Speakers: Ms. Lisa Newburn and Dr. Jen Willis Abstract: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), a Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratory, possesses unique capabilities particularly relevant to sampling, modeling, and analysis of water contamination. In this seminar, we will…
Category: Seminar Archives
What Can American Samoan Corals Tell Us About the Future of Coral Reefs in a Changing Climate?April 19, 2024 (2:00 pm, HST)
Speaker: Dr. Daniel Barshis Abstract: Coral reefs around the world are threatened by rising ocean temperatures. Dr. Dan Barshis will present a summary of his work over the last 20 years investigating how some corals can survive these rising…
Microbial Water Quality Indicators, Their Sources, and Potential Health Risks in American Samoa and Hawaiʻi WatershedsApril 12, 2024 (2:00 pm, HST)
Speaker: Dr. Marek Kirs Abstract: Microbial water quality indicators, currently used to evaluate recreational water quality, are abundant in Hawaiʻi soils where they can grow, therefore do not necessarily indicate elevated health risk when detected in our streams and…
Humic Acid Fluorescence Quenching Impacts Molecular Detection of Pathogens in WaterApril 5, 2024 (2:00 pm, HST)
Speaker: Dr. Tao Yan Abstract: Nucleic acids-based molecular methods have revolutionized pathogen detection in water and other environmental matrices. However, the presence of interfering substances, such as humic acid (HA), remains a constant challenge to their accuracy and reliability.…
Engaging Hawai‘i’s Future Scientists in Community-driven Water ResearchApril 2, 2024 (3:00 pm, HST) ∙ WRRC Special Seminar ∙
Speaker: Dr. Carmella Viza Abstract: Wetland restoration efforts in Hawaiʻi exist at the unique interface of traditional Hawaiian practices, conservation, and agriculture. These efforts involve increasing endangered Hawaiian waterbird habitats, restoring streamflow, removing invasive vegetation, growing traditional crops such…
Empowering Communities: Strategies for Engaging in Successful, Co-produced Hydrological ResearchMarch 27, 2024 (3:00 pm, HST) ∙ WRRC Special Seminar ∙
Speaker: Dr. Chris Shuler Abstract: Community-engagement has emerged as somewhat of a cliché in the realm of contemporary, socially-conscious scientific discourse. However, what actually distinguishes projects that merely pay lip service to this term from those that truly make…
Empowering Communities: WRRC’s Efforts in the Aftermath of Maui’s 2023 WildfiresMarch 8, 2024 (2:00 pm, HST)
Speaker: Dr. Chris Shuler Abstract: The devastating wildfires that struck Maui in August 2023 resulted in tragic impacts, including loss of life and property damage. However, the interaction between wildfire smoke and melting pipes also introduced the potential for…
Beach Sand Quality – A Recent ConcernFebruary 23, 2024 (2:00 pm, HST)
Speaker: Dr. João Brandão Abstract: The emergence of Candida auris has sparked global interest in fungi within the context of environmental and occupational health, water management, and research. In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) discussed several fungal taxa…
Observing Floods From Space February 16, 2024 (2:00 pm, HST)
Speaker: Dr. Dinuke Munasinghe Abstract: Floods are one of the leading natural disasters which devastate agricultural crops and property, contribute to disease outbreaks, cause the loss of human lives, and have huge impacts on national economies. Satellite remote sensing…
The Present and Future State of the Pearl Harbor AquiferFebruary 9, 2024 (2:00 pm, HST)
Speaker: Dr. Paul Eyre Abstract: Since 1879, the Pearl Harbor aquifer (Ewa-Kunia excluded) has shrunk to around 60 percent of its original size; from about 33 feet to about 19 feet currently. Irrigation of sugarcane crops during the plantation…