#Melissa Price

A new study from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa challenges a long-standing scientific narrative about the decline of Hawaiʻi’s native waterbirds, finding no evidence that Native Hawaiians hunted the species to extinction.

This first-of-its-kind interactive augmented reality experience features 11 leading cultural educators and scientific experts. The “living portraits” on the plaques consist of portrait images that “come to life” by employing augmented reality (AR) technology. By using the AR viewer on a smartphone and pointing the camera towards the portrait, it creates a lifelike experience for the guest as the image begins to move and speak when viewed on the phone’s screen.

One of the largest studies on wildlife activity — involving more than 220 researchers, 163 mammal species and 5,000 camera traps worldwide — reveals that wild animals react differently to human activity levels depending on where the animals live and what they eat. Hawai‘i-based authors include University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers Melissa Price and Derek Risch.