Hawaiʻi Cooperative Studies Unit

The Hawaiʻi Cooperative Studies Unit (HCSU), located within the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo (UH Hilo) Office of Community and Research Partnerships, administers a cooperative research program with many different partners, including the Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center (PIERC) of the US Geological Survey, the USGS Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and other partners.

HCSU research projects located in Hawaiʻi and the US-affiliated Pacific focus on the ecological, environmental and sociocultural management of natural and cultural areas in Hawaiʻi and other similar areas in the region.

The Unit's primary focus is on the conservation of Hawaiʻi's natural resources in protected habitats, such as national parks, wildlife refuges and the state's natural area reserves. Studies on cultural resources are also conducted, particularly where they interface with natural resource management, a not uncommon situation in Hawaiʻi. Finally, the Unit participates in and interacts with a related program of graduate and undergraduate studies at the University.