In the Garden Isle Newspaper today: Hanapepe Public Library Lecture on Thursday in Hanapepe, 6 pm “Kauai’s Changing Shorelines: Current Investigation and Plans for the Future” Dr. Chuck Blay Ruby Pap Jana Rothenberg Dr. Stephen Taylor The monthly lecture series on the “Hawaiian Marine Environment” will continue on October 3rd at the Hanapepe Public Library. The lectures, which are free and open to the public, are held in the meeting room on the first Thursday of the month, from 6:00 to 7:30 PM. The erosion of the beach fronting Kekaha has raised numerous questions. Why is Kekaha Beach losing sand? When, if ever, will it come back? How are other Kauai beaches changing? What causes beaches to change? Is climate change involved? These questions and more will be addressed in an exciting and insightful presentation about Kauai’s beaches. The team of researchers and educators will present data from their year-long beach monitoring project which documents dramatic changes along the Mana coastal plain from Kekaha to the Pacific Missile Range Facility. The study points to likely causes and has demonstrated the importance of getting a better handle on the character of short-term change that can occur along our dynamic coastal zone. The researchers will also discuss upgrading and expanding their project to an island-wide measurement program. Dr. Chuck Blay is a geoscientist with a PhD in geology from Indiana University. He has undertaken a number of investigations on Kauai and elsewhere, and has expertise in geology, oceanography, origin of beach sediments, shoreline erosion, drowning patterns, and nearshore reef and shore environments. Dr. Blay has co-authored an updated and expanded edition of the book “Kauai’s Geologic History”. Ruby Pap is a Coastal Land Use Extension Agent based on the Island of Kauai with the County Planning Department. She serves as a liaison between university and private researchers, state, county and federal government agencies, and the public, to ensure that the most current scientific information is made available to the Kauai community and is readily accessible for coastal zone planning, management, and educational activities. Ms. Pap earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Science from the University of Denver and a Master of Science degree in Resource Policy and Behavior from the University of Michigan. She was hired by UH Sea Grant in 2012 after nine years working in the coastal management field in California with the California Coastal Commission, and the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission. Jana Rothenberg is a writer-producer-editor at JanaJ Productions and participated in this project as a student with the Marine Option Program at Kauai Community College. Ms. Rothenberg, an independent writer/editor/producer of short documentary films, functions as a communications link between science, scientific information and the public. Her work specifically includes climate changes and environment and natural sciences of Kauai and Hawaii. Grounding her education in digital storytelling – videography – and in natural sciences, she employs her skills to participate and document the “Story of Sand – The Winter Survey Along the Mana Coastal Plain". She will be documenting the subsequent summer and winter surveys for two or three more years as important data is collected, understood and applied for coastal planning and community awareness. Dr. Stephen Taylor teaches physical and earth sciences at Kauai Community College, including astronomy, geology, oceanography, and physics. He also coordinates the Marine Option Program at the college with Willow Jorgenson. He was awarded the UH Regents’ Medal for Teaching Excellence in 2011, his third year at KCC. Dr. Taylor earned his doctorate in physical oceanography from Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 2006, specializing in climate sciences and circulation of the ocean surface and atmosphere in the northeastern Pacific. Dr. Taylor also worked for seven years as a hydrologist with the Hydrologic Research Center, a non-profit research organization engaged in applied research projects, including flash flood guidance and reservoir management. He earned his undergraduate degree in physics at the University of California Santa Barbara. The lecture series is sponsored by the Friends of Hanapepe Public Library. The library is located at 4490 Kona Road, Hanapepe. For more information, call the Hanapepe Public Library at 335-8418.
Posted on: Wed, 02 Oct 2013 22:20:55 +0000
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