Coastal land use specialist James O'Connell will be assisting Kaua'i County to improve management of its coastal resources, it was announced today.

O'Connell, who has more than 25 years of experience in the field of coastal geology, was a coastal processes and hazards specialist for the Sea Grant Program at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts before coming to Kaua'i. Concurrently, he worked as a coastal processes specialist for the Cape Cod Cooperative Extension.

A $70,000 grant approved by the Kaua'i County Council to the University of Hawai'i Sea Grant Program will allow O'Connell to set up an office on Kaua'i. O'Connell's primary responsibility is to provide technical and outreach support to the preservation of coastal resources and mitigation of coastal hazards, and do public education.

"By reaching out to the community, I can provide residents with an improved scientific understanding of coastal processes so they are better able to provide feedback to government officials on coastal development," O'Connell said. "I can also assist coastal landowners with making better-informed decisions to protect their properties and help young people gain an understanding of coastal hazards that they can pass on to their family and friends."

O'Connell can be reached at 241-4921 or Jim.OConnell@hawaii.edu.