![University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa](/its/template/system_2019/images/uh-nameplate.png")
Transforming ocean policy at the intersection of science and law
ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Mﾄ］oa establishes the Center for Ocean Policy to address pressing ocean challenges.
University of HawaiʻiAVP of Communications
Simplicio Paragas, (808) 376-1066
Director of Communications
Photo caption in release
As climate change, biodiversity loss, and competing ocean uses place increasing pressure on marine ecosystems, the University of Hawaiﾊｻi at Mﾄ］oa (ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Mﾄ］oa) is launching a new Center for Ocean Policy to bring together ocean science and legal expertise to develop solutions for some of the most pressing ocean and climate challenges facing Hawaiﾊｻi and the world.
The novel collaboration between ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Mﾄ］oa’s Department of Oceanography, in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), and the William S. Richardson School of Law will open new opportunities for interdisciplinary education, applied research, and policy engagement. Students will gain firsthand experience working at the intersection of science, law, and public policy through clinics, capstone projects, and advocacy initiatives focused on real-world environmental issues.
Since 2020, The Healy Foundation has partnered with (ISR) to support an annual research assistant position known as The Healy Foundation Climate Change Fellow. In 2024, the partnership expanded to three Fellows, who conduct research and provide other support activities for the City and County of Honolulu Climate Change Commission.
Additionally, The Healy Foundation has systematically supported the University of Hawaiﾊｻi through a number of initiatives including (BIISC), The University of Hawaiﾊｻi Maui College and .
Suzanne Geary, executive director of The Healy Foundation, said, "The Center for Ocean Policy offers a powerful new bridge between science and law. It creates a platform for scientific insights to directly inform the policies and decisions that protect our oceans and coastal communities.” she added, “We are excited to support this forward-thinking approach and continue building on our long-standing partnership with the University of Hawai'i Foundation and ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Mﾄ］oa’s Institute for Sustainability and Resilience.”
ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Mﾄ］oa Chancellor Vassilis L. Syrmos called the Center a major milestone for the institution.
“As a flagship university in the middle of the Pacific, it is our kuleana (responsibility) to apply our unique place-based knowledge and cutting-edge research to help shape the future of ocean stewardship,” he said. “The Center for Ocean Policy brings together the expertise needed to translate scientific knowledge into meaningful policy solutions for Hawaiﾊｻi and communities around the world.”
One of the Center’s first initiatives will be a Law-Ocean Clinic, which will pair law and oceanography students with local nonprofit organizations to conduct policy research and advocacy during the Hawaiﾊｻi legislative session.
“This partnership will equip our law students to tackle complex environmental challenges and advance policies that support coastal resilience in Hawai‘i,” said Camille Nelson, dean of the William S. Richardson School of Law. “By understanding the science behind the policy, they will be better prepared to advocate for our island communities.”
The Center will also offer interdisciplinary seminars and launch an annual symposium beginning in its second year, bringing together researchers, policymakers, legal practitioners and community members to address emerging ocean policy issues.
“The Center for Ocean Policy perfectly aligns with ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Mﾄ］oa’s academic mission to foster innovative, cross-disciplinary education,” said Margaret McManus, chief academic advancement officer in the Office of the Chancellor and director of the Uehiro Center for the Advancement of Oceanography. “These unique opportunities will prepare a new generation of leaders to work across the intersections of science, law and policy, and help address the challenges facing our oceans.”
SOEST Dean Chip Fletcher emphasized that the Center builds on the longstanding strengths of both schools while deepening ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Mﾄ］oa’s commitment to Native Hawaiian and Indigenous Pacific communities.
“SOEST and the William S. Richardson School of Law each have long and distinguished records of working with Native Hawaiian and other Indigenous Pacific communities on issues of ocean stewardship, climate resilience, resource management, and justice,” Fletcher said. “The Center for Ocean Policy builds on that shared foundation, bringing science, law, and Indigenous knowledge together to help shape policies that are effective, place-based, and responsive to the communities whose lives and futures are most closely tied to the ocean.”
About The Healy Foundation
The Healy Foundation is a relationship-based philanthropic organization supporting youth, the environment, and communities across Hawaiﾊｻi and Oregon. For more than 30 years, the foundation has partnered with nonprofit organizations working to mitigate climate change, protect ecosystems, educate and advocate for youth, and reduce child poverty through a grantmaking philosophy grounded in trust, transparency, and collaboration. To learn more about The Healy Foundation and its trust-based approach to grantmaking, visit .
About ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Mﾄ］oa
Founded in 1907, the University of Hawaiﾊｻi at Mﾄ］oa is the flagship campus of the University of Hawaiﾊｻi System and serves as a destination of choice for students and faculty from across the nation and the world. As a land-, sea-, space-, and sun-grant institution, ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Mﾄ］oa offers unique place-based research opportunities, a diverse community, and globally recognized strengths in tropical agriculture, ocean and earth sciences, astronomy and space sciences, and Pacific/Asian studies.
Photo Caption: Pictured, from left, are environmental law professors David M. Forman and Richard Wallsgrove, Camille Nelson, Vassilis L. Syrmos, Margaret McManus, Chip Fletcher and Department of Oceanography Chair Glenn Carter.