The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) have released a new report and interactive map and data sets that highlight what is known about the marine environment of the main Hawaiian Islands.

The report, titled Marine Biogeographic Assessment of the Main Hawaiian Islands, and its products make available information about marine life and the physical environment offshore Hawaii. Topics include: an overview of the physical environment, benthic habitats and corals, fishes, sea turtles, marine mammals and sea birds. An interactive Geographic Information System (GIS) map complements the report to describe marine biogeographic patterns around the islands. The information in this assessment will help lay a foundation for BOEM's future environmental reviews of renewable energy project proposals offshore Hawaii.

Funded by BOEM, NCCOS worked in collaboration with federal and state academic and non-governmental organizations to synthesize existing data from years of research on the islands of Hawaii. In addition to providing BOEM with the most comprehensive and current information on ecosystems of the Main Hawaiian Islands, the report and its products will be useful in coastal and ocean management efforts by the state of Hawaii and other partners.

For more information visit the project web page at: https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/projects/detail?key=163