Although small in stature, the humble ‘opihi is one of the most culturally, economically, and environmentally important coastal resources in Hawai’i. The squat limpet, native to Hawai’i, has long been a major source of shellfish consumption across the islands and is a central figure in Hawaiian culture. Yet modern stressors, including coastal development, over-fishing, and sea level rise, threaten the long-term sustainability of ‘opihi consumption. 

In a project supported by the Pacific Islands CASC through the Manager Climate Corps program, researchers are monitoring ‘opihi populations across the Kalaemanō shoreline of Hawai’i to learn about seasonal shifts in shellfish habitats under present ocean conditions. They will then use this information to develop a model predicting how ‘opihi may be affected by different future sea level rise scenarios. This work is a collaboration between the Pacific Islands CASC, the University of Hawaii Hilo, the USFWS, the Hawai’i Department of Land and Natural Resources, and a number of local conservation groups, including the non-profit Nā Maka Onaona. 

The graduate student leading this project, Lauren Kapono, has a personal and cultural connection to the study system. A native Hawaiian, she volunteered with the Nā Maka Onaona for seven years before starting graduate school, and she has long enjoyed eating ‘opihi with her friends and family. She hopes that this research further helps her local community reconnect with this important resource. 

“The goal is not only to provide a map of sea level rise, [but also] to really engage people in this space and allow them to remember what it feels like to be on the shoreline, to smell the ocean spray, to eat lima on the rocks, to hunt for ‘opihi,” Kapono says. 

“This long-term collaboration has allowed people to reconnect and learn something they never knew about their own land, their own ocean, their own selves.”