Resource Protection

Caring for Papahānaumokuākea includes protecting the cultural heritage that connects people to this place. Cultural protocols guide our decisions, and biocultural resource monitoring helps ensure permitted activities honor and safeguard both physical cultural sites and living cultural practices.

Together with partners and community stewards, we use a range of tools to safeguard this sacred place. Explore how we care for Papahānaumokuākea:

researcher surveying large mat of alga growing over reef

Invasive Species

When plants or animals arrive in places where they do not naturally occur, they can upset the ecological and cultural balance of Papahānaumokuākea. Learn how invasions by non-native aquatic species impact sanctuary ecosystems.

PNMS Unit Dive Supervisor Jason Leonard inspects niche areas on a ship's hull for non-indigenous species.

Pre-Access Vessel Inspections

Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary Resource Protection Program divers perform hull inspections to assess the presence of species of concern that would need to be addressed prior to a vessel entering the sanctuary.

satellite image of Hurricane Walaka

Reef Recovery

Protecting sanctuary ecosystems means more than preventing damage—it also means understanding how reefs respond and recover when impacts occur. Explore how sanctuary scientists study these impacts—and how life on the reef is beginning to recover after major disturbances.

three people working together to pull a heavy, entangled ghost net out of water

Marine Debris

Marine debris takes many forms and can impact a large variety of marine life in the sanctuary. Understand the prevalent types of marine debris found in the sanctuary, and explore solutions to the problem.