Supporting Sea-Level Rise Preparedness in Hawaiian National Parks

Principal Investigator

Philip Thompson

Start Date

2018-10-01

End Date

2022-12-31

Release Date

2018

​The threat of rising sea levels to the essential infrastructure and cultural assets of island communities is well known. Unfortunately, inadequate information limits the ability of resource managers and decision makers to motivate investment, take action, and mitigate the impacts of sea level rise. In this supplement to ongoing work (Grant No. G15AP00140), we will address these limitations by working directly with partners at the National Park Service (NPS) to address specific needs of decision makers at two national parks in Hawai‘i: the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument (VALR; home of the USS Arizona Memorial) and Pu‘uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical Park (PUHO; an important Hawaiian cultural site). Both parks are charged with managing critical assets that are at risk due to sea level rise, and both parks have been impacted by recent high water levels experienced around the state of Hawai‘i over the past year. The primary objective of this supplement is to build upon state-of-the-art methods already developed under Grant No. G15AP00140 and demonstrate the benefit of working directly with resource managers and stakeholders to develop tools that maximize utility for decision makers. In the process, we will develop tools and informational products based on ongoing work that will directly benefit our NPS partners, but these outcomes may also serve as a basis for products tailored to other vulnerable coastal areas.

ScienceBase WMS

• National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers
• Pacific Islands CASC