Skin condition assessment of wildlife can provide insight into individual and population health. Yet, logistics can limit skin condition assessment of large whales. We developed a standardized, quantitative protocol using photographs to assess skin condition of blue whales in New Zealand, and demonstrate the value gained by testing hypotheses, documenting...
This study compares percent cover of benthic organisms at the species level at Pearl and Hermes
Atoll (PHA), the largest atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, in order to determine 1) the
degree of difference among sites, 2) whether wave exposure zones explain observed patterns in
benthic community structure, and...
This paper examines ways in which natural resource management – NRM – may be decolonized in order to better serve Hawaiʻi communities. Expressed needs for diversity in NRM has brought about inclusion of traditional ecological knowledge in recent years. Here, traditional ecological knowledge is redefined as ʻIK, ʻike kupuna –...
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) is a Knowledge-belief-practice system acquired through intergenerational direct and indirect observations representing past and current understandings of environments and integrates Indigenous value systems. TEK has become a popular topic recently as Indigenous stewarded lands contain more biodiversity and are more adaptable. It is critical for Indigenous...
The topics in this dissertation are centered around the way that trees respond to environmental stress in the climates where they occur. Though forests across the planet are expected to experience change in local climate due to historic and ongoing anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, the effects of climate change will...
Managing invasive species is vital to preserving native species and maintaining the integrity of environments and ecological roles. Rats are one of the most prolific and intrusive invasive species that have successfully cohabitated with humans over centuries as we have expanded and advanced our societies. Thus, rats have historically been...