Research Seminar Series Online
We are pleased to announce a new way to learn about exciting work in science in Hawai‘i and the Pacific. Presentations from our long running monthly Research Seminar series are now available online.
The Bishop Museum Research Seminar Series is a monthly forum held on the SECOND THURSDAY of each month at 4 p.m. usually in the Pākī Conference Room. The is no charge to attend.
NOTE: The slideshow presentations are automated - please be patient and let the photos and audio advance. We've checked it out on a number of browsers and OS's but if you find any problems please let us know.
Dr. Allen Allison, Vice President of Science, Bishop Museum
New Guinea - A Megadiverse Hotspot
Presented December 11, 2008
Approximately 45 minutes
New Guinea, the world's largest and highest tropical island, is inhabited by an extraordinarily rich assemblage of plants and animals, derived from both SE Asia and Australia, with diversity exceeding that of the much larger Australian continent and rivaling that of the Amazon Basin. The biota, which comprises some 6-8% of the world's total, is characterized by relatively few lineages but high regional endemism resulting from an evolutionary history associated with the accretion of at least 32 separate terranes onto the leading edge of the Australian Plate. Dr Allison will briefly review the geological history, introduce the biota, examine some general patters of distribution and diversity, and discuss Bishop Museum's plans for a series of field expeditions and the development of a permanent field station on the north coast of New Guinea.
Chris Ostrander
Developing the Hawaii Ocean Observing System (HiOOS)
Presented November 13, 2008
Approximately 45 minutes
The Hawaii Ocean Observing System (HiOOS) is the Hawaiian Islands component of the Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System (PacIOOS) which is one of eleven regional observing programs in the US that are supporting the emergence of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS). HiOOS is focused on collecting and providing real-time and archived data from throughout the region related to coastal hazards, ecosystem monitoring, water quality, and ocean-state. A data management system to serve these information to stakeholders is currently being developed and, when available, will provide on-demand information to assist in resource protection, decision-making, policy development, and a variety of other user needs.
Toby. S. Daly-Engel
Reproduction and Conservation of Hawaiian Sharks
Presented Oct 11, 2008
Approx 45 minutes
The World Conservation Union (IUCN) has listed 275 of the 500 known shark species on its Red List of Threatened Species, 93 of which are listed as near-threatened, endangered, or vulnerable to extinction. Interest in shark reproductive biology of has intensified due to growing concern for the health of the world’s oceans and the increasing need for conservation and management of shark populations.
Shark reproduction resembles that of mammals more than of other fish. Sharks have external genitalia, internal fertilization, and baby sharks (pups) are held in their mother’s uterus during gestation. Because of their reproduction, sharks are often more vulnerable to overfishing than are other types of fish. It is unknown what impact overfishing might have on the natural reproductive strategy of an organism. Hawaii hosts some of the only pristine shark populations in the world because of the absence of a commercial shark fisheries and the status of the shark as an ‘Aumakua, making Hawaii an ideal place to study the reproductive biology of sharks without the confounding effects of overfishing.
Dr. Charles Birkeland
Importance to Coral Reefs and the Fishery of Leaving the Big Fish
Presented May 8, 2008
Approx 45 minutes
It is a part of mainland tradition to selectively take the larger individual fishes, leaving the smaller ones to grow. But the few larger individuals of a species often have a different role in the coral reef ecosystem than do the smaller individuals, and this role can be important for the reef community. For some fish populations, the larger individuals have the reproductive potential of over 200 medium-sized individuals, and for some species, the older individuals produce more healthy and faster growing offspring. By selectively taking the larger individuals, some mainland fisheries have driven the evolution of certain species to smaller sizes. Leaving the larger individuals contributes to the maintenance of the coral reef ecosystem and to the stability of the fish population.
Dr. Paul Jokiel
Ocean Acidification and Hawaiian Coral Reefs
Presented March 13, 2008
Approx. 45 minutes
Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations are predicted to cause changes in the ocean’s carbonate chemistry system, with a resulting impact on calcifying marine organisms. Atmospheric partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) will rise from ~382 μatm in 2007 to greater than 700 μatm in the year 2100, if the present business-as-usual CO2 emission scenario pertains. The oceans absorb CO2, resulting in surface water decreases in pH and carbonate saturation state, which has been termed “ocean acidification”.
Recent long-term controlled experiments in coral reef mesocosms indicate that levels of ocean acidification expected to occur in this century will severely impact calcifying reef organisms. Crustose coralline algae (CCA) populations showed an 84% relative reduction over 10 months, free-living associations of CCA (rhodoliths) showed a 250% relative reduction, and coral calcification decreased by 14% to 26% under acidified conditions. Future changes of this magnitude on a large scale could greatly impact coral reefs throughout the world.
Dr. Lucius Eldredge
"Philatelic Phylogeny - A journey through the animal kingdom with stamps"
Presented February 14, 2008
Approximately 45 minutes
Dr. Eldredge presented an array of animals, mostly marine invertebrates, which have been used for stamp images by many countries. These included numerous photographs and artwork of animals from one-celled species to marine mammals, including the “Birth of Venus” on a scallop shell by Botticelli. Some of these are portraits, other landscapes. Included are such scenes as the migration of the Christmas Island red crabs to diving whales.
Dr. Stephen Leisz
“Climate Change and Biodiversity in Melanesia: Preliminary Conclusions from Current Climate Science for Melanesia”
Presented December 13, 2007
Approximately 45 minutes
In January of 2007 the Science Division of Bishop Museum, in collaboration with the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), received a grant from the John D. and Catherine C. MacArthur Foundation to assess the vulnerabilities of marine and terrestrial ecosystems in Melanesia in the face of projected climate changes. A workshop was held in September at Bishop Museum at which invited scientists discussed and brainstormed on the likely scenarios that the Melanesian area potentially faces from currently forecasted climate change.
The resulting scenarios were reported at the 8th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas in Papua New Guinea and will be summarized in this presentation. Dr Leisz will overview the situation that Melanesia potentially faces from climate change impacts, focusing on projected changes in air and sea-surface temperatures, ocean acidification, rainfall, and cloud cover, and the impacts that these projected changes could have on marine and terrestrial ecosystems.
Dr. Rod Salm -
The Coral Triangle: A Haven of Hope in a Climate Challenged Time
Presented November 8, 2007
Approx. 50 Minutes
We are challenged enough to achieve effective marine conservation by the escalating pressures on the marine environment. Climate change is testing us further and we have few tools and proven approaches to respond effectively to this additional challenge. The Nature Conservancy has invested heavily in developing and applying nature-based adaptation responses to climate change in tropical seas with the Coral Triangle as a major geographic focus.
In this presentation Dr. Salm will introduce the Conservancy’s climate change resilience concepts and activities, ending with an introduction to our ambitious program in the Coral Triangle and why this is a good place to anchor our Indo-Pacific coral reef conservation efforts.
Dr. Henrietta Croom -
"Endemic Ground Cricket Evolution in Hawai`i: A
tale of Rapid Adaptation to Extreme Habitats"
Presented July 12, 2007
Approx. 50 Minutes
Ground crickets in the endemic Hawaiian genus Caconemobius have apparently evolved from a single founding marine species that inhabits the rocky coastlines of all the high islands and Nihoa into new species that occupy diverse rocky habitats in the islands.
The nine described species and as many as seven undescribed species, identified during the course of this study, occupy habitats as diverse as barren lava flows only a few hundred years old on Hawai`i Island, high cliffs over waterfalls on the Na Pali coast of Kauai, rocky areas on Nihoa, and, most-dramatically, the profoundly dark regions of lava tubes on Maui and Hawai`i Islands.
Dr. Sam Gon III -
Major Conservation Targets of the Hawaiian Ecoregions
Presented June 14, 2007
Approx. 45 minutes.
Dr.
Sam Gon III reviews the Hawaiian ecoregion's
major conservation targets and threats, and reviews
the process for setting acquisition and management
priorities.
Ecological systems, high priority stream systems, forest bird assemblages, and waterbird assemblages constitute a surrogate set of targets for general biodiversity protection priorities for The Nature Conservancy, resulting in a portfolio of priority sites involving the major islands of the archipelago.
Ano'ilani A.
Aga, Leah Caldeira & Kim Okahara
-
Unlocking the Treasures of the Library & Archives:
the process and efforts in digitization.
Presented May 10, 2007
Approx. 45 minutes.
Bishop Museum’s Library & Archives houses a treasure trove of images, manuscripts, audio recordings, early Hawaiian language publications from the 1800s and much, much more. While the collection is accessible to the public during certain hours, a researcher would have to know where to look and how to look for it.
There is no single catalog or uniform source that patrons can search to find all the materials the Library & Archives has to offer for a particular topic.
This presentation will bring to light the efforts being done by Library & Archives’ staff in databasing the collection for proper management, preservation, and accessibility purposes. Staff members will explain the databasing processes, how the database will assist patrons in researching the collection, and identify the major concerns or obstacles involved with such a large endeavor. Library & Archives’ staff members will also take this opportunity to inform Bishop Museum staff and the public about new ideas and potential opportunities for increased access to the collection.
Dr. Jeff Polovina - Tracking sea turtles and whale sharks: a view of the oceans from the perspective of large pelagic animals
Presented April 12, 2007
Approx. 45 minutes.
Dr. Polovina described ongoing research using electronic tags to track horizontal and vertical movements of whale sharks at Ningaloo Reef in western Australia and loggerhead sea turtles in the North Pacific. New insights on the pelagic ecology of these species were discussed together with implications for conservations and resource management.
Dr. Polovina has worked in Honolulu for NOAA Fisheries since 1979 where he serves as the Chief of the Ecosystem and Oceanography Division at the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center. We hope that you enjoy this interesting look at the migratory habits of whale sharks and turtles that has been using state of the art methodology.
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