Must-Read Pacific Islands Stories of 2021

Pacific Islands Top 10 Stories

Here’s a look back at our most popular stories, images, and videos in 2021.

1. New Regulation Protects Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins Against Disturbance
   A final rule prohibits swimming with, approaching, or remaining within 50 yards of spinner dolphins. A proposed rule may establish time-area closures of select nearshore resting areas.
2. Monk Seal Pup Born at Kaimana Beach
   A Hawaiian monk seal pup was born on a busy Oʻahu beach in April, and became an instant sensation.
3. Success of the 2021 Mission to Clean up Marine Debris
   ‘A‘ohe hana nui ke alu ‘ia: No task is too big when done together by all.
4. Surface Slicks are Pelagic Nurseries for Diverse Ocean Fauna
   Ocean features called surface slicks are an interconnected superhighway of nursery habitat for more than 100 marine species—a hidden world just below the surface.
5. Turtles, Tourism, and Traffic—Keeping Hawaiʻi Honu Safe
   Keeping Hawaiian green sea turtles, or honu, safe takes a collective effort.
6. Honu Count 2021 Is On—And We Need Your Help!
   Residents and visitors: help us track sea turtles, or honu, in the main Hawaiian Islands.
7. Video Highlights Importance of Fishing in American Samoa
   New video series features important aspects of recreational and non-commercial fishing in the Pacific Islands region.
8. A How-To Guide for Reporting Potential Marine Wildlife Harassment in Hawai‘i
   Learn how you help protect Hawaiʻi marine wildlife through reporting.
9. Challenges, Satisfaction, and Lots of Monk Seal Pups During 2021 Field Season
   NOAA biologists returned from monitoring and protecting Hawaiian monk seals and green sea turtles at two 5-month-long field camps in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.
10. Hawaiian Monk Seals Join the Animal Telemetry Network
    A new web portal lets you see where Hawaiian monk seals travel.

Pacific Islands Top Blog Posts

• Return to Papahānaumokuākea Field Camps
  For some monk seal and sea turtle biologists, 2021 provided a long-awaited homecoming; for others, a new adventure.
• What’s in a Name? Choosing Names for New Fish Species from the Mariana Archipelago
  Local students submitted names from their native Chamorro language for three newly identified species of snailfish.
• NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette Departs for Papahānaumokuākea to Bring Home NOAA’s Remote Field Scientists
  NOAA biologists headed home after a short but productive field season in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.
• Surveying Whales and Dolphins During a Pandemic
  Researchers “quaran-teamed” for the Marianas research expedition in the name of science.
• Enhancing Aquaculture Education For Elementary Students: My Experience as a STEM Fellow for NOAA Fisheries Pacific Island Regional Office
  A Hawai‘i undergraduate explored career paths in aquaculture and developed educational materials to teach elementary students about sustainable aquaculture systems.

View more Pacific Islands science blogs

Noteworthy Stories You May Have Missed

What to read next? Here’s a collection of highly recommended stories we wouldn’t want you to miss. 

• Monk Seal Pup “Lōliʻi” to Be Moved to Less Populated Location
  In the interest of seal and human safety, NOAA and Hawaii Marine Animal Response moved the Hawaiian monk seal from Waikīkī to a more remote location after his mother, RK96, weaned him.
• An Undesired Invasive Reef Fish May Soon Increase Hawaiʻi Food Security
  A NOAA-supported project seeks to build a market for the non-native fish taʻape.
• Broadening the Search for Whales, Dolphins, and Seabirds around the Mariana Archipelago
  Researchers studied whales, dolphins, and seabirds within U.S. waters around the Mariana Archipelago during May–July 2021.
• 10 Things You Can Do to Share the Shore and Sea With Pacific Islands Wildlife
  Make a difference for Hawai‘i wildlife with these 10 tips for sharing the sea and shore.
• Monk Seal Transported to Hawai‘i Island for Treatment for Serious Dog Bite Wounds
  Dogs and seals can injure or transmit diseases to each other. Keep dogs leashed to keep them safe and monk seals protected.
• Back to the Field: NOAA Biologists Return to Papahānaumokuākea to Study and Protect Hawaiʻi Wildlife
  Field teams took extra safety precautions and work hard to make up for a lost year in the field.
• Kui ‘ia ka lei moku e Kanaloa: The Ocean Unites Humanity to Clean Up Marine Debris
  Our marine debris team joined the Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project to remove derelict fishing nets from coral reefs across the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.
• Using Sound as a Tool to Help Count Snappers in Hawai‘i and Prevent Overfishing
  Results of recent research could help improve monitoring the health of economically important snappers.
• Citizen Scientists Help Reveal Undetected Hawaiian Monk Seal Reproduction
  Pup production is important to conserve endangered Hawaiian monk seals.

Dive into our Pacific Islands region news page for more stories