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Updated: May 30, 2026

The Hawaii Protocol for Scientific Monitoring of Coffee Berry Borer: a Model for Coffee Agroecosystems Worldwide
Published on: March 19, 2018
Isotopes as tracers of the Hawaiian coffee-producing regions
Carla Rodrigues1, Marion Brunner, Shawn Steiman
1Stable Isotopes and Instrumental Analysis Facility (SIIAF), Center for Environmental Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ed. C2, Room 2.1.16, University of Lisbon, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal. cirodrigues@fc.ul.pt
Abstract:
Green coffee bean isotopes have been used to trace the effects of different climatic and geological characteristics associated with the Hawaii islands. Isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry ((MC)-ICP-SFMS and ICP-QMS) were applied to determine the isotopic composition of carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N), sulfur (δ34S), and oxygen (δ18O), the isotope abundance of strontium (87Sr/86Sr), and the concentrations of 30 different elements in 47 green coffees. The coffees were produced in five Hawaii regions: Hawaii, Kauai, Maui, Molokai, and Oahu. Results indicate that coffee plant seed isotopes reflect interactions between the coffee plant and the local environment. Accordingly, the obtained analytical fingerprinting could be used to discriminate between the different Hawaii regions studied.
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