Previous Research

 

Maunakea Summit Arthropod Habitat Suitability

SDAV used a suite of remote sensing technologies along with species occurrence data to identify areas of increased habitat suitability for an number of arthropod species present on the Maunakea summit, including the wēkiu bug (Nysius wekiuicola), a former species for listing under the Endangered Species Act. This new habitat knowledge is helping to guide conservation management and future habitat restoration efforts.
Spatial Data Analysis and Visualization Labs

University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo

Post Iselle Albizia Mapping

Albizia are invasive, fast-growing, trees that can reach 100 feet tall with long, brittle limbs which make them extremely dangerous during severe weather. In August 2014, Tropical Cyclone Iselle left blocked roads, damaged infrastructure and homes without power. SDAV lab collected high-resolution imagery from UAVs to determine damages from the storm, assess future risks, and provide mitigation assessments.  

Maunakea Summit Erosion  

Maunakea is a dormant shield volcano that reaches 4,205 meters on the island of Hawai’I that is undergoing both natural and anthropogenic erosion. SDAV created a baseline high-resolution topographic dataset of the summit area and is using repeat terrestrial LiDAR and UAV imagery to quantify and monitor erosion rates to better aid mangement practices.

Vegetation Survey of Waipi’o Valley Overlook

SDAV partnered with Pōhāhā I Ka Lani to conduct UAS flights to

map their parcel of land at the Waipi’o Valley Overlook to provide a

unique visual story telling of the transformation of this ʻāina of

Koaʻekea into a cultural kīpuka and community space. As

Koaʻekea in one aspect refers to the white Koaʻe bird, the

indigenous white-tailed tropic bird (Phaethon lepturus dorotheae),

these aerial views give the birds eye perspective of the change that

will have occurred throughout Pōhāhā I Ka Lani's stewardship of

Koaʻekea.

Pahoa Lava Mapping

On June 27th, 2014 lava started to flow from Pu’u O’o, a vent in the eastern rift zone of Kīlauea, that traveled toward the town of Pāhoa. SDAV assisted local emergency organizations, Hawaii County Civil Defense and USGS, by providing up-to-date 3D imagery from UAS and calculated paths of steepest decent to determine where lava might go. To see the 3D model made from UAS Imagery click the photo to the left!
© 2016 University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo 200 W. Kāwili St., Hilo, HI 96720-4091 • Tel: (808) 932-7446 or 1-800-897-4456 • Fax: (808) 932-7459 The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo is a campus of the University of Hawaiʻi System. An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution. Request more information about UH Hilo • Website Privacy & Policies

Wai`opae Coral Health

The Wai'ōpae Tidepools hosts a diverse ecosystem that support rich coral growth and an abundance of juvenile fish that is vulnerable to land based pollution, climate change, and resource exploitation. SDAV is assisting Dr. Takabayashi and Dr. Burns’ long term coral health monitoring project by using high-resolution imagery from to assess coral health.
Previous Research

 

© 2016 University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo 200 W. Kāwili St., Hilo, HI 96720-4091 • Tel: (808) 932-7446 or 1-800-897-4456 • Fax: (808) 932-7459 The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo is a campus of the University of Hawaiʻi System. An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution. Request more information about UH Hilo • Website Privacy & Policies

Rapid ‘Ohi’a Death(ROD)

Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death, a newly discovered disease, is quickly infecting and killing endemic ʻōhiʻa trees on the island of Hawai`i. SDAV is working to understand if short, repeat interval high spatial resolution (~5cm) mapping of ROD-affected areas provide any valuable insights into its’ spread or control. We have been gathering high resolution images and video over a 450 acre study site since February, 2016. For more information on ROD, please visit: http://www2.ctahr.hawaii.edu/forestry/disease/ohia_wilt.html

Miconia

We are researching the effectiveness of using UAS platforms in the fight against non-native weeds, including miconia (Miconia calvescens). Miconia is an invasive noxious weed found throughout the main Hawaiian Islands that shades out native plant species and quickly takes over a forest to create an invasive monotypic forest.

Maunakea Summit Erosion  

Maunakea is a dormant shield volcano that reaches 4,205 meters on the island of Hawai’I that is undergoing both natural and anthropogenic erosion. SDAV created a baseline high-resolution topographic dataset of the summit area and is using repeat terrestrial LiDAR and UAV imagery to quantify and monitor erosion rates to better aid mangement practices.

Coastal Erosion and Shoreline Change

Erosion and sea-level rise are a constant threat to natural and residental areas of Hawai`i Island. SDAV is looking at three different coastal geomorphic settings: calcareous beaches, cliffs, and subsiding lava fields, through remote sensing techniques to quantify historic and contemporary change in shorelines and improve local coastal zone management.

Pu`uhonua O Hōnaunau UAS Survey

We recently partnered with the National Park Service to conduct UAS flights over Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, an area with a culturally and historically important stand of palm trees in decline due to a suspected fungal disease. SDAV employed both optical and a hyperspectral sensors.

Outplant Growth at Keaukaha Military

Reservation  

Native lowland wet forests in Hawai’i are disappearing due to aggressive invasive species dominating the forest. SDAV assisted Dr. Rebecca Ostertag (UH Hilo Biology) by developing bare earth digital elevation models and approximated surface roughness to characterize terrain as it relates to outplant growth in experimental plots. This information will be compared to the 'liko nā pilina' database to determine if ʻaʻā lava field roughness effects outplant growth.