Speaker: Dr. Thomas Lee, UHH Geology Department
Title: Understanding Legacy Data and Developing Methods for Its Modern Usage
Abstract: Microseism are a ubiquitous feature recorded in seismic data, and exist on records going back for over a century. The main source of microseism is oceanic wave activity, and thus these seismic signals are sensitive to climate-sensitive phenomena such as increases in near-coastal wave-state and changes in the behavior of oceanic storms. The use of modern tools to rescue and digitize old seismic data allows modern quantitative analyses to be performed on them. Such analyses cast valuable light on the oceanic climate of the pre-satellite era. In particular, rescued legacy seismic data for 1936 through 1940 from Harvard, MA, are digitized into usable time series, and instrument corrections derived from earthquake doublets are applied to make comparisons to modern data. For historical and modern data, spectrograms are calculated, instrument responses removed, and microseism signals are extracted. The results are consistent with changes to tropical cyclone behavior in the North Atlantic for the last century; comparison of these results to those using only modern data illustrate the additional information that obtained from historical data. Extraction of such oceanic information from legacy seismic data provides valuable and irreplaceable quantitative data for future climate modeling and verification of hindcasts.
Speaker: Dr. Rebecca “Becky” Ostertag, UHH Biology Department
Title: Using plant functional traits to design forest restoration: an example of hybrid ecosystem restoration in an invaded Hawaiian lowland wet forest
Abstract: Plant functional recently have been suggested to be useful for restoration planning. The Liko Nā Pilina hybrid ecosystem experiment in Hilo, Hawaii, USA employed functional traits to design and test the suitability of different species combinations, using native and introduced (but non-invasive) species to meet the objectives of increased carbon storage, native biodiversity regeneration, and invasion resistance. In this case, restoration to a previous reference condition was not feasible. After several years of forest development, we evaluated community-level outcomes related to nutrient cycling: carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus via litterfall, litter decomposition, outplant productivity, rates of invasion, and leaf litter arthropod species composition. We found that regardless of treatment, the experimental communities had low rates of nutrient cycling through litterfall relative to the invaded forest. In addition, which treatment did “best” depends on the metric being assessed. And we found that several surprises have altered ecological trajectories. This seminar will include a discussion of how hybrid ecosystems represent a paradigm shift, how potential metrics of belonging within an ecosystem may be developed, how new policies can support these efforts, and how the technique can be applied in other ecosystems. Although challenges remain, this study provides evidence that functional trait-based restoration approaches to carefully select species and to assess ecosystem functioning can achieve management goals.
Speakers: Dr. Karla McDermid and Dr. Grady Weyenberg, UHH Marine Science Department and UHH Math/Data Science Departments
Title: Not Always Slow and Steady: Hawaiian Green Turtles, a New Four-Parameter Bayesian Growth Model, and the Primitive Reptilian Condition
Abstract: Growth rates, essential for understanding the demographics of sea turtle populations, vary regionally because of variability in habitat quality, food availability, turtle density, environmental conditions, and genotype. In past decades, declining green turtle (Chelonia mydas) growth rates within the Hawaiian Archipelago raised concerns about long-term population stability. From 1976 to 2018, at Punalu‘u, Hawai‘i Island, a key foraging ground, green turtles were captured, measured for straight carapace length (SCL) and mass, and released. Recaptured individuals were monitored to assess growth rates and body condition index. Of 319 turtles captured, 186 were captured at least twice during the 42 years, and 127 were captured three or more times. The average annual growth rate was 1.16 ± 0.05 cm/year based on 178 individuals. A four-parameter Bayesian growth model predicts population asymptotes at 68.6 cm SCL, and that individuals will achieve close to their final size approximately 15 years after reaching 50 cm SCL. Punalu‘u green turtles displayed a size-specific sigmoidal growth rate function characteristic of the “primitive reptilian condition” seen in extant species of alligators, crocodiles, snakes, lizards, and land tortoises, as well as extinct non-avian dinosaurs. Growth trend analyses help develop management strategies and provide comparisons with green turtle populations locally and globally.
Speaker: Dr. Matthew L. Knope, UH Manoa School of Life Sciences
Title: Can combining genomics, geology, and ecology inform us about the predictability of evolution in Hawai’i?
Abstract: Patterns of convergent evolution demonstrate that organisms that live in similar environments often evolve similar traits, making evolutionary trajectories potentially predictable under certain conditions. In fact, evolution is so often deterministic on islands that the general suite of repeated outcomes in island phenotypes (compared to mainland relatives) has been termed the “Island Syndrome” and is well documented in both plant and animal lineages. However, random genetic mutations and chance historical events can introduce unpredictability, and it is not yet clear when and where evolution should be predictable, and when and where it should not. In addition to the island syndrome, one of the most most powerful hypotheses for the predictability of evolution in Hawaiʻi, and other oceanic island archipelagos around the world with a linear age progression of island formation, comes from the so-called “Progression Rule” which predicts a priori that dispersal, colonization, and speciation patterns will follow the age progression of the islands and is largely deterministic based on the geological history of the archipelago. In this seminar, I will ask if we can combine state-of-the-art genomic tools, with a well-constrained geologic history, and the study of eco-morphological variation in relation to habitat affinity to determine to what extend evolution in native Hawaiian plants is predictable? I will first present evidence from our recent reviews of global patterns in island evolution and then I will focus on our results from study of endemic Hawaiian Koʻokoʻolau plants (genus Bidens, family Asteraceae) and argue that both biogeographic and trait evolution patterns can be largely predictable, but that these insights are only made possible by the combination of fields that are often viewed as disparate. Lastly, I will conclude with some vision for the future and some acknowledgments for the 8.5 years I spent as a member of the UH Hilo ʻohana with the Biology Department and the TCBES graduate program.
Presenters: Students in ED 270: Health and Wellness Education, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
Title: Confronting Myths: Growing Up Healthy and Well in Today’s World (An Interactive Gallery Exhibit on Youth, Health, and Wellbeing)
Abstract: What does it mean to grow up healthy and well in today’s complex world? In this interactive, multimedia gallery exhibit, UH Hilo students address common myths and share insights from their Photovoice research and follow-up review of interdisciplinary research. Framed through a public health lens, their projects explore critical and timely social, environmental, and cultural factors that influence wellbeing from childhood through emerging adulthood—covering topics such as identity, learning, mental health, and the everyday conditions that shape how young people grow and thrive. Blending research and creativity, the exhibit invites visitors to reflect on how we can build healthier, more supportive environments for children, youth, and young adults. It offers something for everyone—parents, educators, students, and community members alike—anyone interested in understanding what it takes to grow up healthy and well in today’s world.
Speaker: Dr. Norman Arancon, UHH College of Agriculture, Forestry & Natural Resource Management
Title: The Power of (Earth)worms: Turning Trash into Treasure through Vermicomposting
Abstract: Every day, mountains of food end up in landfills—wasting precious resources and fueling climate change. But what if the solution to this global problem wriggled right beneath our feet? Vermicomposting harnesses the humble earthworm’s natural ability to recycle food and organic waste into nutrient-rich compost that can rejuvenate soils, boost plant growth, and even suppress pests and diseases. This presentation explores how vermiculture, composting with earthworms, transforms waste management from a dirty problem into a clean solution for a sustainable future. Through examples from the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo and global research, simple, small-scale worm bins can make a big difference in our homes, farms, and communities. Learn how to start your own vermicomposting systems, discover the science behind these “soil engineers,” and see how their efforts can reduce greenhouse gases, enhance crop productivity, and build a more resilient planet, one earthworm at a time.
Speaker: Sage Constantinou, UH Institute for Astronomy
Title: Peeking into the PCTR: Dynamics and Heating in the Solar Atmosphere
Abstract: White-light and narrow-bandpass solar eclipse images suggest that prominence-corona transition regions (PCTRs) may play a crucial role in driving turbulence and mediating energy exchange between cool, dense prominences and the surrounding hot solar corona. In this talk, I present a spectroscopic analysis of a PCTR observed with the Cryogenic Near-Infrared Spectropolarimeter (Cryo-NIRSP) on the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST). Using multiple, consecutive spectroscopic rasters of Fe XIII (1074.7 nm, 1079.8 nm) and He I (1083.0 nm), I produce maps of line widths, Doppler velocity, and electron density of a PCTR. These diagnostics reveal spatial variation in non-thermal motions and density structuring at arcsecond resolution. These results; provide an estimate of non-thermal energy flux and heating rate around the PCTR, show apparent wave-like structure in the core of the prominence with implications on wave heating, and highlight the capabilities of Cryo-NIRSP for future high-resolution spectroscopic studies of coronal plasmas. I will also discuss some upcoming opportunities with DKIST and total solar eclipse expeditions.
Speaker 1: Angela Bridges, Physics and Astronomy Department
Title: Halo, is it Me You’re Looking For? Investigating the Effects of Numerical Artifacts on Dark Matter Annihilation Signals.
Abstract: Most of the matter in the universe is dark matter. It is invisible, neither emitting nor reflecting light, yet its gravity holds galaxies and clusters together. Although we cannot see it directly, its presence can be inferred from the motions of stars, the bending of light from distant galaxies, and the way large-scale structure forms over cosmic time. Studying how dark matter gathers into small clumps offers one of the best ways to investigate its nature and the laws that govern it. In particular, dark matter may be able to annihilate itself in a way that produces a detectable annihilation signal (likely in the form of gamma-ray radiation) in the densest regions.
Computer simulations that model dark matter play a central role in understanding its nature, but they often struggle to capture the smallest bound structures that orbit within larger halos, known as subhalos. When subhalos go below the resolution limit of a simulation, they become lost, which may lead to underestimates of how many small, dense systems survive. This loss of structure can smooth out the true distribution of dark matter and thereby artificially reduce the strength of the predicted annihilation signal. Accounting for these fragile systems is therefore essential for realistic predictions of possible dark-matter signals.
Speaker 2: Raymond Adams, Geology Department
Title: Tracking lava fountain heights with timelapse cameras
Abstract: Lava fountaining has the potential to provide unique insights on the complex behavior of magma within basaltic conduits. The 2024–25 summit eruption of Kīlauea, Island of Hawai’i, provides a new opportunity to study lava fountains with detailed monitoring data collected as part of a collaboration between the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo. From the opening hours of the eruption on December 2024, up to the most recent (29th) episode of fountaining (as of July 30, 2025), timelapse cameras have captured the height and behavior of lava fountains at sub-minute intervals. Furthermore, a network of webcams and livestream cameras, coupled with a dense geophysical network, provides additional data to complement the timelapse snapshots for each episode.
We show that the earlier lava fountaining episodes (1–7) involved lower fountain heights (<100 m) and more variable behavior through time. Subsequent episodes showed an increasing, but complex, trend in fountain heights that eventually reached nearly 400 m. In our observations, an inverse correlation has been identified between fountain height and width, with taller fountaining events exhibiting narrower fountain profiles relative to events with shorter heights. A common pattern of abrupt onset, rapid decay, and abrupt shutdown was observed in most fountaining episodes, which typically lasted 8–12 hours. Most episodes have been separated by intervals of 7–10 days, with low-level gas pistoning a common precursor to fountain onset. The network of cameras around Kīlauea caldera also tracked the growth and evolution of the complex tephra cone, which has implications for vent dynamics and fountain behavior.
Here we describe the methodology of long-term lava fountain monitoring and measurement with timelapse cameras and webcams. We also compare the observed fountain behavior to other historic fountaining eruptions on Kīlauea, which share similar key patterns. Finally, we explore the possible conceptual models that could help explain these patterns and the role the growing tephra cone has in influencing fountain activity. Overall, this new, detailed dataset from the 2024–25 eruption of Kīlauea provides new insight on lava fountaining behavior and eruption dynamics.
Speaker 1: Atlas Syncatto, Physics and Astronomy Department
Title: Measuring Bulk Flows in Nearby Superclusters with Type Ia Supernovae
Abstract: The Lambda Cold Dark Matter (ΛCDM) cosmological framework predicts that initial perturbations in the early universe collapse and form large structures in the present universe. We present new constraints on local bulk flows (z < 0.067) using a sample of ~1,816 spectroscopically identified Type Ia Supernovae (SNe Ia) discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS). While previous measurements have relied primarily on distances from galaxy scaling relations, the rapidly increasing SN discovery rate has made them competitive and independent probes of cosmic structure in recent years. SNe Ia provide distances with ~10% scatter—about five times more precise than typical distances from galaxy scaling relations—making them useful tracers of large-scale structure. Our sample is comprised of classified SNe Ia reported to the Transient Name Server, with spectroscopic redshifts sourced from the NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database and the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument. We derive distances using the SALT3 model and the Tripp equation, and apply standard selection cuts to our sample. We combine our distances with the Pantheon+ SN Ia sample and note Hubble residual offsets of regional sub-samples near known attractors and repellers. Using a forward modeling approach, we then compare the observed peculiar velocities derived from our ATLAS SNe with the reconstructed velocity field from the 2M++ galaxy redshift survey. We measure residual bulk flows across different regions with typical velocities of 200–500 km/s and statistical uncertainties of 20–50%, demonstrating the effectiveness of SNe Ia as tracers of the nearby peculiar-velocity field. The growing power of all-sky surveys with continued SNe Ia data from ATLAS and discoveries with LSST will provide an increasingly precise map of bulk flows across our local cosmos.
Speaker 2: Raven Kromer, Physics and Astronomy Department
Title: The Summer I Blew Stuff Up: Europa and Impact Cratering on Icy Bodies
Abstract: Studying impact craters on icy bodies poses unique challenges due to lack of examples in the inner solar system, but the upcoming Europa Clipper mission will give us a chance to examine the craters left by these kinds of impact events in high detail. What do we look for, though? Impact testing done with the Very Large Gun at the Ames Research Center over 2024 and 2025 sought to answer this question, and indicated our understanding of the behavior of icy impacts is incomplete, hinting at mysteries on Europa’s surface and in its subsurface layers. This presentation will explain the basics of impact cratering, discuss the differences we see with icy impacts, and why the craters we see on Europa’s surface are…weird. We’ll also see some footage from the experiments at Ames and talk about how we designed and performed hypervelocity experiments as we attempt to understand the behavior of icy impacts and the impact of ice on crater formation.
Speaker: Dr. Ron Swaisgood, Director of Recovery Ecology, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
Title: Adventures in conservation science: from pandas to ʻAlalā
Abstract: With more than three decades behind me in this career—using behavioral and ecological knowledge to support species recovery—it’s a good time to reflect on the path taken. I’ll provide a personalized overview of some of my career highlights (so far!), including scientific and conservation milestones, some personal anecdotes, and perhaps a few setbacks encountered along the way: a personalized map of my career trajectory. I’ll share stories about being chased up trees by rhinos, my first sighting of a giant panda in the wild, walking a nocturnal path to my tent in the Peruvian Amazon, almost quitting grad school, and what it feels like to have responsibility for some of the last remaining members of Hawaiian bird species. I’ll also share some science and conservation highlights (warning: may contain graphs). Some examples include: (1) what does it take to get a panda to do what is supposed to come naturally; (2) what works best in China’s protected areas for giant pandas; (3) how rhino poop can facilitate more successful conservation translocation; (4) why kangaroo rats need their neighbors; (5) finding a path for coexistence with giant otters; (6) figuring out the difference between good and great habitat for desert tortoise; (7) preparing mountain yellow-legged frogs for life in the wild; (8) creative intervention to manage predation on terns and plovers; (9) capturing pests and releasing ecosystem engineers for burrowing owls; and (10) last but not least tackling the myriad wicked problems that comes with establishing de novo breeding and release programs for Hawaiian birds. These will necessarily be brief vignettes to give a taste of the problems encountered in conservation science and some solutions we’ve developed over the years. Collaboration is a key ingredient of successful conversation, so I’ll share a little about some of the friendships I’ve developed in the conservation landscape. If I have time, I might talk a little about my passion for reconnecting people to nature. I’ll hang around afterwards for Q&A, including any career advice questions (I often get these, and welcome them).