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A group of eight workers, primarily dressed in gloves, long-sleeve shirts, work pants, and sneakers, standing on top of mulch-covered ground. Behind them are a variety of bushes, the gray sky above them. The workers are smiling at the camera.
Two volunteers in gloves, long-sleeve shirts, pants and sneakers/boots. They stand on top of uprooted plant stalks; behind them is a wire fence holding a figurative wall of tall grass.
A group of eight workers, primarily dressed in gloves, gray long-sleeve shirts, work pants, and sneakers, standing on top of mulch-covered ground. They are smiling at the camera. Wrapping around them are a variety of bushes and small trees, the gray sky above them.

June Workday: Mālama Learning Center – Kahe Mauka, Palehua

Our June workday brought CIMAR staff to Kahe Mauka, the Mālama Learning Center’s Palehua site overlooking Nānākuli Valley and the Waiʻanae Mountains. Located in a rare Hawaiian dryland forest ecosystem, Kahe Mauka serves as an outdoor classroom where community members can learn about native ecosystems and participate in their restoration.

During the workday, staff removed invasive plant species and spread mulch around restoration areas to suppress nonnative growth and improve conditions for native plants to thrive. Along the way, we learned about the unique native species that call these dry forests home and the challenges involved in restoring one of Hawaiʻi’s most threatened ecosystems.

Working in the dry, rocky landscape offered a striking contrast to our earlier wetland projects! But the goal remained the same: strengthening our pilina with one another while caring for these important places.

Join us for upcoming CIMAR workdays:
Register for August 13 at Waialeʻe Lako Pono in North Shore
Register for September 17 at Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi in Kaneohe
Six workers in long-sleeve shirts, hats, and work pants, are standing in muddy waters, submerged up to their ankles. Rows of loʻi kalo leaves stick out of the water on the left; a fence holds back nebulous green flora on the right. Behind them are a variety of trees.
A man in a long-sleeve blue shirt and sun hat chopping a loʻi kalo. Beside him are several gray buckets filled with chopped loʻi kalo; in front of him is a small pile of choppings, and further forward is a pile of uncut loʻi kalo. Behind him is another worker.
On the left are several large piles of loʻi kalo on a riverbank. On the right are four workers, in hats and long-sleeved shirts, either sitting on the river bank or standing in the water. They are smiling at the camera.

May Workday: Waialeʻe Lako Pono (North Shore)

In May, CIMAR staff headed to Waialeʻe Lako Pono on Oʻahu’s North Shore for another rewarding community workday. Hosted by the North Shore Community Land Trust (NSCLT), the site reflects the organization’s mission to “protect, steward, and enhance the natural landscapes, cultural heritage, and rural character of ahupuaʻa from Kahuku to Kaʻena.” Founded in 1997, NSCLT works alongside landowners, agencies, and community members to mālama the places that make the North Shore so special.

Our volunteers had the opportunity to step directly into the loʻi kalo, where we harvested and cleaned kalo while learning about the cultural and ecological importance of these traditional food systems. We also helped remove invasive species from the adjacent pond, supporting ongoing efforts to restore the health and function of this important wetland habitat. It was a hands-on reminder that caring for ʻāina can take many forms!

Five people standing in underbrush, dressed for manual labor, smiling at the camera.
A team of workers posing for the camera in a parking lot
Six people in underbrush, dressed for manual labor, in the distance talking to eachother

CIMAR Workdays

CIMAR’s first official workday of 2026, organized by the Community Engagement Hui, brought 13 CIMAR staff out to Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi in Heʻeia. Since 2010, Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi has restored loʻi kalo (taro patches) and expanded agroecological systems while supporting local farmers, revitalizing Indigenous food systems, and rebuilding vital wetland habitats.

Our group spent the morning in the mud removing invasive species like mangrove, hau, and strawberry guava to help restore native ecosystems and agricultural lands. It was hard, muddy, and deeply satisfying work! The importance of these habitats was especially clear following this spring’s flooding, which highlighted just how critical healthy wetlands are for resilience and water management.

We’re excited to keep building pilina through more opportunities to work together: The Community Engagement Hui grew out of the 2025 CIMAR Pilina-building workshop, with a shared goal of strengthening connections, both within the CIMAR ʻohana and with our broader local community through hands-on workdays and outreach. If you’d like more information on future workdays/outreach, or if you’d like to join our hui, please reach out to Janelle Morano (janelle.morano@noaa.gov) or Kira Turnham (kira.turnham@noaa.gov).

Upcoming CIMAR Workdays

We know these dates are close together, but they offer great opportunities to stay connected and continue building community before our next round of summer events!

Looking ahead:

  • August 13 – Waialeʻe Lako Pono (North Shore)
  • September 17 – Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi (Kāneʻohe)

Hope to see you there.

Sydney Luitgaarden in a left vest looking over the side of a ship
Sydney Luitgaarden underwater, in a diving suit, with several gray fish swimming in the background
Sydney Luitgaarden, CIMAR PNMS Science Operations Coordinator, was nominated and selected for the 2025 NOS Team Member of the Year Award in recognition of her professionalism, initiative, and exceptional adaptability. She was recognized for leading the team’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) program, advancing the integration of eDNA sampling to support resource protection and invasive species detection efforts, and spearheading logistics coordination for PNMS’s 2025 Communications Engagement and Intertidal Research expeditions. Sydney’s strong operational planning, technical expertise, and positive energy have made her an invaluable member of the PNMS Marine Operations Team and highly deserving of this recognition.
Two women standing on the sides of a medium-sized poster. The woman on the left has dark hair & a dress to match, the woman on the right has brown hair, an orange aloha shirt and blue jeans. The poster says "Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology" and has a picture of an island. The poster is a bit bent. The group is under a building awning with several glass doors behind them.
CIMAR Graduate students swept the presentation awards at the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) Scholarship Symposium on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.

Josefa “Sefa” Muñoz won best talk with her presentation, “Finding the Feast: Mapping critical foraging grounds of Mariana Islands green turtles”. Sefa’s presentation detailed the horizontal and vertical space use of Mariana Islands post-nesting green turtles at their distant feeding grounds.

Shelbie Ishimaru won runner-up best talk for her presentation, “Advancing abundance estimation for the Hawaiian green sea turtle”. Shelbie presented on utilizing mark-recapture modeling methodology to estimate nesting honu abundance.

Both students were awarded the Colonel Willys E. Lord, DVM & Sandina L. Lord Scholarship Fund and presented to donors, the HIMB collective, and community members. This scholarship supported their attendance at the 44th International Sea Turtle Symposium, which took place in Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi from February 28–March 6, 2026. These awards not only highlight the academic achievements of the students and guidance from NOAA mentors but also exemplify the HIMB collective’s and communities’ excitement to learn about protected species research in the Pacific Islands Region. For more details on the event, visit the HIMB news section:
A Celebration of Science & Community: 2026 HIMB Scholarship Symposium
Image: Sefa (left) and Shelbie (right) at the entrance of the HIMB Scholarship Symposium following their green sea turtle research presentations on April 22, 2026, at the Windward Community College in Kāneʻohe.
A woman with brown hair, a black blazer, a light-yellow collared shirt, and a lanyard, standing in front of a poster board with a poster that says 'Impacts of Macroborers on Corals Along a Water Quality Gradient in American Samoa'. In the background, above the poster board, are some green trees.
Madeline Groh, a PYSO Intern, worked with Joy Smith (CIMAR), Juliette Verstaen (CIMAR), and Hannah Barkley (NOAA) during her 10-week internship in the summer of 2025. She conducted photo-imagery analysis using ImageJ to assess macroborer infestation rates and preferences across coral genera, morphologies, and tissue conditions on coral reefs in Nuʻuuli, American Samoa.

Madeline presented her project’s findings at the 2025 NOAA Intern Symposium. For her final project, she produced her first scientific poster, Impacts of Macroborers on Corals Along a Water Quality Gradient in American Samoa, which examined how macroborer infestation varied among sites with differing water quality in Nuʻuuli Pala Lagoon and the adjacent back reef. Her abstract was accepted to the annual Western Society of Naturalists conference, enabling her to travel to San Diego to present a poster on the results of her internship project.

Madeline is currently a junior in the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Honors College, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Biology. She was recently admitted to the AAUS Scientific Diver course for the spring semester and plans to participate in QUEST this summer to further develop her scientific and diving experience. She also plans to pursue a master’s degree as she continues working toward a career in marine and environmental research.
A couple dozen people sitting and standing to have their picture taken in a wood-walled room, with two arched doors behind them
A dozen people standing in line on a beach jutting into the water, a city in the distance

CIMAR Pilina Workshop: Strengthening Connections Between Science, Place, and Community

From August 11–14, CIMAR and their partners at UH Hawaiʻi Papa O Ke Ao hosted a four-day Pilina Workshop, bringing together 30+ participants from CIMAR/PIFSC, local organizations, and UH. Through pilina (relationship) circles, visits to Loko Iʻa Pāʻaiau and Mauna ʻAla, and thoughtful discussions, participants explored how to deepen relationships with place and each other, and integrate Hawaiian principles and knowledge into research. Cultural practitioners and UH professors led these discussions, helping participants envision more pono (responsible) ways of doing science. The workshop concluded with collective brainstorming for future collaborations and commitments to strengthen pilina with Hawaiʻi and Pacific Island communities. Mahalo nui to everyone involved in this meaningful experience—we look forward to carrying this momentum into FY26!

Photos: first two are workshop participants at Mauna ʻAla, followed by the  Loko Iʻa Pāʻaiau

A woman with brown hair, a black blazer, a light-yellow collared shirt, and a lanyard, standing in front of a poster board with a poster that says 'Impacts of Macroborers on Corals Along a Water Quality Gradient in American Samoa'. In the background, above the poster board, are some green trees.

Madeline Groh with a poster of her research

Diver amidst angel fish

Louise Giuseffi practices fish surveys during a training dive on the Sea Tiger wreck off South Oahu.

Workshop participants at Mauna ʻAla

A couple dozen people sitting and standing to have their picture taken in a wood-walled room, with two arched doors behind them

Workshop participants at Mauna ʻAla

A dozen people standing in line on a beach jutting into the water, a city in the distance

Loko Iʻa Pāʻaiau

Two women standing on the sides of a medium-sized poster. The woman on the left has dark hair & a dress to match, the woman on the right has brown hair, an orange aloha shirt and blue jeans. The poster says "Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology" and has a picture of an island. The poster is a bit bent. The group is under a building awning with several glass doors behind them.

Sefa (left) and Shelbie (right) at the entrance of the HIMB Scholarship Symposium following their green sea turtle research presentations on April 22, 2026, at the Windward Community College in Kāneʻohe. Credit: Jacob Snyder

Sydney Luitgaarden in a left vest looking over the side of a ship

Photo of Sydney Luitgaarden. Credit: Nick Zachar

Sydney Luitgaarden underwater, in a diving suit, with several gray fish swimming in the background

Photo of Sydney Luitgaarden. Credit: Alexa Gonzalez

Five people standing in underbrush, dressed for manual labor, smiling at the camera.

Workday at Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi in Heʻeia

Six people in underbrush, dressed for manual labor, in the distance talking to eachother

Workday at Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi in Heʻeia

A team of workers posing for the camera in a parking lot

Workday at Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi in Heʻeia

Two volunteers in gloves, long-sleeve shirts, pants and sneakers/boots. They stand on top of uprooted plant stalks; behind them is a wire fence holding a figurative wall of tall grass.

June 2026 workday at Kahe Mauka. Credit: Kira Turnham

A team of workers posing for the camera in a parking lot

June 2026 workday at Kahe Mauka. Credit: Janelle Morano

A team of workers posing for the camera in a parking lot

June 2026 workday at Kahe Mauka. Credit: Kira Turnham

Six workers in long-sleeve shirts, hats, and work pants, are standing in muddy waters, submerged up to their ankles. Rows of loʻi kalo leaves stick out of the water on the left; a fence holds back nebulous green flora on the right. Behind them are a variety of trees.

May 2026 workday at Waialeʻe Lako Pono. Credit: Janelle Morano

A man in a long-sleeve blue shirt and sun hat chopping a loʻi kalo. Beside him are several gray buckets filled with chopped loʻi kalo; in front of him is a small pile of choppings, and further forward is a pile of uncut loʻi kalo. Behind him is another worker.

May 2026 workday at Waialeʻe Lako Pono. Credit: Kira Turnham

On the left are several large piles of loʻi kalo on a riverbank. On the right are four workers, in hats and long-sleeved shirts, either sitting on the river bank or standing in the water. They are smiling at the camera.

May 2026 workday at Waialeʻe Lako Pono. Credit: Mia Lamirand