Loko iʻa, Hawaiian fishponds, are part of a rich history of indigenous aquaculture dating back to the 1400s. These unique ecosystems serve as key models of food sustainability across Hawaiʻi and the Pacific region. Hawaiʻi, among the most geographically isolated regions throughout the world, currently faces many challenges including environmental uncertainties, increasing urbanization, a growing population, and a dangerously high dependence on imports. Coupled with climate change, these challenges highlight the urgent need to develop a more sustainable and resilient Hawaiʻi.
The overall goal of this project is to apply cutting-edge science tools and approaches to help kia‘i loko, fishpond stewards, enhance the resilience and adaptation of loko i'a to climate change impacts. Specific project objectives are: (1) to create water quality monitoring stations that provide real-time data to university researchers and kiaʻi loko to inform restoration and timely, responsive adaptive management of loko i‘a; (2) to develop a live-streaming underwater camera system in loko iʻa to observe recruitment and activity of fish and other organisms in relation to the real-time water quality data; and (3) to provide local students with opportunities to enrich their learning experiences by partnering with university researchers using cutting-edge science tools.
This project provides an alternative perspective in data collection and analysis using a multi-sensory observational approach. This approach in knowledge co-production will support place-based management decisions in a changing climate and serve as a model for loko iʻa throughout Hawaiʻi and across the Pacific region.
