Community-Based,
Co-Developed Research

HIMB researchers and graduate students are collaborating with community partners with Paepae o He‘eia, who steward the 800-year-old Indigenous aquaculture system in the ahupua‘a of He‘eia. A recent publication examined the productivity of loko iʻa (Indigenous aquaculture systems), demonstrating that these ancient systems can produce significant amounts of fish while also providing crucial habitat for native species and filtering coastal waters. This work highlights how Indigenous Knowledge offers sustainable solutions for modern aquaculture and food security, providing a powerful example of how mālama ‘āina (caring for the land) and mālama kai (caring for the ocean) are intertwined.

The "Restore with Resilience" program, a collaboration between HIMB’s Coral Resilience Lab and local nonprofit Kuleana Coral Restoration, is empowering local stewards on the Hawaiian Islands of O’ahu, Kaua‘i, and Maui. The initiative provides communities with scientific tools to actively participate in coral reef conservation. Through citizen science and hands-on outreach, residents are trained to monitor coral health, identify bleaching, and directly contribute to the restoration of their own reefs. The program ensures that valuable research insights are shared, fostering a shared sense of responsibility for the marine ecosystem.

HIMB graduate students are at the forefront of place-based research, empowering local communities through hands-on fieldwork and mentorship. Ph.D. student Josefa Muñoz conducts community-based sea turtle research in her home territory of Guam, where she collaborates with NOAA Fisheries and created an internship program to train local students in data collection. Likewise, Ph.D. student Carlos Tremonte engages high school students in American Samoa, where his research on mesophotic reefs provides them with valuable experience in marine fieldwork and conservation.

HIMB graduate students are engaged in culturally significant research that demonstrates the ecological value of traditional Hawaiian practices. For example, graduate student ʻAʻaliʻi’ Kelling is conducting research on how the stone fish houses, or imu, can build fish abundance in nearshore waters. For this project, he was awarded the Best Graduate Student Poster at the Hawai‘i Conservation Conference. This work provides a scientific basis for the cultural practice and highlights how these traditional structures can be used as effective tools to enhance reef health and fish productivity. In a separate project, graduate student Seaenna Correa-Garcia is working to understand the nutrient requirements that enable native limu to thrive in Hawaiʻi’s coastal ecosystems, where they provide a sustainable food source and help filter coastal waters.

HIMB's Research Experience for Marine Scholars (REMS) program is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of marine scientists from our local community. The program provides a unique opportunity for undergraduate students, many of whom are of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Island descent, to engage directly in hands-on, culturally relevant research. By pairing students with HIMB faculty, the REMS program fosters a powerful mentorship model that not only provides invaluable research skills but also cultivates a deep sense of place-based stewardship, ensuring that future leaders in marine science reflect the community they serve.

HIMB is committed to integrating local culture and knowledge into the process of scientific documentation and communication. As part of her thesis, recent PhD recipient Rachel Nunley described and documented several new species of marine sponge in Kāne‘ohe Bay that were previously known only to local practitioners. She worked closely with kūpuna (elders) to give these newly described species Hawaiian names, honoring the rich cultural connection to the bay and ensuring the scientific process is respectful and inclusive. HIMB’s Marine Mammal Research Program (MMRP) recently published its first abstract in the Native Hawaiian language, ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi. This accomplishment not only helps to revitalize the language but also makes research findings more accessible and culturally relevant to local communities, ensuring that scientific discovery serves as a bridge, not a barrier.