Resources For Researchers

Researchers invesigating insects on the Maunakea summit Researchers at the summit

Maunakea is a tropical high altitude environment with unique geological, biological, and cultural features. Although the main scientific work on the mountain since the 1960s has been astronomy, research on subjects ranging from arthropods to permafrost environments has been conducted.

The resources below are often helpful to individuals applying for permission to work on the mountain, in terms of identifying on-going or past research and other resources available.

Frequently Referenced on-going research projects:

Permafrost and thermal regimes. PI: Dr. Norbert Schorghofer
Arthropod Biodiversity. PI: Dr. Jesse Eiben & Dr. Dan Rubinoff

Additional resources on numerous completed projects can be found by searching the CMS Library database or by contact CMS for more information.

Research Interests

Stone stripes CMS has identified the following issues, topics, and knowledge gaps impacting the University-managed lands on Maunakea. These are listed below with corresponding examples of either ongoing or completed research. Proposals that do not reasonably assure expanding upon the existing, accumulated knowledge, provide significant, new insight, or that are redundant, will be denied. Funding may be available for worthy proposals.

If interested in conducting research on Maunakea - even if your interests are not in the catalog - contact CMS to discuss your interests and we will find partners and support for your research needs. Depending upon the potential impacts of a project, reviews and approvals can require several months and may involve permits from entities besides CMS.

Subject Catalog

Inventory, Monitoring, & Research Needs ( MS Word [.docx] files, organized thematically)

Climate & Air Quality

Inventory
- Airborne particulates
- Soundscape Inventory
Monitoring
- catalog entry to be determined
Research
- Climate and Climate Change Modeling

Vegetation / Plants

Invertebrates

Birds

Inventory
- Bird Inventory
Monitoring
- catalog entry to be determined
Research
- Bird Interactions with native and non-native species, including with other birds, vegetation, mammals, and arthropods
- Hawaiian Petrel, ‘Ua’u, burrow and activity

Mammals

Inventory
- Baseline Inventory of Invasive Mammal Species
- Baseline Inventory of the Hawaiian Hoary Bat
Monitoring
- catalog entry to be determined
Research
- Mammalian Research

Landscape

Inventory
- Viewscape
Monitoring
- catalog entry to be determined
Research

Education

Inventory
Monitoring
- catalog entry to be determined
Research
- Education and Outreach