Investigating drivers of coastal flooding to enhance the resiliency of loko iʻa along the Hilo Hanakahi coastline, Hawaiʻi
| dc.contributor.advisor | Burns, John H. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Ninomoto, Brianna K. | |
| dc.contributor.department | Tropical Conservation Biology & Environmental Science | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-01-23T21:15:26Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-01-23T21:15:26Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024-12 | |
| dc.description.degree | M.S. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10790/43919 | |
| dc.subject | Environmental science | |
| dc.subject | Physical oceanography | |
| dc.subject | Climate change | |
| dc.subject | Coastal resilience | |
| dc.subject | King Tides | |
| dc.subject | Loko iʻa | |
| dc.subject | Seal level rise | |
| dc.subject | Tide gauge | |
| dc.title | Investigating drivers of coastal flooding to enhance the resiliency of loko iʻa along the Hilo Hanakahi coastline, Hawaiʻi | |
| dc.type | Thesis | |
| dcterms.abstract | Coastal ecosystem environments are undergoing stresses due to climate change, particularly in Hawaiʻi. Loko iʻa, traditional Hawaiian fishponds, require a balance of ocean and freshwater to sustain the ecosystem that lives within. With an increase in sea level, these sites become susceptible to higher water levels, salinity, and the introduction of invasive species. This study examines the environmental drivers of the water level variability experienced within the loko iʻa along the Keaukaha coastline during the summer 2023 and winter 2023-24 King Tide events. Given that Hawaii island only has two tidal stations for nearly 290 miles of coastline, water levels recorded by in-situ sensors were compared to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Hilo tide station to evaluate the accuracy of NOAA predictions in reflecting local conditions. Environmental variables like rainfall, wave height, wave period and direction, wind speed and direction, and water and air temperature were analyzed to determine their influence on the water level departures between the loko iʻa and NOAA. Results revealed that water levels measured at most loko iʻa were double or more than NOAA predicted values. In the summer, water levels departures were influenced by wave height (0.44%) and water temperature (0.89%), while in the winter, departures were influenced by wave height (2.27%) and by wave period (0.40%) and wind speed (0.35%). Wave action variables emerged as the dominant environmental factor influencing the loko iʻa water levels. This community-based research provides insight into how dynamic the coastlines of Keaukaha are and validates the observations of the loko iʻa kiaʻi, but also provides guidance into other environmental variables to assist in managing their sites for future sea levels. | |
| dcterms.extent | 31 pages | |
| dcterms.language | en | |
| dcterms.publisher | University of Hawaii at Hilo | |
| dcterms.rights | All UHH dissertations and theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission from the copyright owner. | |
| dcterms.type | Text | |
| local.identifier.alturi | http://dissertations.umi.com/hilo.hawaii:10258 |