C-MAIKI

MY RESEARCH

I study the microbial dynamics (who they are, how many of them there are, what they eat, what factors control them and how they impact their ecosystem) of Hawaiian ecosystems (water and earth) as a mechanism to better understand the connectivity between land and sea (with respect to ecosystem function and traditional management). My research program capitalizes on the unique ecology, geography and cultures of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific to better understand and model microbiome dynamics across diverse geochemical and anthropogenic gradients, spanning from mountain ridges to mid-ocean ridges. My research and educational program perpetuates a biocultural approach to place-based knowledge and ecological-based studies - nurturing values and concepts rooted in Indigenous knowledge to support social-ecological resilience and position Hawaiʻi as a global leader in developing strategies for global sustainable practices.

C-MĀIKI SYNERGY

My research supports C-MĀIKI’s goals by combining microbial ecology with Indigenous knowledge systems to investigate how microbes contribute to ecological resilience, food sovereignty, and cultural practice in Hawaiʻi. I focus on understanding microbial dynamics across systems like loko iʻa (Hawaiian fishponds), loʻi kalo (wetland taro agroecosystems), and archaeological sites—places where microbial processes, ancestral land management, and contemporary restoration intersect. My work is inherently transdisciplinary and people-centered. I bring together methods from molecular biology, biogeochemistry, traditional ecological knowledge, and science communication to explore how microbial life drives biocultural resilience. This approach not only aligns with C-MĀIKI’s mission to model microbiome function across hosts and habitats, but also contributes to its vision of engaging communities and future generations in transformative, pono science. I collaborate closely with other C-MĀIKI researchers—linking environmental microbiomes with host-associated systems, sharing protocols and insights across terrestrial and aquatic environments, and co-developing tools for data integration and public engagement. Together, we’re building a research environment that reflects Hawaiʻi’s diversity—culturally, ecologically, and intellectually—and that is committed to doing science that matters for our people and our places.