For Haunani Kane, traveling to the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument with eight other Native Hawaiian scientists and community members was part of a bigger dream: to inspire more Indigenous people to pursue degrees and careers in the earth and ocean sciences fields. A Kailua native who earned her Ph.D. in earth and planetary sciences at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Kane said that during their 15-day expedition to the most eastern islands, Nihoa, Lalo and Mokumanamana, the crew members were able to conduct their research while incorporating their own culture, moolelo (history) and traditions.
“It’s a big deal that we were able to get support … to create an opportunity where we can have a group of Native Hawaiians conduct research and in a way that doesn’t separate the Hawaiian person from the science,” said Kane, a Hokule‘a navigator who now works as an assistant professor at Arizona State University. “It shows that innately, science is a Hawaiian way of thinking. There are a lot more parallels than there are differences.”
The crew members, who returned Saturday after sailing 1,000 nautical miles, are working on scientific studies about sea level rise and intertidal fisheries management. The projects are funded by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, National Science Foundation and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, as well as supported by Na Maka Onaona, a nonprofit that provides culturally grounded educational programs and partnerships.
To study the impacts at Lalo following Hurricane Walaka in 2018, the crew collected high-resolution GPS data that will improve the accuracy of satellite imagery used to determine the islands’ recovery. Surveying the reef and collecting sediment also will help to understand the scale of loss and the amount of time it takes for habitat to recover following extreme storm events. The goal is to help guide management of the marine and terrestrial resources at the monument and future decisions related to climate change, Kane said.
For intertidal fisheries management, the expedition built on more than 10 years of research and community partnerships to continue studying the health and productivity of opihi and the overall intertidal ecosystems. The crew focused on how habitat and environment impact reproduction and growth of opihi. This would help to develop more sustainable harvesting and management strategies.
“We’re part of a broader movement of Native Hawaiians to support management,” said Kanoe‘ula Morishige, a Ph.D. candidate in marine biology at UH Manoa who didn’t go on this expedition, but co-led the intertidal research studies. “Part of our major goals are to help and support the health and wellness of our community and environment. We get to bring these stories home to our communities.”
The crew members offered pule and mele at all of the islands they visited and returned samples collected from a 2018 research expedition in a culturally appropriate way. The expedition also was an opportunity for one of the crew members, who has genealogical ties to Nihoa, to visit the place of his ancestors and connect with them.
The trip was also an opportunity for the crew members, some of whom had never been to the monument before, to learn about voyaging through navigating and everything else that comes with working on a sailing vessel. Lauren Kapono, a UH Hilo graduate student in tropical conservation biology and environmental science, said although it was hard work, it added to their experience.
“It tested us mentally, emotionally and physically. (But) there’s a beauty in being tired. Our people worked really hard, and that’s what we did,” said Kapono, who visited Papahanaumokuakea for the first time on the trip and hadn’t had any voyaging experience. “The really amazing thing about this trip is we did science in a Hawaiian way. We supported each other’s work. It’s to better understand our Hawaii.”
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Jayna Omaye covers ethnic and cultural affairs and is a corps member of Report for America, a national service organization that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues and communities.
