HIMB Faculty
Lars Bejder, PhD
Researcher
Empirical and applied research which support conservation and management of marine megafauna. Population dynamics; behavioral ecology; abundance estimation; identification of management units; use of innovative technology to quantify fine-scale habitat use, movements, and body condition of marine mammals.
Mahdi Belcaid, PhD
Assistant Researcher
Bioinformatics and computational biology; algorithms for the analysis of large, heterogeneous data; machine learning; computational education in life sciences
Brian W. Bowen, PhD
Researcher
Phylogeography, evolution, and conservation genetics of marine vertebrates.
Megan J Donahue, PhD
Interim Director & Researcher
Spatial population dynamics; marine community ecology; integration of theory and data; habitat selection; scaling of ecological processes
Mary Donovan, PhD
Assistant Researcher
Quantitative ecologist focused on applied questions that inform conservation and management of social-ecological systems. Research motivated by informing natural resources decisions by drawing resilience, complex systems, and policy at local, regional, and global scales.
Kim N Holland, PhD
Researcher
Physiological ecology of marine organisms and in the interface between animal behavior and physiology.
Jacob Johansen, PhD
Assistant Researcher
Eco-physiology and behavioral ecology of ecologically and commercially important coral reef fishes, reactions and adaptations to environmental stressors.
Judith Lemus, PhD
Specialist
Graduate and undergraduate education; science education, outreach and broader Impacts; teacher professional development; community-based participatory research programs; biochemical and physiological interactions in marine symbioses
Elizabeth Madin, PhD
Assistant Researcher
Marine conservation ecology; predator-prey interactions; large-scale spatial ecology; human impacts on animal behaviour; emerging technologies for coral reef science and conservation
Joshua Madin, PhD
Associate Researcher
Quantitative ecology, biomechanics and informatics with an emphasis on coral reefs.
Lisa McManus, PhD
Assistant Researcher
Theoretical ecology; coral reef community dynamics; eco-evolutionary feedbacks; global change biology
Camille Pagniello, PhD
SOEST Early Career Fellow & Assistant Researcher
Research interests lie at the intersection of oceanography, engineering, data science and marine biology. Her work can be categorized into three overarching themes: charactering the impact of ocean dynamics and climate change on large epipelagic predatory fish movement using data science, monitoring coastal marine biodiversity using emerging, low-cost technologies, and elucidating the behavioral and ecological context of fish communication using advanced signal processing techniques.
Frederick Reppun
Junior Specialist
Education CoordinatorHe'eia National Estuarine Research Reserve Science education; place-based learning; teacher professional development; ʻāina-based internships; agroecology and food systems; soil science
Yoshimi M. Rii, PhD
Junior Specialist
Research Coordinator
He'eia National Estuarine Research Reserve Marine phytoplankton biodiversity and productivity; nutrient dynamics in the wetland, coastal, and Kāne'ohe Bay ecosystems; research facilitation of traditional and contemporary ecosystem based management practices in the HeNERR.
He'eia National Estuarine Research Reserve Marine phytoplankton biodiversity and productivity; nutrient dynamics in the wetland, coastal, and Kāne'ohe Bay ecosystems; research facilitation of traditional and contemporary ecosystem based management practices in the HeNERR.
Malia Rivera, PhD
Specialist
Marine science curriculum development and education research; place-based science inquiry; broadening participation in STEM; marine population genetics, terrestrial invertebrate systematics
Aimee Sato, M.S.
Junior Specialist
Indigenous Stewardship Coordinator
He'eia National Estuarine Research Reserve Elevate Indigenous knowledge and practices within HIMB; advocate of Native Hawaiian values; stewardship coordinator for biocultural restoration; reciprocal and co-developed research in the HeNERR.
He'eia National Estuarine Research Reserve Elevate Indigenous knowledge and practices within HIMB; advocate of Native Hawaiian values; stewardship coordinator for biocultural restoration; reciprocal and co-developed research in the HeNERR.
Robert Toonen, PhD
Researcher
Distribution of genetic diversity to resolve the origins of marine biodiversity in the service of conservation; marine invertebrates associated with Pacific Island coral reefs
Lauren van Heukelem, M.S.
Associate Specialist
Science outreach education, curriculum development, secondary and informal education.
Kawika B. Winter, PhD
Assistant Specialist
Reserve Manager
He'eia National Estuarine Research Reserve Multi-disciplinary ecology within human-in-nature systems, social-ecological system resilience, and biocultural restoration.
He'eia National Estuarine Research Reserve Multi-disciplinary ecology within human-in-nature systems, social-ecological system resilience, and biocultural restoration.
HIMB Research Faculty
Crawford Drury, PhD
Associate Researcher
Coral Ecology; Thermal Tolerance on Coral Reefs; Genetics; Restoration Ecology
Erik Franklin, PhD
Associate Researcher
Marine population dynamics; fisheries science; quantitative ecology and ecoinformatics of coral reefs, ecological restoration; invasive species
Aude Pacini, PhD
Assistant Researcher
Marine mammal acoustics and hearing with a focus on better understanding the impact of anthropogenic activities on cetaceans.
Kuʻulei Rodgers, PhD
Researcher
Coral reef ecology; responses to climate change; anthropogenic impacts; field assessment and monitoring; community-based monitoring; bioindicators; “ridge to reef” connectivity; management applied coral reef research.
Daniel Schar
Assistant Specialist
Chemosensory ecology, fluid dynamics, water quality and coastal instrumentation testing and development.
University of Hawaii Cooperating Faculty
Adjunct Faculty
Robin Baird
Cascadia Research Collective
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Emeritus Faculty
Philip Helfrich, PhD
Emeritus Director & Researcher
Researcher HIMB 1955-1975
Founding Director - International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management (ICLARM) - The World Fish Center 1975-1977 for the Rockefeller Foundation;
Dean - Office of Research Administration, University of Hawaii 1977-1980
Director, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology,(HIMB), University of Hawaii - 1980-1993.
Jo-Ann Leong
Emeritus Director & Professor
Leong is director emeritus of the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology and a professor at the School of Ocean and Earth Science & Technology at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. She was a distinguished professor of microbiology and the former chairman of the Department of Microbiology at Oregon State University. Leong is an elected member of the American Academy of Microbiology. Term: July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2021
Paul Nachtigall
Emeritus Researcher
Dr. Nachtigall was the founding director of the Marine Mammal Research Program of the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology where he is now an Emeritus Research Professor and active member of the Graduate Faculties in Psychology, Biology, and Marine Biology.