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Marine Fellows Selected

The Nature Conservancy Launches
New Marine Fellowship Program

HONOLULU, HAWAI'I — May 7, 2008 — The Nature Conservancy has just selected its first two Marine Fellows to participate in a unique program that trains recent college graduates to become the next generation of marine conservation leaders in Hawai‘i. 

“It wasn’t easy whittling down the list of over 100 applicants, but we are fortunate to have found Russell Amimoto and Marion Ano, both of whom come highly recommended by the communities with which they work,” said Manuel Mejia, the Fellowship Program’s coordinator.

Amimoto, a canoe builder and a captain on the Polynesian Voyaging vessel Hōkūle‘a, has years of traditional navigation skills and a deep commitment to protecting the ocean. Ano brings her passion for educating youth about science and traditional marine resource management practices, which she learned from her mentors at the Paepae o He‘eia and Ka Honua Momona fishponds.

“We chose Marion and Russell to help launch this new program because they bring tremendous energy and a commitment to learning, as well as a wealth of valuable knowledge that they can teach us,” said Mejia. 

Modeled after the Conservancy’s successful Assistant Natural Resource Managers Program, the Marine Fellowship Program will provide training in all aspects of marine resource planning, management, and monitoring to support marine conservation and community stewardship efforts in Hawai‘i. Trainers will include senior Conservancy staff, other marine resource experts, kūpuna, and other conservation leaders.

“Scientists estimate that Hawaii’s near shore fisheries have declined by more than 75% over the past century. If we are going to reverse this trend, we need a lot more people working in Hawai‘i to protect, restore and manage our coral reefs,” said Kim Hum, director of marine programs for the Conservancy’s Hawai‘i chapter.

“After two years in this program, Russell and Marion will have the necessary skills and knowledge to be highly competitive in Hawaii’s conservation job market for positions not just at the Conservancy, but at state and federal partner agencies, other NGOs, and private sector marine-based businesses,” Hum said. “Our hope is that they will stay in the islands and help guide the future of ocean resource management in Hawai‘i.”

Fellows will be based in the Conservancy’s program offices on O‘ahu, but will work with practitioners across the islands. They will play an integral role in the Conservancy’s marine conservation efforts, working on community-based projects with senior staff, monitoring the health of ocean resources, and learning essential planning, management, and leadership skills.

The Conservancy would like to thank the Atherton Family Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coral Reef Conservation Program for making this program possible. 

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.