Hawai'i Researchers Tackle Climate Challenges in National Parks

University of Hawaiʻi researchers are leading an innovative project to protect five coastal national parks in Hawaiʻi from climate change threats such as sea level rise, storm surges, flooding, and erosion. The initiative, funded by a $1.15 million National Park Service (NPS) grant, focuses on cultural resource preservation using high-resolution digital tools. Professors Ryan Perroy from UH Hilo and Seth Quintus from UH Mānoa are co-principal investigators, leveraging advanced technologies to document and assess cultural sites across parks like Haleakalā, Kalaupapa, and Puʻuhonua o Honaunau. The study aims to enhance resilience modeling and adaptation planning to safeguard these critical heritage sites.

The research team employs cutting-edge remote sensing techniques, including drone and helicopter-mounted imaging, to collect precise data from extensive and hard-to-reach areas. These tools allow for efficient surveying of nearshore and flood-prone regions, producing high-resolution digital documentation for resource monitoring. The project builds on previous documentation efforts by the NPS and will support the development of condition assessment protocols. Perroy, an expert in aerial robotics and geospatial analysis, oversees the spatial data analysis lab at UH Hilo, which plays a pivotal role in addressing environmental challenges in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.

In addition to resource preservation, the project emphasizes education and training by involving four students—two each from UH Hilo and UH Mānoa. These students will gain hands-on experience in advanced remote sensing, including data collection, processing, and analysis. The initiative not only contributes to cultural resource protection but also prepares future experts in environmental science and geospatial technologies, equipping them to tackle the impacts of climate change on vulnerable ecosystems and heritage sites.