Pacific Island Partnerships: Adapting Together Active

Addressing Climate-Driven Challenges in the Pacific 

The USGS Climate Adaptation Science Centers (CASCs) foster relationships between scientists, communities, resource management agencies, and conservation practitioners to develop science that helps nature and people adapt to climate change. The CASC network is made up of one national and nine regional centers. The CASCs communicate the impacts of climate change on the fish, wildlife, lands, waters, and cultural resources that communities care about. CASCs then work with resource managers to develop and implement science-informed adaptation management. CASC researchers and partners collaboratively create climate adaptation strategies that will engender climate resilience to their resources under a changing climate.  

The Pacific Islands CASC, or PI-CASC (pronounced “pie-cask”), maintains a rich network of regional expertise able to convene around and build synergistic connections to address the unique climate challenges faced by island communities and ecosystems. PI-CASC serves communities on Hawaiʻi and the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands in support of sustainable adaptation in the face of climate change.  

The Ocean connects Pacific Island communities. The Ocean and the region’s communities and diverse ecosystems face unprecedented challenges related to climate change adaptation. PI-CASC is committed to partnering with Pacific communities, coupling traditional knowledge with emerging science, and co-developing science-based adaptation strategies. PI-CASC supports local and regional capacity in climate change adaptation, building resilience while conserving the region’s natural and cultural heritage for generations to come. PI-CASC is always open to building new and meaningful relationships with local communities, resource managers, researchers, and others committed to developing strategies to address climate change challenges.  

Supporting “Ridge to Reef” Management 

Solutions to water pollution are found in coordinating the use and management of land and water from source to sea. By linking action and implementation in river basins and coasts, the aim is to support ecosystem services and improve riparian and coastal livelihoods. - The International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN 

Everything in nature is connected. Clouds that move across the ocean collide with the islands in the Pacific; rainwater feeds aquifers, streams and rivers; those waters flow across the land and into the ocean; the ocean feeds life on the coasts and deep underwater. These linkages across the natural world are deeply ingrained in the cultural identities and stewardship practices of the peoples of the Pacific Islands. Resource flows across land and seascapes are vital for sustaining resilient communities, ecosystems, and cultural practices. 

Pacific Islanders have long understood that ocean conservation cannot start on the beach. Inland human land use practices and environmental change can have profound impacts that radiate into and across ocean waters. PI-CASC supports the “Ridge to Reef” management paradigm, helping communities promote sustainable practices from the tops of volcanoes and uplifted ocean floors, across wetlands and intertidal zones, and down to the sea floor. PI-CASC research augments science with the wisdom and experience of Indigenous peoples in the region, understanding that we are all critical partners in developing viable climate solutions. 

Sources/Usage: Public Domain.

Recent PI-CASC research collaborations include: 

• Assessing future sea-level rise vulnerability for coral reef and mangrove shorelines in the Federated States of Micronesia to support climate-informed watershed management plans. Learn More 

• Using community-collected data to develop sea-level rise inundation exposure assessments for the Marshall Islands. Learn More 

• Mapping land use and climate change threats to nearshore fisheries in Palau and evaluating how Palau’s “ridge to reef” governance practices can promote regional food security. Learn More 

• Utilizing 3D mapping technologies to visualize how river discharge impacts coral reefs in Hawaiʻi. Learn More 

Empowering Communities 

For many in the Pacific, climate change is not a someday threat – it is today’s reality. Heightened storms wash away coastlines and coastal infrastructure, warming waters weaken fishing industries and traditional fishing grounds, rising sea levels threaten the literal foundations of people’s homes. Yet, these are communities who are well versed in the dynamism of living near and with the ocean, who hold deep place-based knowledge and demonstrate the resilience and respect needed to adapt.  

Local and Indigenous communities are priority partners within PI-CASC. PI-CASC research embodies the actionable science model, where scientists collaborate with stakeholders at every stage of the research process to ensure results meet on-the-ground needs. Through this model, PI-CASC scientists partner with Pacific Islands communities to understand their information needs and support their adaptation efforts to meet their communities’ goals. PI-CASC work empowers communities to make climate-informed decisions that preserve their coastal industries, natural resources, food and water security, and cultural heritage. In particular, PI-CASC is committed to increasing local capacity and connectivity so that the Pacific islands can identify, adopt, and share successful climate adaptation strategies with the broader region.  

Sources/Usage: Public Domain.

PI-CASC community collaborations include: 

• Creating an online Agroforestry Dashboard for the Marshall Islands in both English and Marshallese to provide harvesting and planting recommendations based on local Traditional Knowledge and El Niño/La Niña weather patterns. Learn More 

• Developing an interactive, online portal of geospatial (GIS) climate data for American Samoa to inform local resource management and community decisions. Learn More 

• Convening forums of managers, landowners, and stewardship organizations on Hawaiʻi to develop climate adaptation strategies for loko iʻa (Hawaiian fishpond) aquaculture. Learn More 

• Exploring the effects of extreme tidal events on He‘eia fisheries and evaluating the viability of future sustainable fishing practices in Hawaiʻi. Learn More 

Protecting Vulnerable Ecosystems 

The Pacific Islands are home to some of the most beautiful and iconic ecosystems in the world, from colorful coral reefs to lush rainforests. Pacific Islanders are judicious stewards of these precious natural resources and are leaders in marine conservation initiatives. And yet as global temperatures rise, island resource managers are increasingly having to develop new strategies for protecting their natural heritage. 

PI-CASC combines the expertise of USGS and university researchers with community and Indigenous knowledge holders to understand the complex effects of climate change on vulnerable ecosystems in the Pacific. PI-CASC researchers develop sophisticated, local-scale (“downscaled”) climate models to map future climate change effects across the region, investigating phenomenon such as droughts, sea-level rise, fire risks, invasive species spread, and coral bleaching. PI-CASC scientists use broad observation systems, muddy-boots field work, and mathematical modeling to understand how plants, animals, and ecosystems are changing. Researchers work alongside managers to examine how future climate projections may shape these systems and to develop forward-looking management solutions. PI-CASC also partners with existing networks of local and Indigenous leaders, including resource managers and community members, to ensure that PI-CASC science meets the communities’ needs and respectfully encompasses information from diverse knowledge systems. Through these relationships and the actionable science model, PI-CASC strives to develop and support research directly usable for island conservation, restoration, and management. 

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. Visit Media to see details.

Recent PI-CASC research collaborations include: 

• Using NASA remote sensing technologies (MiDAR) to assess coral bleaching events in reefs along Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Learn More 

• Developing a map-based tool to identify climate-resilient coastal wetlands on Molokaʻi to prioritize restoration efforts. Learn More 

• Modeling future sea-level rise and flooding projections for national parks in Hawaiʻi, Guam, Saipan, and American Samoa and national wildlife refuges on the islands of Maui, Oʻahu, Kauaʻi, Molokaʻi, and Guam to inform National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service adaptation plans. Learn More 

• Modeling climate change and sea-level rise effects on mangrove forests in the Federated States of Micronesia to prioritize conservation and restoration decisions. Learn More

Featured Topic: Coral Reefs

From sea level rise to ocean acidification, climate change is profoundly impacting coral reefs. PI CASC scientists use satellite imaging systems, underwater field work, community knowledge, and mathematical modeling to understand changing coral reef dynamics. Researchers work alongside reef managers to examine how future climate projections may shape these systems and to develop forward-looking management strategies. PI CASC also partners with networks of local and Indigenous leaders, including resource managers and community members, to ensure PI CASC science respectfully encompasses information from diverse knowledge systems.