Integrating local, traditional considerations into planning and public-based monitoring to reach marine conservation goals
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Mehana Vaughan
Co-INVESTIGATOR: Meghan Tait
PI-CASC Graduate Scholar: Kapono Gaughen

Local populations and marine ecosystems around the world are facing increasing impacts from global warming, including rising sea levels, intensifying storms, and degradation of coral reefs. Co-management, in which government agencies and local groups work together in monitoring local ecosystems, is essential to understand and adapt to extreme weather impacts. Since these impacts affects both local populations and ecosystems, human and ecological well-being must be monitored using all appropriate indicators. The Hawaiʻi DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) is working towards the goal of effectively managing Hawaiʻi’s nearshore waters with at least 30 percent established as marine management areas by 2030 to address the impacts of global warming and conserve marine ecosystems.
To achieve this goal, we will work with DAR to increase public engagement and conduct monitoring that integrates human-based indicators with their current ecological indicators. Through this project, we will conduct human-framed principle and indicator training workshops with DAR, develop a public-based monitoring program, use survey methods to collect indicator data, and create a model to inform marine monitoring. Using these approaches, this project will build capacity within DAR, engage local groups to monitor all indicators, and provide recommendations for 30×30 and other marine conservation initiatives around the world.