PRESS RELEASES
Date: 04/02/2026
News from: Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project (PMDP)
Papahānaumokuākea: Bringing the Place to the People - Community Talk Story Sessions Coming Across the Paeʻāina
KAILUA, HI — March 3rd marked the one-year anniversary of the official designation of Papahānaumokuākea as a National Marine Sanctuary, a historic milestone in the ongoing protection of one of the most sacred and ecologically significant places on Earth. In recognition of this anniversary, the Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project (PMDP), Papahānaumokuākea Sanctuary Advisory Council (SAC), and the University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant) are proud to announce an exciting new, community-centered initiative funded by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (NMSF) Sanctuary Community Fund titled: Papahānaumokuākea: Bringing the Place to the People.
Papahānaumokuākea is a place of profound cultural, ecological, and ancestral significance. Yet for many, it remains distant and abstract. Papahānaumokuākea: Bringing the Place to the People seeks to bridge that distance by fostering meaningful, community-led engagement that deepens public awareness, stewardship, trust, and cultural connection to the Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary (PNMS). This initiative centers Native Hawaiian voices, values, and leadership, elevating cultural resource conservation and protection as foundational to the Sanctuary’s past, present, and future. Our vision is a living, island-to-island exchange where communities do not simply learn about Papahānaumokuākea, but actively shape how its story, stewardship, and future are carried forward.
Beginning in Summer and Fall 2026, PMDP, the SAC, and Hawaiʻi Sea Grant will host community talk story sessions on Hawaiʻi Island (Hilo and Kona), Maui, Lānaʻi, Molokaʻi, Oʻahu, and Kauaʻi. These gatherings are not presentations delivered to communities, they are conversations rooted in listening. This initiative brings Papahānaumokuākea to the people. Just as importantly, it allows the SAC, whose kuleana is to represent the communities, to learn directly from each island community and amplify their voices. The sessions will explore how Western science and indigenous knowledge systems can be meaningfully integrated, community perspectives on stewardship and management, cultural resource protection priorities, opportunities for youth engagement and leadership, and how communities wish to remain connected to Papahānaumokuākea.
Event dates, formats, and locations will be shaped by each community. Community leaders will help determine what the community wants, and when the community wants it. This is for the community, by the community.
PMDP, the SAC, and Hawaiʻi Sea Grant invite community organizations, cultural practitioners, educators and schools, conservation groups, youth leaders, kupuna and ʻike holders, and interested individuals to express their interest in hosting, partnering, or participating in a talk story session on their island. Papahānaumokuākea: Bringing the Place to the People is an invitation to listen, learn, and steward together. Together, we can ensure Papahānaumokuākea’s future is shaped by the voices of the people it represents. E mālama kākou iā Papahānaumokuākea.
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About PMDP: The Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project (PMDP) is a U.S. 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the sensitive wildlife and critical habitats of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands within the Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary from the threats of marine debris through annual large-scale cleanups. PMDP’s mission is to build a grassroots community committed to the stewardship of the Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary. For more information about the Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project, please visit www.pmdphawaii.org. Follow PMDP on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @pmdphawaii.
James Morioka, Executive Director, Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project (PMDP), james@pmdphawaii.org, 808-321-0570
About SAC: The Papahānaumokuākea Sanctuary Advisory Council (SAC) is a community-based advisory group consisting of representatives from various constituencies, providing a public forum for community consultation and deliberation on resource management issues affecting the Sanctuary. The role of the SAC is to provide advice and recommendations to the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. For more information about the Papahānaumokuākea Sanctuary Advisory Council, please visit www.papahanaumokuakea.gov/new-about/council/.
Daniel Kinzer, Conservation Representative, Papahānaumokuākea Sanctuary Advisory Council (SAC), daniel.kinzer@pacificbluestudios.com, 808-729-3307
About Hawaiʻi Sea Grant: The University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program (Hawai’i Sea Grant) is part of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s prestigious School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology. It supports an innovative program of research, education, extension, and communication services directed to increasing the sustainability of coastal and marine resources and the resilience of coastal communities of the state, region, and nation. Science serving Hawai‘i and the Pacific since 1968. Hawai'i Sea Grant is one of 34 Sea Grant programs across the nation supported by NOAA. For more information about Hawaiʻi Sea Grant, please visit www.hawaiiseagrant.org.
Beth Lenz, Associate Director for Strategic Communications and Engagement, University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program, ealenz@hawaii.edu, 808-284-2233
About NMSF: The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (NMSF) is the official non-profit partner of NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, supporting its system of 18 marine environments from Massachusetts to American Samoa and the Great Lakes to the Florida Keys. NMSF protects these iconic places, cares for marine wildlife and habitats, honors our nation's maritime history and cultural traditions, and promotes the enjoyment of these public waters through a combination of coalition-building, private fundraising and federal support. For more information about the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, please visit www.marinesanctuary.org
Diane Dotson, Policy Team, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (NMSF), ddotson@marinesanctuary.org
