Hawaii Integrated Ecosystem Assessment: 2022 Hawaii Ecosystem Status Report

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is charged with stewardship of our Nation's ocean resources with the stated vision of healthy ecosystems, communities and economies that are resilient in the face of change. NOAA has adopted an Integrated Ecosystem Assessment (IEA) approach to develop the science, tools, and partnerships required to address complex ecosystem challenges and make progress towards the agency's vision. The IEA in the Pacific Islands Region has conducted collaborative and interdisciplinary science to support current and future management needs for nearly a decade. Historical efforts have been focused in West Hawaii. There is a unique confluence in West Hawaii of diverse ocean ecosystems, strong community connection to place, and overlapping government, academic, and non-governmental efforts.

The IEA program previously published two Ecosystem Status Reports (Gove et al. 2016; Gove et al. 2019). These reports presented a suite of ecosystem indicators useful for tracking the status and trends of marine ecosystems in West Hawaii. A broader scope is warranted however, as socio-cultural connections, climate and ocean ecosystem processes, and human impacts are highly variable across multiple spatial scales in Hawaii. Further, the IEA program aims to better support Federal and State resource management needs in the region. This report expands the geographic scope of the previous efforts and describes the status and trends of marine ecosystems in the main Hawaiian Islands. This Ecosystem Status Report also includes a greater focus on the diverse linkages between ecosystem health and human well-being.