Co-Management

NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has primary responsibility for the management of Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary pursuant to the National Marine Sanctuaries Act. As the sanctuary includes state waters, NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries co-manages the sanctuary with the state of Hawaiʻi, and in partnership with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

a hawaiian monk seal underwater
Papahānaumokuākea is the most important habitat for in situ conservation of a number of endangered species. ʻĪlioholoikauaua (Hawaiian monk seals) are found only in Hawai‘i, with the main breeding subpopulations located throughout the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and a small but growing population in the main Hawaiian Islands. Photo: Koa Matsuoka/USFWS

Our Vision of ʻĀina Momona (a Place of Abundance)

Our vision for Papahānaumokuākea is a birthplace of rich ocean diversity where a living story of creation, exploration, and valor is remembered and shared throughout Hawai‘i and the world. People value Papahānaumokuākea as a place of regeneration and renewal—a place of hope where an abundance of species thrive to nourish our minds and bodies and stir our ancient need for wild places where man is just one part of a whole. Papahānaumokuākea awakens a truth that most have forgotten—that we need a healthy ocean for our well-being. It reminds everyone that nature and culture are one and the traditional and conventional, spiritual, and scientific have learned to coexist. Papahānaumokuākea inspires us to care passionately for all nature and to learn to mālama—to care for each other.

NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has been a co-managing agency in the management of Papahānaumokuākea since the initial designation of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve in 2000. The co-management structure of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument remains unchanged after sanctuary designation. NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries continues to work collaboratively with the Papahānaumokuākea Monument Management Board to:

  1. Conduct resource protection actions, including permitting and emergency response
  2. Conduct, support, and promote research
  3. Characterize and monitor (long term) marine ecosystems and species
  4. Characterize and monitor (long term) cultural and maritime heritage resources
  5. Enhance public awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the marine environment