He'eia NERR 
Heʻeia National Estuarine Research Reserve was recently featured on HI Now in a three-part segment highlighting ʻāina-based education, community stewardship, and collaborative research in Heʻeia . Heʻeia NERR Education Coordinator, Fred Reppun, shared about the community-driven establishment of the Heʻeia NERR and how hands-on learning and mālama ʻāina promotes deeper connections for teachers and students … Read more
A new collaborative study is exploring the “whale pump”—the process by which whales cycle nutrients into the ocean through their waste, fueling the growth of phytoplankton that support marine food webs. Heʻeia NERR is proud to partner with researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Marine Mammal Research Program and Aquatic Microbial Ecology Lab, … Read more
Heʻeia NERR is proud to participate in the 33rd annual Hawaiʻi Conservation Conference, taking place July 14 – 16, 2026. Heʻeia NERR’s Aimee Sato and Trevor Taylor from the Nature Conservancy were invited to share about the conference on Hawai’i News Now. This year’s conference theme is “Imi i Ke Ēwe o Ka ʻĀina,” which … Read more
We are so proud of ʻAʻaliʻi Kelling for being awarded “Best Graduate Student Poster” at the Hawaiʻi Conservation Conference (HCC) in July! He is one of our NERR graduate assistants at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology. His research explores how imu (traditional Hawaiian rock pit) structures enhance fish populations within the Hāʻena Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Area on Kauaʻi … Read more
Mongabay featured an article inspired by the work of HIMB Ph.D Candidate, Anne Innes-Gold, and the recent publication outlining the collaborative project with Paepae o Heʻeia and Heʻeia NERR. The article highlights how Indigenous aquaculture and loko iʻa restoration supports fish populations in surrounding waters, in addition to providing for Indigenous communities. Read the full … Read more
An op-ed was recently released in the Honolulu Star Advertiser sharing the biocultural restoration and stewardship efforts of Heʻeia in light of World Fish Migration Day. Authors include Kawika Winter (Heʻeia NERR Director), Iokepa Miner (Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi), and ʻAlohi Nakachi (The Nature Conservancy). See the full article linked below. Honolulu Star Advertiser Article – “Ahupuaʻa … Read more
In an effort to promote Indigenous Knowledge within the National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) system, HIMB and the Heʻeia NERR hosted an exchange of Western Region NERR colleagues from Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and Lake Superior, along with some of their Indigenous partners. Indigenous Peoples represented (Kānaka ʻŌiwi; Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe; … Read more
Mahalo to our friends at The Nature Conservancy for continuing to support Heʻeia through this great new video! “A new generation of Native Hawaiian leaders are working to restore ‘āina momona to the once fertile and abundant lands and waters of Heʻeia ahupuaʻa. Using traditional values, knowledge and practices, they are restoring the uplands, wetlands and … Read more
Conservation and environmental science news platform Mongabay recently featured three communities in Hawaiʻi for their efforts to restore Indigenous land and resource management systems. The article draws on a recent publication in Ecology and Society co-authored by Heʻeia NERR Director Dr. Kawika Winter and several collaborators. Read the full Mongabay news article here.
We are pleased to share a web feature about the Heʻeia NERR highlighting our role in the NERRS Science Collaborative Catalyst Project entitled “Cultural Ecosystem Services in Estuary Stewardship and Management”. Living As the World