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  • MS Plan A Defense: Acoustic Signal Propagation from Kaua’i Beacon to ALOHA Cabled Observatory

    Holmes 287 2540 Dole Street, Honolulu, HI, United States

    Elizabeth Taylor Masters Student Department of Ocean & Resources Engineering University of Hawai’i at Manoa **This defense will be held in person (POST 723) and Zoom** In-person: POST 723 Meeting ID: 828 2791 1158 Passcode: Eliza2025 https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/82827911158 Acoustic tomography is a powerful technique for remote ocean sampling that measures ocean properties over integrated acoustic paths. The information gained can be used to refine ocean models and improve the understanding of oceanographic processes. Tomography has diverse applications, including the study of internal waves, temperature variability, gyre dynamics, tides, and other ocean phenomena. Acoustic tomography leverages the fact that sound speed is

  • MS Plan A Defense: Evaluation of Coastal Imaging Georectification For Measuring Runup With UAV’s On Hawai’i Beaches

    Holmes 287 2540 Dole Street, Honolulu, HI, United States

    Gabriel Nelson Masters Student Department of Ocean & Resources Engineering University of Hawai’i at Manoa **This defense will be held in-person (HOLM 287) and Zoom** Meeting ID: 884 1267 3489 Passcode: GabrielMS https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/88412673489 Coastal inundation presents a significant and escalating threat to island communities such as Hawaii, driven by rising sea levels and increasing wave activity. Under these circumstances, precise measurement of wave runup is crucial for accurate coastal hazard assessments, effective mitigation strategies, and sound engineering practices. UAV-based photogrammetry paired with the Coastal Imaging Research Network (CIRN) Toolbox offers a powerful tool for coastal image processing. However, CIRN’s standard

  • MS Plan A Defense: Path Optimization for Acoustical Oceanography Applications

    POST 723 1680 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI, United States

    Prajna Jandial Masters Student Department of Ocean & Resources Engineering University of Hawai’i at Manoa **This defense will be held in person (POST 723) and Zoom** Meeting ID: 832 8033 9161 Passcode: 2025 https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/83280339161 This MS work aims to contribute to underwater acoustic sampling techniques through machine learning. It has two objectives: (1) Optimizing the sampling process for underwater sound fields and (2) Optimizing data assimilation for ocean acoustic tomography. To address the first objective, we developed an approach that leverages autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to sample unknown sound fields. Unlike fixed sensor networks with spatial constraints, AUVs can make

  • MS Plan A: Numerical Modeling of Wave Dynamics at Ulupa’u Crater: Validation of SWAN and XBeach with Field Observations

    Camryn Dillon Masters Student Department of Ocean & Resources Engineering University of Hawai’i at Manoa **This defense will be held in person (POST 708) and Zoom** Meeting ID: 858 0966 0255 Passcode: CamrynMS Zoom link: https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/85809660255 This study aims to validate the SWAN and nonhydrostatic XBeach models by comparing simulated wave transformations to field observations collected offshore of Ulupaʻu Crater, O'ahu. The models were calibrated using site-specific bathymetry and wave conditions to replicate observed wave behavior. The accuracy of each model was assessed using spectral analysis and time-series comparisons with ADCP and pressure sensor data. This work explores the effectiveness

  • MS Plan A Defense: Resident AUV design and validation for autonomous docking and charging at Kilo Nalu Observatory

    Holmes 287 2540 Dole Street, Honolulu, HI, United States

    Norman Chung Masters Student Department of Ocean & Resources Engineering University of Hawai’i at Manoa **This defense will be held in person (Holmes 287) and Zoom** Meeting ID: 839 1898 9765 Passcode: NormanMS Zoom link: https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/83918989765 Near-shore environments are important to oceanographers because of their relationship to the biogeochemical and anthropogenic processes which occur on land and at sea. Some traditional approaches to researching these environments include using fixed installations, such as cabled observatories and moored buoys, or mobile platforms like remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). Each of these approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages.

  • MS Plan B: Evaluating Stability and Structural Integrity of a Modified Cargo Ship

    Jacob Dennis Masters Student Department of Ocean & Resources Engineering University of Hawai’i at Manoa **This defense will be held in person (POST 418) and Zoom** Meeting ID: 835 7663 5393 Passcode: JacobMS Zoom link: https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/83576635393 Modifying existing ships can be a cost-effective way to meet new operational demands without the time and expense of building entirely new vessels. One common modification is increasing the vessel’s length to expand cargo capacity. However, such changes can significantly impact a ship’s stability and structural integrity, raising important safety considerations. This project investigates the effects of a 52-foot hull extension on a Mariner-class

  • MS Plan A: Feasibility of a Wave-Powered Lithium Extraction System

    Griffin Bourjeaurd Masters Student Department of Ocean & Resources Engineering University of Hawai’i at Manoa   **This defense will be held on Zoom**   Meeting ID: 878 6855 9458 Passcode: GriffinMS Zoom link: https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/87868559458   Limited supply and rising demand in lithium-ion batteries due to growth in EVs, consumer electronics, and grid energy storage requires alternative sources of lithium (Li) to achieve our sustainability goals. The ocean has 5,000 times more Li than the world’s total land reserves, with elevated concentration levels found in several Li “hotspots”. A novel, coupled Li extraction and cathode material manufacturing process is a potential

  • MS Plan A Defense: A Morphology Study of Makapuʻu Beach With a LiDAR Topographic Survey Buggy

    MSB 100 1000 Pope Road, Rm #100, Honolulu, United States

    Dylan Stegman Masters Student Department of Ocean & Resources Engineering University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa   **This defense will be held in MSB 100 and Zoom**   Meeting ID: 876 6386 6621 Passcode: DylanMS Zoom link: https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/87663866621   Abstract This thesis investigates short-term beach morphology at Makapuʻu Beach, Oʻahu, in response to two distinct wave events using a combination of high-resolution mobile LiDAR surveys and process-based wave modeling. A custom-built survey buggy equipped with RTK-GPS and LiDAR was developed to enable efficient topographic data collection across the beach face. Surveys were conducted before, during, and after each event to capture

  • MS Plan B Defense: Underwater Docking Localization Using a Colored LED array for EPnP Pose Estimation

    POST 418 1000 Pope Road, Room 418, Honolulu, HI, United States

    Steve Wilhelm Masters Student Department of Ocean & Resources Engineering University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa   **This defense will be held in POST 418 and Zoom**   Meeting ID: 812 1394 3815 Passcode: SteveMS https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/81213943815   Abstract A Visual pose estimation framework designed to inform an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) navigation system using a single camera and an LED-based visual target is presented. The method uses a color-based filter which narrows potential solutions. It utilizes the Efficient Perspective-n Point (EPnP) algorithm to determine the six-degree-of-freedom pose of the AUV relative to a docking station. A simulated projection analysis methodology is introduced to assist in the

  • MS Plan B: Net Carbon Impacts of Rapid Resilient Reefs for Coastal Defense (R3D): A Life Cycle Assessment Approach

    Holmes Hall 400

    MS Plan B: Net Carbon Impacts of Rapid Resilient Reefs for Coastal Defense (R3D):  A Life Cycle Assessment Approach   December 5 @ 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm   Scott Hellinger Masters Student Department of Ocean & Resources Engineering University of Hawai’i at Manoa   **This defense will be held in person (HOLM 400) and Zoom**   Meeting ID: 883 7020 7120 Passcode: ScottMS Zoom link: https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/88370207120   Coastal communities face increasing vulnerability from sea-level rise and intensifying storms, prompting demand for sustainable, nature-based shoreline protection strategies. This Plan B project evaluates the Rapid Resilient Reefs for Coastal Defense (R3D)

  • MS Plan A Defense: Modeling Nearshore Hydrodynamic Processes in a Reef System with a Rip Channel: Evaluating XBeach Model Performance

    POST 418 1000 Pope Road, Room 418, Honolulu, HI, United States

    Xinyi Zhang Master’s Student Department of Ocean and Research Engineering University of Hawaii at Manoa **This defense will be held in person (POST 418) and over Zoom** Meeting ID: 859 1029 7666 Password: XinyiMS https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/85910297666 Coastal hydrodynamics in reef–lagoon–channel systems are controlled by complex interactions among wave transformation, breaking, and circulation. Although previous numerical studies have advanced process-based understanding, a systematic evaluation of XBeach for such systems remains limited. This study assesses the capability of XBeach to simulate hydrodynamics in an idealized reef system with a rip channel, using large-scale laboratory datasets under irregular wave conditions. The analysis evaluates the

  • MS Plan A: FLOW RECONSTRUCTION FROM SURFACE SENSORS ON A SUBMERGED BODY USING BIOT–SAVART–BASED POD MODES

    POST 418 1000 Pope Road, Room 418, Honolulu, HI, United States

    Maliheh Gholizadeh Sarvandi Masters Student Department of Ocean & Resources Engineering University of Hawai’i at Manoa **This defense will be held in person (POST 418) and Zoom** Meeting ID: 838 2462 5775 Passcode: MS Zoom link: https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/83824625775 The external flow around a submerged body produces pressure and shear-stress distributions on its surface, which can be then used as indicators of the full surrounding flow field. Although sensors fixed to the body can measure surface quantities such as pressure and shear stress, they cannot directly measure the external flow field. However, these surface distributions may be interpreted as an encoding of