Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Hawaii Pacific Islands CESU

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The USGS is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research involving the distribution and abundance of breeding seabirds throughout the Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI). The Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative and renewable energy goals are the most aggressive in the nation, with the Governor setting the goal at 100% clean energy by 2045. In addition to land-based alternative energy, the DOI and the State of Hawaii have received proposals to develop commercial-scale offshore renewable energy capacity within state and federal waters surrounding the Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI). Currently, BOEM, federal, state, and local resource managers lack comprehensive, quantitative data to map seabird colony locations, extents, and breeding population sizes throughout the MHI. This basic population informationâ¿¿compiled in previous MMS (now BOEM-supported seabird colony catalogues for California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaskaâ¿¿is urgently needed in Hawaii to (1) evaluate threats to colonies and adjacent high-use offshore waters, (2) provide a reference to measure population trends, and (3) best inform place-based conservation and restoration actions.

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