CPEP Seminar – How Groundwater Impacts the People and Ecosystems of the South Pacific Islands

Speaker: Matthew Becker, Conrey Chair in Hydrogeology and Professor of Earth Sciences, California State University Long Beach

The Pacific Ocean is host to more than 30,000 islands, the vast majority of which are small, remote, and vulnerable to climate variability. Groundwater plays an important role in the resilience of these isolated environments. In this talk, Becker will discuss how groundwater was a critical resource for the first settlers of Rapa Nui (Easter Island), how it helps coral reefs flourish in a nutrient desert (Darwin’s Paradox), and the role it plays in terrestrial flora and fauna. Understanding these hydrogeologic systems and their interactions with marine life surrounding Pacific islands will be essential for strategic adaptation to environmental stresses.

This seminar can also be viewed via our live stream.

Hosted by the Climate, People and the Environment Program (CPEP).