Reef Ecology Research
Current research in the Gill Lab focuses on understanding how coral reef ecosystems respond to climate change and human disturbance while developing new technologies to improve reef conservation and restoration. Working in collaboration with engineers, geographers, educators, and community partners in Hawai‘i and the South Pacific, the lab combines marine ecology with autonomous robotics, remote sensing, and artificial intelligence to study reef structure, coral health, fish communities, and ecosystem resilience. A major emphasis of this work is developing aerial and underwater drone systems capable of rapidly surveying reefs and identifying ecological changes associated with bleaching, sedimentation, warming oceans, and restoration efforts.
Current projects on O‘ahu and Moloka‘i use autonomous underwater vehicles equipped with high-resolution cameras and sensors to create detailed three-dimensional reconstructions of reef ecosystems and characterize coral and fish community composition. These studies help evaluate the effectiveness of reef restoration approaches and provide actionable information to local conservation organizations working to protect vulnerable reef systems. The lab is also developing machine-learning approaches that allow robotic systems to autonomously recognize ecologically important reef features and focus sampling efforts on areas of scientific and conservation interest.
In addition to advancing coral reef science, the research emphasizes education, mentorship, and collaboration with Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities. Through partnerships with local schools, nonprofit organizations, and cultural leaders, these projects integrate traditional ecological knowledge with modern marine science and robotics to create new pathways for student engagement in STEM and environmental stewardship.
Species Distribution Modeling
A major focus of the Gill Lab is understanding how climate change reshapes the geographic distribution of species and ecosystems through the use of physiological and species distribution modeling. Recent work on New Zealand tussock grasses combines phylogenetics, physiological ecology, and niche modeling to understand how species evolved in the unusual ecological conditions of New Zealand. This research examines how traits such as leaf structure, temperature tolerance, and herbivore defenses influence where species can survive and how they diversify into new environments. By linking evolutionary history with environmental modeling, the lab is exploring how species adapt to changing climates over long periods of time and why some species are more vulnerable to environmental change than others.
The lab also applies these approaches to conservation challenges in the tropical Pacific. Current research examines how climate change may alter the future distribution of culturally significant plants across Samoa and other Pacific Island systems. Using climate projections, plant physiology, and ecological traits, the lab modeled the future habitat suitability of nearly 200 ethnobotanically important species, including plants used for medicine, food, and cultural practices. Results indicate that many endemic and culturally important species are highly vulnerable to warming temperatures and changing environmental conditions, with some projected to lose large portions of their suitable habitat in the coming decades. This work provides actionable information for conservation planning while helping preserve the ecological and cultural heritage of Pacific Island communities.
Traditional Ecological Knowledge
The Gill Lab is beginning a new area of research focused on how traditional ecological knowledge in the South Pacific can strengthen conservation planning and ecosystem resilience in the face of climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental disturbance. This work is grounded in the understanding that Indigenous knowledge systems are not simply collections of observations, but living frameworks that connect people, language, culture, spirituality, and the environment. In Aotearoa New Zealand, this includes engaging deeply with mātauranga Māori and with the responsibilities and relationships embodied in concepts such as kaitiakitanga, whakapapa, mauri, rangatiratanga, and manaakitanga. The lab is particularly interested in what it means to be tangata whenua—people whose identity, authority, and responsibility are inseparable from place and ancestry—and how these relationships shape long-term stewardship of land and sea. Rather than viewing conservation simply as resource management, this work emphasizes reciprocal relationships between communities and ecosystems and the importance of intergenerational responsibility for environmental health.
This research approach relies heavily on dialogue, trust, and long-term partnerships with Indigenous communities throughout the South Pacific. The Gill Lab is working to create collaborative spaces where scientific approaches and Indigenous knowledge systems can inform one another without reducing cultural knowledge to isolated data points or management tools. Lab members are developing cultural and linguistic skills—including engagement with Samoan and Māori language, oral traditions, and place-based narratives—to better understand how ecological knowledge is embedded in identity, history, and community practice. Through these collaborations, the lab hopes to develop conservation frameworks that are ecologically effective, culturally grounded, and better suited to the social and environmental realities of Pacific Island communities confronting rapid climate change.