Easy-Peasy Ocean Learning with Webinars

By Jean Souza

Maka‘ala Ka‘aumoana presented a webinar on Hanalei Ahupua‘a Management in February. Contributed photo

One of the best things to come out of our mandatory reduction of in-person contact for outreach and education has been the pivot to webinars, online workshops, demonstrations, and other web-based presentations. Having served as a host of several live online lectures, I am a huge fan of this format as it allows us to overcome the limitations of geography, travel expenses and schedules in favor of convenience, accessible experts and worldwide audiences.

Many of these online presentations are recorded and archived for future viewing or reference. They can be downloaded or viewed at the click of button at your convenience. They are free, of good quality with reputable experts, and sponsored by the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (part of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Here are some of my favorites.

National Marine Sanctuary Webinars

https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/teachers/webinar-series.html

These webinars started about five years ago, and were primarily for educators. The audiences have expanded tremendously, especially in the last year. Both topics and contents appeal to the broader audience, so no special background or technical knowledge is required.

This website provides a list of upcoming webinars (pre-registration is required) and also has a link to archived webinars. For the selected archived webinar, just press the “Webinar Recording” button. No passwords or logins are required. Easy-peasy.

The archive lists the webinars chronologically by date of webinar. Here’s an annotated list of some of my favorites:

Cultural Heritage:

§     The Cultural Significance of Humpback Whales in Hawaiʻi (Nov. 30, 2020)

Solomon Pili Kahoʻohalahala, seventh generation Native Hawaiian descendant, kupaʻāina, from the island of Lānaʻi. Whales are known as koholā in Hawaiian, and have long had a significant place in the Hawaiian culture. The Kumulipo creation chant speaks about the birth of the whale, “Hanau ka Palaoa noho i kai” (born is the whale living in the sea).

§     He Hulikoʻa Kanaloa—Seeking the Depths of Kanaloa: Hawaiian Religious Understandings of the Ocean (Jan. 7, 2021)

Jane Lokomaika‘ikeakua Au, Program Director of non-profit ʻĀina Momona on the island of Moloka’i. This lecture details ancestral Hawaiian understandings of the primary oceanic deity in the Pacific, Kanaloa.

§     Reframing Wahi Kūpuna: The Tangibles and Intangibles of Cultural Heritage in Papahānaumokuākea (Nov. 19, 2020)

1. Kalani Quiocho Jr., Native Hawaiian Program Specialist with Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. As PMNM celebrates 10 years as a natural and cultural world heritage site, and over two decades of protections, Hawaiian community leaders continue to be active agents of biocultural conservation and restoration in the monument. This presentation provides a brief history of research on cultural resources, and several examples illustrating how the concept of cultural resources is re-framed and implemented in PMNM management.

Ocean Critters:

§     Studying Whales and Dolphins in the Hawaiian Archipelago (May 1, 2020)

Robin Baird, PhD, Research Biologist, Cascadia Research Collective, Washington. Baird, a leader in long-term, small-boat based studies in the main Hawaiian Islands, reveals amazing information on 11 resident species of whales and dolphins, as well as migratory and open-ocean species that visit the islands. Comparisons of sightings and tagging data from the two areas suggest that there are resident populations of many species of dolphins and whales in PMNM that have yet to be recognized.

§     The Occurrence of Humpback Whales Across the Hawaiian Archipelago Revealed Through Acoustics (Nov. 6, 2020)

Marc Lammers, PhD, Research Coordinator at NOAA’s Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. This presentation describes recent fluctuations in the presence of humpback whales in Hawaiʻi over the past several years and the science being conducted to understand these trends. Lammers discusses the application of novel tools to understand the occurrence of humpback whales in remote habitats, including the use of a Wave Glider and machine-learning algorithms to detect the presence of whales in PMNM.

§     Revealing the Secret Lives of Sharks (Oct. 15, 2020)

Carl Meyer, PhD, Associate Researcher, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai‘i. Recent decades have seen the development of increasingly sophisticated, animal-borne electronic devices that are providing surprising new insights into shark biology and guiding management and conservation strategies. Within PMNM, long-term tracking studies have followed individual sharks and ulua for up to 11 years, revealing their daily and seasonal migrations, discovering some unexpected journeys and providing a portal into predator responses to a destructive hurricane strike.

• Hawaiian Monk Seal Population Update: Signs of a Fragile Recovery (April 15, 2021)

Thea Johanos, Research, Marine Biologist, Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program, NOAA Fisheries. The endangered Hawaiian monk seal population is estimated at 1,400 seals, with the majority of the population (1,100) residing within PMNM. Thea discusses recovery efforts at both the individual seal and population levels as she prepares for the 2021 field season.

• Whale Sharks of Hawai’i (April 21, 2021)

Travis Marcoux, Chief Technical Scientist, Hawaii Uncharted Research Collective, Big Island. Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are known to be the largest fish in the world with some individuals measuring 60 feet and weighing around 40 tons. Despite their tremendous size, they are gentle giants, using their nearly five-foot mouths to filter plankton out of large volumes of water as they swim. Very little is known about whale sharks in Hawai‘i.

• Cephalopods of Hawai`i (March 24, 2021)

Heather Ylitalo-Ward, PhD, of the Division of Aquatic Resources, Kaua‘i presented a webinar on Cephalopods of Hawai‘i in March. Contributed photo

Heather Ylitalo-Ward, PhD, Aquatic Biologist, state Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources, Kaua‘i. Ylitalo-Ward provides a captivating webinar about cephalopods and their importance. Having studied octopus sexual selection in graduate school, Ylitalo-Ward discusses her experience working with these fascinating creatures and why she continues to be enamored with them.

§     Shocking New Evidence Reveals Two Genetically Distinct Hawai`i Manta Ray Populations Separated by a Mere 50 KM (June 5, 2020)

Mark Deakos, PhD, Hawai‘i Association for Marine Education and Research, Maui.

This webinar explores what research techniques have been used to study manta rays and why new evidence of social distancing in the Hawai‘i populations are sounding the alarms. Learn how to become part of the solution.

§     24 Years of Maui Sea Turtle Conservation with Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund (Dec. 9, 2020)

Hannah Bernard, Executive Director of Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund, Maui. Bernard discusses the latest information on the organization’s work on the hawksbill sea turtle (honuʻea) and the Hawaiian green sea turtle (honu) within the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.

§     2018 Exploration of Strange “Off-Ridge” Seamounts in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (July 16, 2020)

Christopher Kelley, PhD, UH. Kelley discusses the 2018 Exploration Vessel Nautilus expedition to PMNM where they explored 10 unusual seamounts located north of the Hawaiian Ridge. The origin of these seamounts is enigmatic since they form a line parallel to, but well north of the islands, atolls, banks and seamounts created when the Pacific Plate moved over the Hawaiian hotspot. Figuring out how and when they formed, as well as what sea creatures live there were the objectives of the project.

Ocean Issues/Management/Education:

§     Understanding Marine Biodiversity in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (Feb. 18, 2021)

Randy Kosaki, PhD, Research Coordinator, PMNM. The recent State of the Monument report assessed the status of marine biodiversity in the PMNM as “good.” The waters of the monument are home to an abundant array of corals, algae, invertebrates and fishes, including a very high percentage of endemic species.

§     Hanalei Ahupua‘a (Watershed) Management in Contemporary Times (Feb. 9, 2021)

Maka‘ala Ka‘aumoana, Founder and Executive Director of the Hanalei Watershed Hui, Kaua‘i, Vice-Chair of the Advisory Council for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Ka‘aumoana discusses the Hanalei ahupua‘a on Kaua‘i’s North Shore, including its unique history, issues and future. This area is directly adjacent to the Kaua‘i boundary of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine sanctuary.

§     Gardening Corals for Reef Restoration (April 23, 2020)

Katie Lohr, Conservation Science Fellow for the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries through the Sea Grant John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program. As coral reefs decline globally, interest in using coral gardening techniques for reef restoration is increasing. Lohr reviews well-established and cutting-edge techniques for propagating and restoring corals, as well as experimental work focused on identifying corals that can survive future ocean conditions.

§     How Will the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Respond to Climate Change? A Look at Past, Present, and Future Sea Level Change and Storms within Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (April 16, 2020)

Haunani Kane, PhD, National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Biology at UH. The future existence of low-lying atoll islands is of global concern, as entire island nations and highly evolved ecosystems are projected to become uninhabitable in the next 30-50 years due to sea level rise. Despite this recognized vulnerability, most studies fail to account for the biological controls upon island resiliency. Typically, sea level research instead assumes atoll islands are static and do not recover from environmental stressors. Kane shares data from the fossil record, kaʻao (Hawaiian legends) and future climate projections that give a glimpse of how islands at Lalo respond to past, present and future changes in sea level and storms.

§     2021 Virtual Ocean Classroom Teacher Workshop (March 16-17, 2021)

Heather Ylitalo-Ward, PhD, of the Division of Aquatic Resources, Kaua‘i presented a webinar on Cephalopods of Hawai‘i in March. Contributed photo

Host: Allen Tom, Superintendent, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.

Presenters:Director Dr. Andrew Rossiter, Mary Roney, and Dean Spencer, Waikiki Aquarium. Patty Miller, Education Coordinator Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Andy Collins, Education Coordinator, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Isabel Gaoteote, Education Coordinator, National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa.

Educators from the Waikiki Aquarium and NOAA’s Pacific Islands Region of the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries conduct a two-day workshop for educators and others. The lessons are primarily for grades 3-8 and include topics such as marine mammal biology, coral reef ecology, recycling in an island community, and the educational resources and data available for student projects.

§     Unleashing the Innovator in Every Child (Aug. 20, 2020)

Christian Wong, Executive Director, Hawai‘i Science and Technology Museum, Big Island. Wong shares his passion about community robotics and mentoring the next generation of science and engineering leaders. In partnership with NOAA’s Mokupāpapa Discovery Center in Hilo, Wong and HSTM developed the Kenyan K. Beals Community Robotics Center in support of student engineering and robotics projects and are currently preparing to launch a small satellite they helped develop to take measurements of the thermosphere. Wong also talks about how the museum is adjusting to providing STEM education during the pandemic, and the role innovation plays in education and developing a sustainable economy for the Big Island.

• Jean Souza serves as the on-site manager of NOAA’s Kauai Ocean Discovery at Kukui Grove Center and is a Program Specialist with the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Jean can be contacted at Jean.Souza@noaa.gov