Symposium on the science and management of large-scale and archipelagic-wide marine ecosystems

November 14-16, 2013 - Hawaiʻi Convention Center, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi

Who should participate?

All those interested in the science and management of large-scale marine managed areas are invited to participate, including those interested in both marine and terrestrial systems worldwide. Using a holistic approach we welcome natural and social scientists, managers, policy makers, economists and educators from federal and state agencies, academic institutions, community-based organizations, NGOs, cultural groups and private organizations.

How to get involved?

The call for abstract submissions will be released in January 2013, and conference registrations will open shortly thereafter. For further information contact Daniel.Wagner@noaa.gov and check back on this website soon.

Background

PMNM superintendent ʻAulani Wilhelm presenting at the annual research symposium in 2012. Credit: Daniel Wagner/NOAA

The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM) surrounding the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) represents the largest conservation area under the United States and is the country's only mixed world heritage site (i.e., both cultural and natural). Dedicated efforts to assess the resources of this remote region commenced in the 1970's, when various state and federal agencies signed cooperative research agreements. These early partnerships resulted in numerous scientific studies which were presented at three research symposia focusing on the NWHI in 1980, 1983 and 2004. Since 2006, NOAA's Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, the Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology and PMNM have partnered to produce annual research symposia showcasing their agency's scientific and management efforts in the NWHI. Each year these symposia have continued to grow, from 57 participants in 2007 to over 220 participants in 2012. Additionally, the focus of these symposia has also gradually broadened from work performed exclusively in the NWHI, to research and management efforts conducted across the entire Hawaiian Archipelago. At the same time, managers and scientists in Hawai'i have also recently connected with their counterparts in other regions across the Pacific. In 2007, NOAA co-organized the "Our Sea of Islands" forum, a meeting that brought together over 100 leaders from 20 Pacific nations to share technical expertise and develop balanced management practices across the Pacific. This forum served as a precursor to the Big Ocean network, a network of the world's largest marine protected areas that aims to improve the effectiveness of marine management efforts. Co-founded by PMNM, the Big Ocean Network celebrated its inaugural meeting in Honolulu on December 6th, 2010. Collectively, these developments have sparked an interest in creating a larger research symposium that not only highlights work conducted in the Hawaiian Archipelago, but also showcases scientific assessments and management efforts conducted in other large-scale marine protected areas across the globe.

Leaders from 20 Pacific nations convening in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi to discuss how to develop balanced management practices across the Pacific Ocean. Credit: NOAA

PMNM staff working together with managers and scientists from the world's largest marine protected areas in order to improve management efforts. Credit: Naiʻa Lewis/NOAA

Objective

This symposium aims to fill information gaps by sharing research in existing and future marine managed areas. By drawing on the expertise of both scientific and management communities, we hope to advance the understanding of issues surrounding the physical, biological and cultural connectivity of large-scale marine managed areas. More specifically, this research symposium aims to review the role of large-scale marine managed areas in ecosystem function by providing new details regarding scientific assessments and management practices in order to foster the sharing of knowledge. The conference proceedings will be published in a special issue of the scientific journal Atoll Research Bulletin, thereby further promoting a wide dissemination of information.

Click Here for the Research Symposium 2013 flyer.

Conference proceedings from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands research symposia in 1980, 1983 and 2004. Proceedings for the 2013 conference will be published in a special issue of by the scientific journal Atoll Research Bulletin, thereby promoting a wide dissemination of information to managers and scientists around the world.