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 science centers, and one is in Hawaii.  The Hawaii Science Center is largely concerned with ecology.  For water resources there is the Pacific Islands Water Science Center.  Though not directly applicable to Oahu, there is also the Hawaiian Volcanoes Observatory, one of 5 volcano observatories in the United States.  There are 4 other islands (Maui, Kaho'olawe, Lana'i, and Molokai) and most of the island of Hawaii (the Big Island) between us (island of Oahu) and the currently erupting volcano (Kilauea in Volcanoes National Park, light green blob in the biggest island in the bottom right of the map below) and the wind drift is projected to keep blowing south.

Map borrowed from Lonely Planet

Another source of information I relied on when on the East Coast, were the Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs).  And Hawaii is part of the Pacific Islands LCC, which may be rebranded as the Pacific Islands Climate Change Cooperative, or they are partners, not quite sure yet. There is also the USGS Pacific Islands Climate Science Center.  These sites are good places to find the names of other resource management organizations active in the area. The State of Hawaii maintains a list of federal offices active in the state and their locations.

How about the island of Oahu?  Well, first realize each major island is a county: Hawai'i, Maui (consisting of the islands of Maui, Lana'i, Molokai except Kalaupapa Peninsula which is its own county Kalawao County under the control of the state health department because historically it was a leper colony, Kaho'olawe, and Molokini), and Kaua'i, (consisting of the islands of Kauaʻi, Niʻihau, Lehua, and Kaʻula).

The ENTIRE State of Hawaii, thank you Google.  (If it is blue, it is underwater)
Wikipedia also has a great summary naming all the parts between Midway and Ka'ula.

And then there is Oahu.  We are the City and County of Honolulu, and we include the northwestern islands, except Midway Atoll which is federal.  Yes, the State of Hawaii is 1500 miles long, and Honolulu is most of that:

The Constitution of the State of Hawaii Article XV Section 1 defines the State Boundaries.   

There are four local governments in Hawaii.  The only City in Hawaii is Honolulu which is consolidated with the County of Honolulu, which includes the islands of Oahu and northwestern Hawaii (to make it even more confusing the northwestern islands are within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument administered by the federal government, and the land  is mostly wildlife refuge administered by US Fish and Wildlife Service).  The other local governments are the counties of Hawaii, Maui, and Kaua'i (State of Hawaii).   Counties in Hawaii are the only legally constituted government bodies below that of the state (2012 U.S. Census). No formal level of government exists below that of the county in Hawaii except 17 special districts: 16 Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, which have formal governmental roles (2012 U.S. Census).  Though I did just notice the Satellite City Halls on Oahu have plaques listing Mayor and City Council Members which are different from those of City (and County) of Honolulu...  Something else to figure out.  Everything's so new and different!

Wow, yeah, landforms I've never dealt with before in a ridiculously large state that is in fact mostly underwater.  Did I mention I never SCUBA'd or even snorkeled?  And I called myself an aquatic ecologist...  The State of Hawaii is advertising for an Aquatic Biologist IV (SR 22) and I was all over that with excitement until I got to this requirement: "This position requires possession of an Advanced Open Water Diver (SCUBA) certification or a higher level SCUBA certification (e.g. rescue diver certification, master diver certification, etc.). Applicants must also pass a medical examination to determine their physical fitness for SCUBA diving, prior to appointment. In addition, the employee must obtain scientific diver certification within the probation period."  Either I need to up my swimming game with some serious breathing apparatus, or change my title on Linked In.