NOAA Marine Reserve Seeking Advisory Council Member

NOAA’s Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve is seeking applicants to fill the research alternate seat on its advisory council. As a whole, the council advises the superintendent and ensures public participation in management of the reserve.

“Community representatives on our advisory council are an extremely important part of our team,” said Athline Clark, NOAA’s superintendent for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. “Their input is an integral part of managing this special place.”

Council candidates are selected for their expertise and experience in relation to the position, as well as community and professional connections, and personal views on the protection and management of marine resources. Advisory council seats have a term of two to three years, or until a different advisory is created according to the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument’s management plan.

The advisory council is made up of 28 primary and alternative voting members from different public interest groups spanning conservation, education, research and ocean-related commercial and recreational activities.

It also includes a Governor-appointed voting member and 10 non-voting governmental seats representing the Department of Defense, Department of the Interior, Department of State, Marine Mammal Commission, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Science Foundation, U.S. Coast Guard, Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.  

The deadline to apply is Wednesday, May 31, 2017. To receive an application or for more information, contact Nicole Evans, advisory council coordinator at nicole.evans@noaa.gov or (808) 725-5818. Evans can also be contacted via mail at NOAA Inouye Regional Center, NOS/ONMS/PMNM, 1845 Wasp Boulevard, Building 176, Honolulu, HI 96818. Applications can also be downloaded online.

The Ecosystem Reserve spans 1,200 nautical miles long by 100 nautical miles wide of the marine waters and submerged lands of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It falls within Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, a designated UNESCO World Heritage site since 2010.