Federal Funding for Papahānaumokuākea

Here bluestripe snapper, ta’ape, threespot damselfish, and oval chromis damselfish are seen swimming in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. PC: James Watt/NOAA

The Senate Appropriations Committee last week approved $4.1 million in federal funding to support management and research projects for Hawai‘i’s Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.

US Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Appropriations Committee, worked with committee leadership to secure new federal funding for the monument, according to a release from the senator’s office.

Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument is one of the world’s largest marine protected areas.

“We were successful at securing new federal funding to help us manage and research Papahānaumokuākea,” Schatz said. “By leveraging federal funds, we have the opportunity to better understand and conserve one of our most important natural resources.”

Funding for the monument includes:

• $3.1 million in new funding for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ship operations. The funding approved by the committee provides $3.1 million in new federal funding to support ship operations, following the decommissioning of a NOAA oceanographic research vessel. This funding will ensure that critical missions like research and monitoring in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, will continue.
• $1 million for research and management. The bill authorizes NOAA to make a competitive grant of up to $1 million for research and management activities in Papahānaumokuākea. The funding is subject to a 100% non-federal match and will bring new resources to keep the Hawaiian archipelago healthy and productive. In past years, the funding has supported the removal of over 82 tons of debris, along with research on how climate change will impact the food web in Papahānaumokuākea.