Dr. Dieter Mueller-Dombois at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. Photograph taken by Nicholas Tomasello

The new issue of Pacific Science pays tribute to Dr. Dieter Mueller-Dombois, who is best known for his work studying the ōhi‘a forests of Hawai‘i for over fifty years.

The double issue complies new articles reflecting Mueller-Dombois’s research, with many papers written by his students and those influenced by his work. Editor David Duffy—along with researchers James D. Jacobi, Donald R. Drake, Kanehiro Kitayama and Peter Vitousek—remembers Mueller-Dombois in this volume:

“We were all saddened to learn of the passing of Professor Dieter Mueller-Dombois on July 19, 2022. He was a giant in the field of ecology and an inspiration to countless students, colleagues, and friends to learn to appreciate and work to preserve the composition, structure, and function of our natural ecosystems…

He was also a passionate teacher and his classes and field trips at the university were highly popular and focused on teaching appreciation of Hawai‘i’s natural ecosystems and methods to study vegetation. During his time at the University of Hawai‘i he taught thousands of undergraduate students and successfully chaired 17 MS and 18 PhD graduate students…

During his career he served as an inspirational model for a new generation of people involved with conservation in Hawai‘i, as well as throughout the Pacific. Many of those that he mentored are now continuing to expand his legacy as they serve in important natural resource research, management, and administration roles. While his knowledge, leadership, and friendship will be sorely missed, we all need to build upon his inspiring career and continue to strive to ensure that natural ecosystems conservation is appreciated and effective throughout Hawai‘i, the greater Pacific island nations, as well as globally.”

Call for Submissions

Pacific Science is the official journal of the Pacific Science Association. Appearing quarterly since 1947, Pacific Science is an international, multidisciplinary journal reporting research on the biological and physical sciences of the Pacific basin. It focuses on biogeography, ecology, evolution, geology and volcanology, oceanography, paleontology, and systematics. Manuscript submissions on topics such as Pacific biodiversity, conservation, and sustainability are also encouraged. In addition to publishing original research, the journal features review articles providing a synthesis of current knowledge.

Contributions to the biological and physical sciences of the Pacific area are welcomed from authors in all parts of the world. Manuscripts should be submitted online. Authors will receive a confirmation of their submission.

Electronic Submissions
Submit manuscript online at https://pacificscience.msubmit.net/