Hawaiian Islands
Honolulu, HI 96850
Plan Your Visit
The Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge islands are uninhabited, and entry is by permit only. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel visit the islands infrequently. Permitted scientists, researchers and cultural practitioners visit the islands to conduct monitoring, research and cultural activities. From Honolulu, the islands are only accessible via multiple days ship voyage. All activities and entrance into the refuge require a permit.
Get Involved
Currently, the Refuge does not have the staff or infrastructure capacity to operate a safe island-based field operation. However, we are planning to offer volunteer opportunities in the near future to help plan and build capacity for the remote island field camps to become operable.
Services
The Refuge is primarily responsible for monitoring the health of most of the Pacific's subtropical seabird population and wildlife habitat. Staff efforts also support the work of the National Marine Fisheries Service monitoring reproductive success for green sea turtle populations and the critically endangered Hawaiian monk seal.
About
The Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge encompasses a chain of remote islands and atolls with a rich cultural and biological history, including archaeological sites dating back to the 13th century. These islands provide critical nesting grounds for millions of seabirds and unique habitats for endemic species found nowhere else on Earth. Today, the refuge is managed as part of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument to protect its fragile ecosystems and unique species like the Hawaiian monk seal.