Aloha Hawaii!
USGS Hawaii Science Center After 15 years as a water resources specialist / aquatic ecologist with a federal agency on the East Coast of the United States, my family and I moved to the island of Oahu in the State of Hawaii in December. We still cannot believe we are here, but it is not as alien as everyone warned it would be. For me it is a mashup of southern Florida, San Diego and Costa Rica. I now live 4 USDA hardiness zones south of any growing zone I've ever tried (I grew up in 8a, Oahu is 12a) and know nothing of palm physiology or volcanic island ecology really. I have no idea what the plants are I see everywhere, what is native, where the non-natives originated... I have never lived, worked or studied a volcanic area. And besides island biogeography, not much experience with an isolated island chain. So where do I start? When in doubt, I start with the United States Geological Survey. They do so much more than geology. The Pacific Region of USGS has 9