Speaker: Dr. Donn Viviani
Abstract:
Puʻuloa (Pearl Harbor) is the largest estuary in the central Pacific. Puʻuloa is also understudied, particularly compared to other estuarine systems. Leeward Community College (Leeward CC) has a rich tradition of oceanographic investigation of Puʻuloa, dating back to the 1970s. Current Leeward CC students carry on this tradition, including time-series observations in Puʻuloa. Comparisons of coastal plankton across three sites (East Loch, West Loch, and the mouth of Puʻuloa) from 2019 through 2020 revealed higher taxonomic richness near the estuary mouth and lowest in West Loch. Near-weekly West Loch time-series observations in summer 2021 revealed plankton population changes compared to earlier observations. We then generated lists of planktonic organisms in Puʻuloa, from regularly abundant to occasionally present. These lists serve as a basis for further explorations of community structure, diversity, and ecology of plankton in this estuarine system. Leeward CC provides other undergraduate research experiences in partnership with colleagues from the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, UH Mānoa, and Sumida Farms. These partners provide the students with samples to analyze and field research opportunities that serve as a training platform as future scientists, while also letting them address real scientific questions.
February 10, 2023 recording (click here)
May 6, 2022 Transcript (download here)
May 6, 2022 Recording (click here)