Hawaiʻi Cooperative Studies Unit

Hawaiʻi Cooperative Studies Unit
Name	Hawaiʻi Cooperative Studies Unit
Formation	1960s
Type	Research unit
Headquarters	Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Location	University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Affiliations	University of Hawaiʻi System; United States Fish and Wildlife Service; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Hawaiʻi Cooperative Studies Unit The Hawaiʻi Cooperative Studies Unit is a research and outreach unit based at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa that supports applied science addressing natural resources, Hawaiian Islands ecosystems, and conservation management. It serves as a nexus linking academic programs at the University of Hawaiʻi with federal agencies such as the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, regional entities like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and local organizations including the Department of Land and Natural Resources (Hawai‘i). The Unit conducts field studies across island landscapes—from coastal reefs to alpine summits—providing data and expertise used by managers, policymakers, and indigenous practitioners involved with sites such as Haleakalā National Park, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, and the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.

History

The Unit traces origins to cooperative agreements in the late 1960s and early 1970s linking the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa with federal partners including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service. Early projects focused on endangered species recovery, invasive species control, and watershed assessment on islands such as Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Maui, and Hawaiʻi (island). Over successive decades the Unit expanded with work on seabird monitoring at Midway Atoll, coral reef assessments in partnership with NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, and native forest restoration projects associated with Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge. Leadership and staff have included principal investigators drawn from faculty appointments at the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) and the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), enabling interdisciplinary growth into fields including ornithology, botany, marine biology, and hydrology.

Mission and Organization

The Unit’s mission emphasizes applied research, technical assistance, and capacity building to inform management of natural and cultural resources across the Hawaiian Archipelago. Organizationally it operates under cooperative agreements between the University of Hawaiʻi System and federal agencies such as the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, while maintaining project-level collaborations with regional bodies like the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources and community groups including Hawaiian conservation organizations and ʻohana-led ʻāina stewardship initiatives. Governance integrates academic principal investigators, project managers, field technicians, and graduate students affiliated with departments such as the Department of Biology and the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, enabling applied science that aligns with statutory programs like the Endangered Species Act and directives from agencies including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Research Programs

Research programs span terrestrial, freshwater, and marine realms with emphases on endangered species recovery, invasive species management, ecosystem resilience, and climate impacts. Terrestrial projects include demographic and behavioral studies of seabirds like Newell's Shearwater and Hawaiian Petrel and mammal control work targeting invasive taxa such as feral pigs, with linkages to restoration partners including The Nature Conservancy. Marine programs examine coral reef health in collaboration with NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program and fisheries assessments linked to the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council. Freshwater and watershed research has supported restoration of montane bogs and ʻōhiʻa forests at sites overseen by Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources. Cross-cutting themes include climate change vulnerability assessments aligned with research at institutions such as the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute and paleoecological work connected to collections in the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum.

Education and Training

The Unit provides hands-on training and internship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in programs at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, including placements with faculty from the Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit network and coursework affiliated with the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management. Students gain field skills in telemetry, population modeling, laboratory analysis, and community-based monitoring used by agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA. Professional development workshops offered in partnership with organizations such as the Island Conservation and the National Park Service equip managers and technicians with techniques in species translocation, predator-proof fencing, and invasive species eradication. The Unit’s training frequently supports thesis and dissertation research that contributes to collections at repositories like the Bishop Museum and publications in journals maintained by societies such as the Ecological Society of America.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Collaborations are central, involving federal agencies including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA, and the U.S. Geological Survey; state entities like the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources; non-governmental organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, Island Conservation, and Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative; and community partners including native Hawaiian organizations and conservancies on Molokaʻi and Lanaʻi. International and national research links have connected the Unit with universities such as Stanford University, University of California, Santa Cruz, and regional Pacific institutions like the University of the South Pacific. Cooperative agreements enable shared funding mechanisms with agencies including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and foundations that support applied conservation outcomes at protected areas such as Papahānaumokuākea and state-managed reserves.

Facilities and Field Stations

Field logistics draw on facilities and field stations embedded across the islands, from coastal laboratories at the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology on Moku o Loʻe (Coconut Island) to upland field camps servicing work in the Haleakalā and Mauna Kea regions. The Unit leverages laboratory space in campus buildings at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and collaborates with field stations operated by partners including the Kīpahulu Field Station and the Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission for restoration and monitoring activities. Equipment caches, remote camera networks, and telemetry arrays support long-term monitoring programs that inform management actions by agencies such as the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Category:University of Hawaiʻi