Kapiʻolani Community College students are helping to uncover how the Manu o Kū (white tern, Gygis alba)—a small seabird with cultural and navigational significance in Hawaiʻi—thrives in the heart of the city. Guided by biology and ecology professor Wendy Kuntz, students are gaining hands-on research experience through a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded project exploring the nesting and movement of the culturally significant seabird.
“My undergraduate research on the Manu o Kū has allowed me to gain real-world experience through an ecology perspective,” said Kriss Yeow, a Kapiʻolani CC student pursuing an associate in science degree in natural resources and environmental management. “By studying the interactions between birds, plants, and humans, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of conservation and how landscape changes are linked to Hawaiʻi’s resource use and land stewardship.”
A $200,000 NSF grant for Kuntz’s project, The City Life of Manu o Kū: Nesting and Movement Ecology of White Terns in Urban Honolulu, builds on her existing campus monitoring program, which tracks nesting sites at Kapiʻolani CC.
“With more than 40 nesting sites on our campus, the Manu o Kū has become part of everyday life at Kapiʻolani,” said Kuntz. “Once locally extinct in the main Hawaiian Islands, their return to urban areas like ours is a powerful reminder of resilience. By studying their nesting biology and sharing data through community partnerships, our students contribute to a broader understanding of how people and wildlife coexist in Hawaiʻi’s urban landscapes.”
A key goal of the project is to engage Kapiʻolani CC students, particularly Native Hawaiian and underrepresented students, in hands-on ecological research conducted on campus and throughout Honolulu.
“At a time of rapid changes in federal funding priorities, Dr. Wendy Kuntz’s success in securing this National Science Foundation grant is especially meaningful,” said Chancellor Misaki Takabayashi. “Her work will inspire our students to learn from Hawaiʻi’s own ʻāina and native species, deepening both scientific understanding and a sense of kuleana (responsibility) for our islands.”
In collaboration with Pacific Rim Conservation and Hui Manu-o-Kū, the project offers students training in field techniques and conservation science—preparing the next generation of Hawaiʻi’s environmental stewards.
