Our Purpose
HIMARC was formed to provide data-driven support for a diverse set of management objectives using the best available science and to build consensus among the many datasets that exist for nearshore reefs in Hawaiʻi. We are a collaboration among research, management, and community organizations that work together to monitor nearshore marine ecosystems in Hawai‘i to inform conservation and management
HIMARC strives to make data useful for achieving management goals of both local communities and the State of Hawaiʻi. We create continuous maps of variables that indicate coral reef health and resiliency around the nearshore ecosystem in Hawaiʻi, harnessing the power of combined data to lead to a rich and meaningful contribution to meet management goals
HIMARC acknowledges that the data collection, research, and management that occurs as part of our work is performed on land belonging to Kānaka Maoli native to the islands of Hawai‘i. We acknowledge the position of our work relative to indigenous wisdom by listening to the people of this land. We recognize that the space of indigenous data, data sharing, and co-production is evolving and we are committed to contributing to advancements in this area – doing so with transparency, respect and reciprocity. We celebrate multiple ways of knowing and work together with our partners to weave together our research with other ways of knowing, including but not limited to: traditional ecological knowledge, community-based monitoring, Western science, and fisher-based monitoring.
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HIMARC was born out of the need to better understand the state of coral reefs in Hawaiʻi. Hawaiʻi nearshore waters are some of the most well-studied in the world, with multiple large-scale monitoring programs studying reefs and fisheries. However, monitoring effort is not evenly distributed, which leads to inequity in data availability and gaps in understanding.
In 2012, several people worked together to begin this project and fulfill a need for data synthesis in Hawaiʻi. In 2016, this need grew as the Governor announced a statewide Sustainable Hawaiʻi Initiative at the culmination of the worldwide voyage of Hōkūleʻa and the creation of the Promise to Paeʻāina o Hawaiʻi. To answer this call, the early HIMARC group pioneered unique calibration methods used to organize and compare the large datasets and make sense of decades of reef surveys, leading to one of the largest datasets in the world on reef condition. Today, this dataset is utilized by managers, communities, and scientists in Hawaiʻi to inform effective place-based management of our marine resources.
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The HIMARC logo symbolizes values and intentions core to our mission of providing scientific support for holistic marine management that benefits both people and reefs of Hawaiʻi. At HIMARC, we value collaboration and consensus building around a shared understanding of nearshore ecosystem condition in Hawaiʻi.
The backbone of the logo design are statistical distribution curves based on data from the HIMARC dataset. At the base of the distributions is koʻa (coral) to symbolize the people and ecosystem at the core of our work. Kanaka ʻoiwi (Indigenous peoples of Hawaiʻi) recognize the koʻa as the origin of life in the Kumulipo. Ko‘a are foundational engineers of reef ecosystems, forming the habitat that all reef organisms rely on.
The coral design lies on top of the curved hull of a waʻa (traditional voyaging canoe of Hawaiʻi) complete with sails positioned to move the logo forwards. This signifies the forward movement of HIMARC’s work to support marine stewardship, management, and protection in Hawaiʻi driven by community priorities and leadership. The waʻa also reminds us of the inspiration for our founding, since the HIMARC program was borne out of the Promise to Paeʻāina o Hawai‘i, the commitment to Hawaiʻi from Hawaiʻi following the Worldwide Voyage of the waʻa Hōkūleʻa in 2016. Our mission addresses parts of this commitment, including a need for pooling data collaboratively and tracking progress towards improved management. The shape of the first distribution curve also invokes the image of a wave cresting over the koʻa and propelling the waʻa forward with the wave extending throughout the HIMARC name reflecting our commitment to continuing on the journey ahead. The wa‘a and waves also speak to HIMARC’s efforts to incorporate the reciprocal relationship between people and the environment into our research and to understand the role of both together in determining reef condition.
The maroon and yellow colors invoke traditional garments of aliʻi (chiefs) in Hawaiʻi and signifies HIMARC’s dedication to listening to leadership from Kanaka ʻoiwi. The blue color is from an image taken by the HIMARC team on a research excursion, directly reflecting the beautiful teal color one might see if looking at the ocean above a coral reef. The yellow is from an image of a beach in Hawaiʻi, symbolizing the ʻaina (the land which feeds us) to remember the importance of conserving the nearshore ecosystem for generations to come. The beach also symbolizes the strong connection between mauka (toward the mountain) and makai (toward the ocean) and our efforts to recognize that connection in our work.
The foundation of our work is the bringing together multiple sources of data to paint a full picture of nearshore marine ecosystems. Lana i ka houpo a Kanaloa - “it intermingles in the energy of Kanaloa,” teaching us that all energy in the ocean is connected and interwoven with the actions of people. This sentiment drives our work and is depicted in our logo by the design elements of reefs, data, and people woven together through both the design and the name.
TAKE A DEEP DIVE
Donovan Lab Code of Conduct
HIMARC is currently housed by the Donovan Lab at the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology. To read the Donovan Lab’s commitment to collaborative, supportive, and transparent science, click below.
