Free Webinar “Unlocking the Mysteries of Biodiversity on Hawaiian Coral Reefs,” Feb. 5

The Maui Nui Marine Resource Council will host its first quarterly “Know Your Ocean Speaker Series” on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025 featuring Dr. John Burns of the Multiscale Environmental Graphical Analysis Lab at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom.

Dr. Burns will share how MEGA Lab uses cutting-edge 3D technology to map and study reefs through its Map2Adapt initiative. “Less than 20% of our oceans have ever been seen and in order to better prepare for a rapidly changing future, we need to know what we have so that we can understand where we need to go,” said Dr. Burns.

MEGA Lab layers their 3D reef reconstructions with an array of environmental data to improve understanding of the biology and ecology of the underwater habitats. This has helped show how coral reefs are changing over time, and how these changes impact associated reef organisms and the services communities depend on.

Map2Adapt aims to map 1 million of the world’s best reefs by 2030 while also training more than 10,000 citizen scientists to better support their communities. “Through Map2Adapt we are able to rapidly identify the state of our reefs, inform conservation restoration efforts, and integrate better management methods across the planet,” said Dr. Burns. “Ultimately, our goal is to use innovative technologies to improve our understanding of reef biodiversity and develop techniques to help protect and preserve these ecosystems for future generations.”

MEGA lab also hosts a live streaming camera and a smart buoy to monitor ocean temperatures and coral reef health through a collaboration with UH Hilo and Aqualink off the coast of Kona, Hawaiʻi. The site utilizes infrastructure at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaiʻi Authority (NELHA) and the Fathom Octopus camera to provide 360 panning ability to optimize reef monitoring. 

MEGA Lab bridges disciplines and institutions to create more opportunities for students and citizens to engage in science. Dr. John Burns (Biologist at UH Hilo – Marine Science & Data Science), Dr. Haunani Kane (Geologist at UH Manoa – SOEST), and Dr. Cliff Kapono (Chemist at ASU – GDCS) lead projects throughout the globe and run a public lab in downtown Hilo at the Mokupāpapa Discovery Center. 

Registration for the talk is free and can be completed at https://bit.ly/KYOJB25.