{"id":21963,"date":"2014-01-21T20:58:40","date_gmt":"2014-01-22T06:58:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=21963"},"modified":"2020-06-22T09:55:18","modified_gmt":"2020-06-22T19:55:18","slug":"himb-develops-hawaiian-fishpond-iphone-app","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2014\/01\/21\/himb-develops-hawaiian-fishpond-iphone-app\/","title":{"rendered":"HIMB<\/abbr> develops Hawaiian fishpond iPhone app"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Loko Iʻa<\/span> app<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Hawaiʻi<\/span> Institute of Marine Biology<\/a> in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology<\/a> at the University of Hawaiʻi<\/span> at Mānoa has created an iPhone app that highlights scientific research and indigenous knowledge with virtual and walking tours of a local Hawaiian fishpond.<\/p>\n

The project, which was supported by the National Science Foundation<\/a> and the Omidyar Foundation, grew out of a three-year community-based research internship program called Laulima A ʻIke Pono<\/span><\/a>, which was offered by the Hawaiʻi<\/span> Institute of Marine Biology in partnership with Paepae o Heʻeia<\/span><\/a> at Heʻeia<\/span> fishpond in Kāneʻohe<\/span> Bay. <\/p>\n

The team of researchers, mobile app developers and fishpond experts developed the Loko Iʻa<\/span><\/a><\/em> app to increase community awareness of both the research and restoration efforts happening at Heʻeia<\/span> fishpond, and inspire people to become more involved. The app is designed to enhance a visitor’s experience while physically at Heʻeia<\/span> fishpond and allows off-site users to virtually explore the fishpond through interactive elements that feature important physical, cultural and scientific aspects of the pond.<\/p>\n

“The community internship program was fantastic for those who were able to participate, but we wanted to educate a much broader audience about the importance of Hawaiian fishponds in general, about Heʻeia<\/span> fishpond and the dedicated group of stewards who are restoring it, and also about the scientific research that is helping to inform that restoration”, says Judith Lemus<\/strong>, HIMB<\/abbr> associate specialist and principal investigator of the project.<\/p>\n

Research shows that connecting people to place creates relevancy that can enhance interest in scientific discovery and environmental stewardship. A very small percentage of the community has the opportunity to experience Heʻeia<\/span> fishpond in person, and most people in Hawaiʻi<\/span> know very little about traditional fishponds as centers of Native Hawaiian science, ingenuity, green engineering, sustainable aquaculture and cultural sustenance.<\/p>\n

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A team of University of Hawaiʻi<\/span> interns and researchers measuring water flow rates through the Heʻeia<\/span> Fishpond.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Loko Iʻa<\/span><\/em> app includes walking and virtual tours that highlight these aspects of Heʻeia<\/span> fishpond, and are also interconnected with data maps and information on scientific research in the pond.<\/p>\n

The team hopes to identify additional sources of funding that will allow them to add new features to the app such as a pictorial history of Heʻeia<\/span> fishpond, Hawaiian language, moʻolelo<\/span><\/em> about Heʻeia<\/span> and even include other fishponds.<\/p>\n

The Loko Iʻa<\/span><\/em> app was recently featured in HuffPost Hawaiʻi<\/span><\/a> and will also be featured in the upcoming February issue of Hawaiʻi<\/span> Business Magazine<\/a><\/em>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Hawaiʻi<\/span> Institute for Marine Biology creates iPhone app that provides information and tours of a local Hawaiian fishpond. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[53,92,9],"class_list":["post-21963","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","tag-hawaii-institute-of-marine-biology","tag-school-of-ocean-and-earth-science-and-technology","tag-uh-manoa","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t