Pacific Islands Climate Change Cooperative

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior

2015 Senior Plenary Session of the Interagency Group on Insular Areas

February 24, 2015

Key Briefing Points:

  1. The Pacific Island Climate Change Cooperative (PICCC) provides assistance to natural and cultural resources managers and decision-makers regarding the effects of climate change by providing necessary science and tools for adaptation planning and decision-making.
  1. The PICCC is collective of conservation agencies and organizations that serve the State of Hawai‘i and the US-affiliated Pacific. Its members are able to access leading scientists and technical specialists within the region. Additionally, the PICCC is a member of a network of Landscape Conservation Cooperatives that serve North America and the Caribbean. Together, this network is capable of advancing climate change and conservation issues from Insular Areas at local, regional, national, and international scales.
  1. In 2015, the PICCC will be focusing its attention to facilitate climate change adaptation planning and actions in the US-affiliated Pacific. To do this, PICCC will outreach to Pacific Island leaders and partners to identify prospective resource management plans or actions that would benefit from climate change related information or research.

Background on Landscape Conservation Cooperatives

In 2009, then Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar signed Secretarial Order 3289 to direct the formation of Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs) for the purpose of integrating science and management to address climate change and other landscape scale issues. Through this Order, 22 LCCs were established that span from the Pacific to the Caribbean and throughout North America, including portions of Canada and Mexico. Together, these LCCs form a network that is holistic, collaborative, adaptive, and grounded in science. The LCC enterprise works to ensure the sustainability of our economy, land, water, wildlife, and cultural resources.

Each LCC is a collective that brings together federal, state, and local governments along with Tribes and First Nations, non-governmental organizations, universities, and interested public and private organizations. Network partners work collaboratively to identify best practices, connect efforts, identify science gaps, and avoid duplication through conservation planning and design.

There are two LCCs that serve Insular Areas. The Caribbean Landscape Conservation Cooperative (CLCC) includes the United States Virgin Islands and Territory of Puerto Rico.The CLCC Steering Committee is composed of representatives from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Virgin Islands Coastal Zone Management Program, Puerto Rico Coastal Zone Management Program, and US Forest Service.

The Pacific Islands Climate Change Cooperative (PICCC) is made up of 30 local, state, federal, indigenous, and NGO member organizations from the State of Hawai‘i and US-affiliated Pacific Islands. The PICCC works with a variety of members with offices in Insular Areas, including the Micronesian Conservation Trust, the Nature Conservancy, in addition to our federal partners (NPS, USFWS, USFS, NOAA, DOI-OIA) who work in Insular Areas. These members actively work together through the PICCC to prepare for the impacts of climate change on the region’s natural and cultural resources.

The PICCC helps members share resources, conduct joint research projects, and coordinate large-scale efforts to adapt their management practices to climate change. The PICCC’s mission is to improve the ability of native species and ecosystems to accommodate future climate change and to support the long-term protection of key cultural resources by providing useful projections of climate change in the Pacific Islands, innovative management options, and a membership that supports coordinated action among institutional and community stakeholders.

Climate Change Issues in Insular Areas

Climate change poses major concerns for human and natural communities throughout the Pacific islands and Insular Areas, including:

  • Higher sea-surface temperatures that will increase coral bleaching and are also linked to the increased prevalence of certain coraldiseases, coral death, and habitat loss
  • Ocean acidification, or the changing chemistry in the ocean, that will have negative consequences for the entire marine ecosystem
  • Rising sea levels, exacerbated by storms, causing coastal flooding and erosion that will likely damage coastal infrastructure and agriculture, impact tourism, and negatively affect ecosystems and endangered species
  • Decreased freshwater supplies, especially on atolls and low-lying islands that are especially vulnerable to freshwater shortages due to their small size and limited resources
  • Higher air temperatures and reduced rainfall in some areas, which will stress native Pacific island plant and animal populations and species, especially in high-elevation ecosystems
  • Threats to traditional lifestyles, customs, and beliefs of indigenous Pacific Island communities that may include the destruction of coastal artifacts and structures, reduced availability of traditional food sources and subsistence fisheries, and the loss of land that supports Pacific island cultures.

PICCC Research and Activities Regarding Insular Areas

Since 2010, the PICCC has funded a variety of scientific research projects to address climate change concerns in the Pacific islands and the Insular Areas:

  • Synergistic Impacts of Global Warming and Ocean Acidification on Coral Reefs. This research lead by Dr. Paul Jokiel found that ocean acidification accelerates coral bleaching and slows the recovery of coral from other stresses. The results from this will help managers throughout the insular areas, as the research concludes that conservation strategies that address one or two of three primary reef stressors may be significant and effective.
  • Pacific Islands Regional Climate Assessment: This 2012 project synthesized the effortsand findings of more than 100 scientists and other experts who assessed climate change impacts in the Pacific Islands. The resulting Assessment Report was used to form the Pacific Islands chapter of the National Climate Assessment and serves as guide for government agencies, communities, and businesses to inform decisions and plans for the future.
  • Integrating detailed assessments of climate threats on Pacific coral reefs and responses of traditional Hawaiian communities into management planning: This project by Dr. Jeffrey Maynard provided to the public the most up-to-date assessment of how climate change and ocean acidification will impact coral reefs. This will help managers and decision-makers in the Pacific islands understand the extent to which coral reefs will be impacted in order to best prepare and adapt to the impacts. Dr. Maynard is currently undertaking similar research in the Caribbean where his findings will be relevant to the U.S. Virgin Islands.
  • Future Wind and Wave Projections for the NPS and USFWS-managed Islands in the Pacific Ocean. Dr. Curt Storlazzi (USGS) led a team of researchers in using global models to better understand the future projected changes in winds and waves and how this will impact erosion, damage to infrastructure and freshwater supplies in the Pacific islands.
  • Landcover mapping in the Mariana Islands as a baseline for evaluating future climate change effects. Dr. Steve Miller(USFWS) is leading a team to assess baseline data about landcover in the Mariana Islands in order to develop and refine predictive tools that can help guide the conservation of native species, communities and ecosystems in rapidly changing island environment.
  • Scaling up Cooling and Shading to Combat Coral Bleaching, and Increasing pH to Combat Ocean Acidification on Coral Reefs in American Samoa: This project, led by Dr. Brian von Herzen developed and explored the technology for a field-based cooling system for reef water in American Samoa, in order to produce rapid reductions in bleaching on coral reefs. The findings will allow coral reef managers to better understand bleaching episodes and expand their range of management options.

In addition to conducting scientific research and syntheses, the PICCC has also provided support to the Insular Areas through technical assistance and participation in various leadership forums.

  • In 2013, PICCC Coordinator Deanna Spooner participated in the annual meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum in Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands. The theme of this meeting was “Marshalling the Pacific Response to the Climate Challenge”.
  • Since 2012, PICCC through its work with the National Park Service has provided annual briefings and adaptation training to historic preservation offices from American Samoa and Micronesia.
  • The PICCC staff participated in a knowledge exchange with CLCC in 2013 to share lessons learned regarding climate change adaptation in island settings and LCC operations. PICCC continues coordination with the CLCC and other island-based LCCs during National LCC conferences and together represents the unique challenges of conservation and climate change adaptation in island settings.
  • The PICCC team has also participated in various conferences, workshops and trainings with representatives from Insular Areas including: 2012 IUCN World Conservation Congress; 2014 IUCN World Parks Congress; communications training for the Saipan Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment; and University of Hawai‘i Center for Pacific Island Studies Climate Change Forum.

Looking Ahead: PICCC Activities in Insular Areas

In 2014, the PICCC completed a strategic plan to better align its focus and the collective efforts of its members and partners. Central to this five-year plan is a Strategic Direction to promoteclimate change adaptation by influencing resource management plans and actions. Implementation of the Plan involves establishing annual priorities that guide the development of specific initiatives for adaptation. These “Adaptation Initiatives” will focus on the provision of specific research, analyses or other information products needed by resource managers as well as technical support and consultation for decision-makers such that adaptation plans or actions can be implemented.

The annual priority for 2015-2016, as determined by the PICCC Steering Committee, is to facilitate climate adaptation planning and actions related to ecosystems and human-ecological interactions in the Pacific Insular Areas. To implement this priority, the PICCC will be engaging its members, partners and leaders in Micronesia and American Samoa toidentify resource management plans or actions that would benefit from climate change related information or research solicit interest and opportunities for theAdaptation Initiatives.

For More Information

  • National Landscape Conservation Cooperative Coordinator:

Elsa Haubold – (703) 358-1953 /

  • Pacific Islands Climate Change Cooperative Coordinator:

Deanna Spooner – (808) 687-6175 /

  • Caribbean Landscape Conservation Cooperative Coordinator:

Bill Gould – (787) 764-7990 /

Briefing Paper prepared by Stanton Enomoto, PICCC – (808) 687-6156 /

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