Bill to support climate research with state dollars dies amid federal cuts

April 30, 2025

Astatemeasure to fund a group of scientists collecting crucial Hawaiʻi climate data faltered on the final day of conference committee last week.

Senate Bill 657 proposed the creation of a climate data hub within the University of Hawaiʻi’s School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, using $2 million in state funds to support the work of 15 researchers affiliated with the Coastal Research Collaborative.

The collaborative’s research underlies many of Hawaiʻi’s key policies on sea level rise, including county shoreline setback ordinances and a recent real estate law requiring sellers to disclose whether their properties on the market are vulnerable to sea level rise and coastal erosion… Read More

Photo Description: This waterfront walkway near the Barefoot Beach Cafe in Waikīkī is under repair after collapsing in May 2024. (Feb. 19, 2025)

Photo Credit: Catherine Cruz / HPR

UH researcher shares new projections of the scope and speed of coastal erosion

April 15, 2025

Sea level rise in Hawaiʻi is progressing at a faster pace than previously thought. A new set of scientific models is showing some surprising projections about the state of our beaches and shorelines.

The research comes from the lab of University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa professor Chip Fletcher, who has been publishing models of sea level rise and beach loss since 1997.

Richelle Moskvichev, a scientific researcher in Fletcher’s lab, spoke with The Conversation about her team’s new research that was published in Scientific Reports… Read More