Contact Information
University of Hawai`i at Manoa
Botany Department
3190 Maile Way
Honolulu, HI 96822
Office: St. John 505/507C (808-956-6429)
Cell phone: 808-561-4602 (finds me when I'm out of the lab)
email: kim@hawaii.edu
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Contact InformationUniversity of Hawai`i at Manoa |
| General Activities and Interests | |
| Digital Photography | |
| The remarkable developments in digital
photography make it tempting to develop sets of photographs that, while of
no immediate academic interest, are pretty and can be used by the public.
There is a definite benefit working on these collections as they develop
photographic skills, ranging from how to take botanical photographs, through
the processing workflow, to the display environment. Here are links to a few photographic collections:
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| Seagrass Ecosystems | |
| I have been studying the distribution of seagrasses for many years. I am primarily interested in the tropical species and their distribution patterns in the Pacific. Ecosystem studies of all sorts have also gotten a considerable amount of my attention. This has lead to projects on how to provide both quantitative and qualitative descriptions of seagrass communities. A recent activity is work with Dr. Peter McRoy (Univ. Alaska/Fairbanks) on a rapid-assessment technology that involves the use of underwater video. | |
| Data Analysis | |
| Data analysis started out as a practical problem as I was working in
ecosystem analysis. It has taken on a central role that involves both teaching (formerly,
Botany 455) and as I explore new ways to represent data. A few years ago, several books
were produced on computer graphics topics. Some of the graphics development has
been transferred to web technology (for example, my
Tables web site).
My interests have expanded recently to include digital photography. The subject to documenting field sites, for example, now extends from the production of detailed on-line "catalogs" (see the "Field Guide" below) to the use of on-line high-resolution field cameras. This activity also lead to the development of the PODS and pseudoPODS projects (see below). I'm in the middle of developing a new disciplinary focus called "ecological informatics." This has evolved into the establishment of a non-profit corporation. This non-profit is involved in the Rongelap Atoll Resettlement activities (see below). Another current project involves using sound as a means of "visualizing" data. I have produced a music CD with John Dunn called "Inflections." It has songs based on DNA data. |
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| Rongelap Atoll Resettlement | |
| Rongelap Atoll is in the northern part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. It has not been occupied since 1985, except for a small construction crew in the past few years. Most of the basic infrastructure, such as a power plant, desalinization facility, paved runway and a medium draft dock, is now finished. Housing and community buildings will soon be constructed. The people will be able to return to Rongelap Atoll soon. I have been working with the Rongelap Atoll Local Government to help guide this resettlement so that it generally respects the environment. In particular, the government is interested in using ecotourism as a major part of their economic development. This will include the possibility of setting aside Alinginae Atoll (one of the three atolls in this group) as a Biosphere Preserve and a World Heritage Site. | |
| Hui Konohiki: Training future leaders | |
| The Hui Konohiki program is a joint effort by the Botany Department, Hawaiian Studies Program, Biology Program, the Waikiki Aquarium, Lyon Arboretum, SHAPS and Outreach College. The goal is to train undergraduate students so that they will equally understand the culture and science involved in the wise management of the Hawaiian environment. My responsibilities included the conceptualization, funding and staffing of this innovative program. | |
| A Field Ecology Guide to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park | |
| The Field Guide to HVNP builds on Mike Huddleston's (North Lake College, TX) many years of field work and taking students into the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. With the parallel development of the web and digital photography, Mike and I have been assembling an on-line resource to help people learn about the Park and its plant species. We have been using this project as a test-bed for the development of web-based features that make this resource more useful than a print publication. | |
| PODS & pseudoPODS | |
| PODS is
a DARPA-sponsored project with Edo Biagioni and Brian Chee as Co-PIs (both
in the Information and Computer Sciences Department at UHM). Our goal
is to develop the technology that will help us monitor the phenology of rare
species and their environments. We are using wireless networking to
connect monitoring units. Most of these units measure key
environmental parameters. Some of them contain a high-resolution
camera that takes a picture every hour or so. Our current major
deployment is in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. pseudoPODS is a follow-on project that is developing a highly-survivable data collection environment that can be used in extremely remote locations. The key feature is that data will be periodically (e.g., monthly) downloaded from a vehicle (jeep, aircraft, ship) that is nearby. This line of sight connection should allow a rapid exchange of data, including hundreds of high-resolution still images. Edo Biagioni and Michael Lurvey are Co-PIs on this project that is funded by the Hawaii Technology Development Venture (HTDV). The technical name for our proposal was "Long term, minimal maintenance platform for remote sensing." |
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