Ocean Talks


with the Division of Aquatic Resources and Waikiki Aquarium

Wednesday, March 18
3:30 – 4:30 p.m.

Postponed: TBA
Plastic and Ocean Issues in Hawaii

by Doorae Shin, Surfrider Foundation Oahu Chapter Coordinator

Join us at the Waikiki Aquarium to learn about ocean issues in Hawaii, including plastic pollution, recycling, and trash. The presentation will also include information about policy solutions as well as ways that individuals can be part of the solution.

Please register, as seating is limited. For additional information, please call the Waikiki Aquarium Volunteer Office at 808-440-9021.

Thursday, April 16
3:30 – 4:30 p.m.

Postponed: TBA
The Marvelous Marianas Trench Marine National Monument
The Deepest Trench on Earth ~ What’s There and Why We Care

This month’s Ocean Talk will feature the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument with Heidi Hirsh and Celeste Hanley of NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Regional Office.

Established in January 2009, the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument has some of the rarest and most exciting ecosystems on the planet. It is comprised of the submerged lands and waters of the three northernmost islands in the Mariana Archipelago, 21 submarine volcanoes, and the deepest point on Earth, the Mariana Trench.

Learning about the features and creatures in this amazing place will be complemented with a short film and two new educational posters that provide an in-depth view of the Monument, with links to 20 lesson plans for educators, students, and the general public.

Please register as space is limited. For more information, please contact the Waikiki Aquarium Volunteer Office at 808-440-9021.

Wednesday, May 20
3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
King Tides, Sea-Level Rise, & Community Science Webinar

With global sea-level rise, today’s King Tides are tomorrow’s average water levels. Photos of these high water events help us better understand and prepare for the local impacts of sea-level rise. Community volunteers are needed to help with this effort.

Please join us for an informational and interactive webinar to learn more about rising sea levels, King Tides, and community science. Join this crowd-sourced community science effort to capture coastal impacts and changes from King Tides! 

Please Register as space is limited. Webinar login will be emailed the day prior to the event. If you have any questions, please contact kingtide@hawaii.edu

Wednesday, November 18
3:30 – 4:30 p.m

Postponed: TBA
Life on the Edge – Coastal Plant Resilience under Sea Level Rise

by Dr. Kasey Barton, School of Life Sciences, UH-Manoa

Coastal plants experience extreme conditions –high temperatures and solar intensity, limited rainfall, physical disturbances caused by humans and wave action, and salinity exposure to their roots and leaves. Although we expect that coastal plants have evolved to tolerate high salinity, this has rarely been tested. Moreover, sea-level rise and an increase in storm frequency and severity mean that coastal plants are experiencing increasing salinity now and into the future.

Using an experimental approach, we have examined salinity tolerance in two widespread Hawaiian plant species, Jacquemontia sandwicensis (pāʻūohiʻiaka) and Sida fallax (ʻilima). Surprisingly, neither species was fully tolerant of high salinity, and they were particularly vulnerable during young stages (seeds and seedlings). Susceptibility during seed germination and seedling establishment could limit population persistence under future climate change, leading to declines and possible extirpation of these native plants. To investigate whether coastal plants are generally vulnerable to salinity, our current work expands this experimental approach to include 20 additional species and field trials. Our results will provide new insights into the evolution of these endemic plants as well as provide information to coastal land managers working to restore and conserve native coastal plant communities.