Pacific Islands

The Pacific Islands, comprised of American Samoa, Guam, Hawaiʻi, the Northern Mariana Islands, and other U.S. Pacific Islands, are surrounded by a rich diversity of marine life that is vital to our culture and economic stability. We thrive on sustainable seafood; it's key to our health and well-being. We also benefit from recreational and commercial fishing industries, which contribute nearly $1 billion in sales and 10,000 jobs to our economy. In 2015, commercial fishermen landed more than 36 million pounds of finfish and shellfish.

We are home to the lovable, yet critically endangered Hawaiian monk seal—only 1,400 remain. Other popular species include green sea turtles, spinner dolphins, false killer whales, and humpback whales. Our coral reefs support about 25 percent of marine life, but these areas are among the most threatened ecosystems because of the effects of natural events and human activities such as ocean acidification, coral bleaching and disease, marine debris, and pollution.

Our work to ensure sustainable fisheries and protect marine life is a joint effort between NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Regional Office and the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, offering cutting-edge science to help inform management decisions in an ever-changing environment. We work together to conserve and manage domestic and international marine resources in a vast geographical area.

Our vision for the region is to achieve sustainable fisheries and seafood, healthy marine ecosystems that provide stability for fishery resources, recovery of threatened and endangered species, and enhanced opportunities for commercial, recreational, and cultural activities in the marine environment.

School of yellowstripe goatfish in Saipan lagoon. Photo: Brett Taylor.

Feature Story

Scientists Describe the Life History of Two Goatfish Species in the Northern Mariana Islands

Pacific Islands

Picture of Green sea turtles and a Hawaiian monk seal at Mokumanamana.

Green sea turtles and a Hawaiian monk seal at Mokumanamana in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Photo: NOAA Fisheries/Brenda Becker.

Feature Story

2020 Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Field Season Highlights: Celebrating Partners

Pacific Islands

The low wide coral toward the bottom of the photo is precious red coral (Corallium sp.). Credit: NOAA OER, 2016 Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas.

Feature Story

Virtual and Classroom Activity Featuring the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument

Pacific Islands

Feature Story

Celebrating Veterans Serving in Habitat Conservation

Alaska

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Pacific Islands

Southeast

West Coast

National

Jonah crab on toast. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Heather Soulen.

Feature Story

Seafood Lovers Showed Us Their Seafood

Alaska

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Pacific Islands

Southeast

West Coast

National

Correction: 2020 U.S. Territorial Longline Bigeye Tuna Catch Limits for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

Pacific Islands

Interim Measures for American Samoa Bottomfish

Pacific Islands

Swordfish Trip Limits in the American Samoa Pelagic Longline Fishery

Pacific Islands

2021 U.S. Territorial Longline Bigeye Tuna Catch Limits

Pacific Islands

Proposed Requirements to Safeguard Fishery Observers in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean

Pacific Islands

Bulletins

There are currently no upcoming fishery bulletins.

Western Pacific Stock Assessment Review of the 2021

Dec 16, 2020 - Dec 17, 2020

Pacific Islands

Pacific Islands Region Sustainable Recreational and Non-Commercial Fishing Program

Pacific Islands

Marine Education and Training Mini Grant Program

Pacific Islands

FY 2021–2023: Broad Agency Announcement

National

Featured Highlights

Student intern taking picture of NOAA campus outside for project.

After completing my research of the NOAA IRC and the ʻEwa district, I visited the IRC to capture 360 and 180 degree images for the tour.

Interactive Education & Sense of Place in the Age of Social Distancing: My Experience with the NOAA Hollings Preparation Program

Pacific Islands

Seafood in the Pacific Islands

Pacific Islands

Historic picture of longline vessels in black and white.

What Can Global Commercial Fisheries Transitioning to Rights-Based Management Learn From Hawai‘i?

Pacific Islands

Student taking picture from birds-eye view of the ocean and houses.

Mapping My Way With NOAA: My Experience in the Hollings Preparation Program

Pacific Islands

Science Overview

We provide science to support the conservation and management of fisheries and living marine resources across the Pacific Ocean. We are dedicated to the recovery and conservation of protected species and fisheries resources through biological, ecological, and social science.

Research Areas

Research Topics

Resources

Sustainable Fisheries

Fishery management in the Pacific Islands supports the region's fisheries through the development, evaluation, and implementation of fishery policy and legislation. The Pacific Islands Regional Office provides guidance to the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council in developing fishery management plans for commercial and non-commercial domestic fisheries. This ensures that plans are supported by required analyses and are consistent with all applicable laws. Staff coordinate and administer the processing of proposed and final regulations to implement fishery management plans that are approved by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce.

Our objectives are to maintain healthy stocks, eliminate overfishing, and rebuild overfished stocks important to commercial, recreational, and subsistence fisheries. Under these objectives, the goal is to increase long-term economic and social benefits to the nation from living marine resources. We strive to facilitate communications among constituents, and support seafood safety in the region.

Fishing Resources

Pacific Islands Fisheries

Rules and Regulations

Reporting and Data

Protected Resources

Managing protected species includes issues surrounding marine mammal and sea turtle injury and mortality as a result of commercial and non-commercial fishing, coastal development, military operations and other ocean/beach usage. We oversee the Marine Mammal Stranding Network, working with partners and volunteers to respond to live and dead stranded or distressed marine mammals in the main Hawaiian Islands. We also work with partners and stakeholders to create effective messages and outreach materials and volunteer programs, as we believe that an informed public is integral to the protection and recovery of our protected species.

Endangered Species Conservation

Protecting Marine Life

Resources

Marine Life in Distress

Habitat Overview

The NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands region encompasses a large percentage of the nation's coral reefs. Coral reefs are important to indigenous Pacific Island communities, including Native Hawaiians and Chamorrans, for food, cultural practices, recreation, and overall survival. In fact, the Pacific Islands location in the middle of the Pacific Ocean exposes the islands’ coral reefs to large open ocean swells, which play an important coral habitat role in structuring the coral reef community.

Our habitat protection efforts include broad research programs on the marine habitat throughout the Pacific Islands region. Our goal is to conserve, protect, and restore marine habitat and coastal ecosystems. The management objectives and priorities for the Pacific Islands are based on the Fisheries Local Action Strategy, a collaborative and locally-based efforts to decrease fishing-related impacts to coral reefs. These efforts include:

Habitat mapping and characterization
Physical and biological oceanography studies
Research on a variety of marine habitat issues, including marine debris, invasive species, and pollutants

We also work to increase partnerships with other federal and local authorities. These partnerships allow us to maintain sustainable coastal ecosystems and implement strategies that minimize the introduction and impacts of alien species and marine pollution. We provide technical reviews of all proposed federal actions in coastal habitats in the Pacific Islands Region to eliminate or reduce potential negative environmental impacts on the marine habitat.

Conserving Habitat

Consultations

Regional Activities

Resources

Featured Species in the Pacific Islands

We maintain and manage healthy ocean ecosystems that promote and provide sustainable fisheries, conserve and recover protected marine resources, and enhance opportunities for commercial, recreational, and cultural activities in the Pacific Islands region.