Today, NOAA announced the appointment of Dr. Charles Littnan as the new Science and Research Director for NOAA’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center. He succeeds Dr. Mike Seki who retired from the agency in December 2022. Dr. Littnan will assume his new role on June 18, 2023.
Dr. Littnan is a marine biologist with 20 years’ experience in marine mammal and sea turtle science and research. He is known for leading innovative biological research and conservation management of large, complex, research programs related to marine mammals and sea turtles. He also has experience in staff supervision and development, program planning and implementation, and budget development and execution.
“We look forward to the opportunities ahead as Charles takes on the leadership of the Pacific Islands Science Center and its mission to conduct the research and monitoring programs that support the domestic and international conservation and management of living marine resources across the Pacific Islands,” said Dr. Cisco Werner, Chief Science Advisor for NOAA Fisheries.
Bounded by the Hawaiian Archipelago in the north, American Samoa and U.S. Pacific Remote Island Areas in the south, and the Mariana Archipelago in the west, the Pacific Islands region encompasses the largest geographical area within NOAA Fisheries’ jurisdiction. The U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone within the region includes more than 1.7 million square nautical miles of ocean, roughly equal to the total EEZ of the continental United States and Alaska.
The Center’s work is focused in the waters surrounding American Samoa, Guam, Hawaiʻi, the Northern Mariana Islands, and other U.S. Pacific Islands. The Center also conducts research on living marine resources in the high-seas areas of the central and western Pacific. These islands have a rich diversity of marine life that is vital to the culture and economic stability of the islands.
With regard to fisheries research and monitoring, the Center will conduct the research and analysis to maintain healthy stocks, eliminate overfishing, and rebuild overfished stocks important to commercial, recreational, and subsistence fisheries.
In addition to fisheries research, Hawaiian monk seals, green sea turtles, spinner dolphins, false killer whales, and humpback whales, and Pacific corals are some of the protected species in the center’s research portfolio.
“I am incredibly excited to lead and work alongside everyone at the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center to support NOAA’s mission in the Pacific Islands region. Our commitment to excellence in science and service will be our foundation as we address the complex challenges facing our oceans, our fisheries and the communities that depend on them,” said Dr. Littnan.
Dr. Littnan will work closely to ensure sustainable fisheries and protecting marine life is a joint effort between NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Regional Office and the Science Center. The center will continue to offer cutting-edge science to help inform management decisions to the region in an ever-changing environment. They work together to conserve and manage domestic and international marine resources in a vast geographical area.
Dr. Littnan holds a PhD in environmental science from Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Ecology from Texas A&M University.
He lives in Honolulu where he enjoys spending as much time as possible with his wife and two children, especially at the beach. Any remaining time is spent with friends, seeking rare whiskies, and enduring years of heartache as a Minnesota Vikings fan.
