Overview

Established in 2012, the Pacific Islands CASC (PI-CASC) provides regionally-relevant scientific information, tools, and techniques to resource managers and communities in Hawai'i and the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands.

The PI-CASC spans the Pacific Basin from the Hawaiian Island archipelago to the US-affiliated islands of the South Pacific (USAPI). The USAPI include the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI); the unincorporated territories of American Sāmoa, Guam, and the Pacific Remote Islands (PRI); and the Freely Associated States (FAS): The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and the Republic of Palau. These lands encompass a unique diversity of landscapes, ecosystems, resources, communities, and cultures.

The network goal is to provide scientific information, tools, and techniques regarding land, water, wildlife, and cultural resources to managers, community members, and decision-makers in order to anticipate, monitor, and adapt to climate change and variability.

PI-CASC is hosted by a university consortium, led by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, in cooperation with the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and the University of Guam, bringing the expertise of this university consortium to work with our Federal partners from the USGS.

Adaptation Work:

The Pacific Islands region is among the first to experience climate shifts and witness their socio-ecological effects. To adapt, we aim to understand these climate change impacts and identify effective adaptation strategies using cutting-edge research, regular dialogue with stakeholders and community members, and sharing of new and available online resources.