretakers to protect and increase abundances of ‘ōpae‘ula (Hawaiian red shrimp) populations using traditional ecological knowledge practices, water quality monitoring/testing, and animal behavioral science. Concurrently, Ku‘i also focuses on curriculum development for K-12 on topics related to Marine Science while incorporating sense of place and Hawaiian culture