At the July Guam Green Growth (G3) Steering Committee meeting, members highlighted progress toward the 17 U.N. Sustainable Development Goals—both locally and regionally—including the launch of a new Green Growth hub in Micronesia and a watershed restoration workforce initiative that expands the G3 Conservation Corps. 

One of the regional highlights described by Austin Shelton, Ph.D., director of the University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant and co-chair of the G3 Steering Committee, was the launch of the Marshall Islands Green Growth initiative, unveiled during the 27th Micronesian Islands Forum held this month in Majuro. 

Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine, Ed.D., first revealed plans to start their own Green Growth hub back in April. 

“During our conference on Island Sustainability, that the Governor co-chaired with the University of Guam President Enriquez back in April, there was a commitment that President Heine made to launch Green Growth in the Marshall Islands — that is coming to fruition this week and we are really excited for them to build on that,” Shelton said. 

According to Shelton, to lay the foundation for the Marshall Islands’ hub, the G3 team—alongside Hawai‘i Green Growth and the Local2030 Islands Network—has been helping develop their dashboard and supporting grant-writing efforts to establish a circular economy makerspace. 

Another major announcement at the steering committee meeting was the creation of the G3 Guam Restoration of Watersheds (GROW) Corps—a program focused on watershed restoration. During the program, members will work closely with the UOG Sea Grant GROW team and the Guam Department of Agriculture’s (Guam DoAg) Division of Forestry and Soil Resources. “That’s for six months. That’s going to be more jobs and more trained individuals to go into our green workforce,” Shelton said. 

Under the leadership of UOG and the Governor’s Office, G3 working groups also shared local initiatives under different action categories contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. These achievements are integrated into the G3 action framework dashboard to monitor island-wide progress. 

The reports included the following highlights:   

• Healthy and Prosperous Communities: Guam DoAg helped develop the first regional Pacific Food and Agriculture Strategy through partnerships with the SPC and other island nations. Guam’s Forest System Plan has been adopted and includes the designation of green spaces and conservation areas. The department is now developing rules and regulations to support its implementation. 

• Educated, Capable, and Compassionate Island: The GCA Trades Academy reported plans to launch the first maritime courses on Guam and to create airline industry training programs. Meanwhile, the working group also reported the groundbreaking of a new campus of the Northern Marianas Technical Institute in Saipan this month. 

• Sustainable Homes, Utilities, and Transportation: The Guam Energy Office received a $1.5 million Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant for improvements in government-owned buildings. Projects include installing solar panels, outdoor solar LED lighting in selected parks, and working with mayors to identify other public lighting locations. 

• Sustainable Alliances: Guam has reaffirmed its request for a UN visiting mission during the UN C-24 (Special Committee on Decolonization) Pacific Regional Seminar in March 2025, according to Melvin Won Pat-Borja, executive director of the Guam Commission on Decolonization.  He said the C-24 has adopted a resolution that reflects this request.  

• Thriving Natural Resources: The GROW team planted over 5,000 trees in Ugum last year, according to Fran Castro, associate director for operations and development at UOG Sea Grant. Also, UOG Sea Grant and Guam DoAg, Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources held a series of fisheries stakeholder meetings across the island, where they shared and gathered community feedback on proposed fishery management measures, including size limits, mandatory licensing and catch reporting, ban on the harvesting of atuhong (bumphead parrot fish), ban on commercial sale of six species, and limiting night time spear fishing.  

After the reporting, Shelton acknowledged the efforts of the working groups, saying, “Thank you to all of you, our G3 working group, for all the amazing work that you are doing. It is being tracked in our Guam Green Growth dashboard, and I think the world is really taking notice of that.” 

Shelton also reported that Guam was recently featured by the American Leadership on the SDGs—an initiative led by the UN Foundation and the Brookings Institution’s Center for Sustainable Development that recognizes individuals and communities advancing the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. 

“For me, being born and raised here as a CHamoru, if the best of us keep leaving the island, we will never be able to solve our own problems,” said Justin Cruz, the newest long-term 12-month fellow of the NSF Navigating Home Early-Career Fellowship Program (Navigating Home), when asked why he returned to Guam.

He believes that by returning, he can help address some of the island’s most pressing challenges. Aside from the ongoing issue of brain drain, which weakens the island’s workforce capacity, Cruz also pointed to increasing waste generation, with plastics and other post-consumer products often ending up in the landfill due to limited recycling infrastructure—contributing to environmental strain and missed opportunities for circular economy innovation.

The University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant, in partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF) INCLUDES SEAS Islands Alliance, introduced Cruz during a special signing ceremony, following the Guam Green Growth (G3) Steering Committee meeting at the Governor’s Complex in Adelup.

Established in 2023, the NSF Navigating Home program is designed to reduce brain drain by encouraging the return of skilled STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) professionals to their home island of Guam, Puerto Rico, or U.S. Virgin Islands. Program participants must have degrees in marine, environmental, or sustainability sciences and may have left their home territories for education or work.

Cruz joined the program and was placed as a fellow with the G3 Circular Economy Makerspace and Innovation Hub, where he had previously worked from 2023 to 2024.

Before returning to Guam, Cruz spent time in California, in 2024, where he took robotics classes at the Universal Technical Institute and later gained CNC machining skills at the NTMA Machinist School. 

He said that CNC machining skills could help foster small-scale manufacturing capabilities on island. “We can help them get the skill set here,” Cruz said, referring to residents interested in launching product-based businesses.

CNC, or computer numerical control, automates the manufacturing process using pre-programmed software to carry out precise tasks—turning materials such as metals, plastics, and wood into finished products. The G3 Makerspace currently houses a set of CNC machines, the only ones on the island. 

During the ceremony, Cruz showcased several products he created at the G3 Makerspace recycling plastic and developing it into a flat-pack stool prototype and student desk. The desk’s plastic top, made from a discarded COVID-19 pandemic sneeze guard, can also be used as a dry-erase board. The materials were sourced from Cruz’s former school, Maria A. Ulloa Elementary in Dededo.

Born and raised on Guam, Cruz noted that his time off-island helped him recognize the importance of returning. “Of course, we needed to bring all the knowledge home so that we could fix it ourselves,” he said. “I guess you could say with my certificate and everything I learned, it was too easy to go to the States, get another job that could possibly provide a better life for me and my family. But if we don’t fix it ourselves, it will never be fixed. It is the way I see it.”

“Through past National Science Foundation grants, we created over 250 student research opportunities that never existed before in Guam,” said Austin Shelton, Ph.D., director of the UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant. “After getting top-notch training at UOG, some of these students are now completing advanced degrees off-island, so we created the Navigating Home to bring them back to Guam on one-way tickets to enter our workforce.”

Acting UOG President Sharleen Santos-Bamba added, “The University of Guam is always very fortunate to have talented individuals work with us and to foster relationships and collaborations across the island and the region. It’s opportunities like this that allow us to plug up the brain drain. Those of us around the table made the decision to stay home and plug up that drain. And now it’s our chance to bring our talent back to Guam.” 

NSF Navigating Home is currently recruiting short-term fellows to return to Guam for a three-month term.  The fellowship will include round-trip airfare to Guam, a stipend of up to $7,000, and a chance to develop your skills and explore career fields with a host agency within UOG or GovGuam. Interested applicants can email Axel Defngin at defngina@triton.uog.edu for more information.  

A recent survey conducted by the University of Guam’s Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant (UOG CIS & Sea Grant) indicates strong support among Guam residents toward developing ocean renewable energy.

The survey explored public perception across various ocean renewable energy technologies. A significant majority of respondents expressed support for their development in Guam:

·       Wave Energy: 72.65% would support its development.

·       Tidal Energy: 67.57% would support its development.

·       Marine Current Energy: 67.35% would support its development.

·       Offshore Wind Energy: 64.08% would support its development.

·       Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC): 57.6% would support its development, though this technology had the                    lowest prior awareness among those surveyed (26.44%).

While awareness of these technologies varied, with wave energy being the most recognized (46.62% had heard of it prior to the survey) and OTEC the least, the support levels remain consistently high.

“While we continue to explore the sustainable growth of our island and the responsible management of the resources we have available to us, it is important to listen and understand how our community feels about another potential form of energy being available,” said UOG CIS & Sea Grant Director Austin Shelton, Ph.D. “There is a great amount of support for the exploration of ocean renewable energy and we look forward to continuing research into these innovative solutions for a sustainable future.”

Beyond specific technologies, the survey highlighted a general positive sentiment towards ocean renewable energy with 75.12% of respondents saying they either “Agree” or “Strongly Agree” that they are in favor of developing ocean renewable energy as a renewable source for Guam. 80.19% said that overall, they support ocean renewable energy and 78.26% feel that its development in Guam is a worthwhile pursuit.

According to the results, respondents also foresee several benefits from the development of ocean renewable energy including 71.04% who believe it can reduce carbon emissions if implemented commercially, 77.04% feel it can increase local understanding of environmental and energy issues, 79.65% believe it will create jobs in Guam and 69.4% believe it will help lower electricity prices for residents.

Despite the strong support, some concerns were also noted.

Many were concerned of the impact ocean energy infrastructure would have on the ocean wildlife populations around Guam. 26.51% believe it will change ocean currents enough to harm ocean life. 16.71% feel it’s not a good use of taxpayer money and 36.36% agreed or strongly agreed that infrastructure could lead to the disruption of fishing practices, and 45.08% believe it will lead to limiting access to fishing areas.

The survey was funded through a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Sea Grant College Program and was conducted through partnerships with the United States Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).

The survey was conducted digitally between August and December 2024 and included responses from a sample of 552 Guam residents across all genders and demographics.

The findings suggest a promising environment for ocean renewable energy development on Guam, with strong public support driven by perceived environmental and economic benefits, alongside an awareness of potential challenges.

The University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant (UOG CIS & Sea Grant) is proud to announce the launch of its second cohort for the highly successful Community Backyard Aquaponics Systems (CBAS) program.

Building on the achievements of the inaugural group, this expansion will introduce additional aquaponics systems into homes across Guam, significantly bolstering the island’s journey towards greater food security and sustainable living.

The first cohort of the program proved to be a success, helping families and individuals to cultivate their own fresh produce and protein right in their backyards. Participants learned the innovative technique of aquaponics, which combines aquaculture (raising aquatic animals like fish) with hydroponics (growing plants without soil) in a symbiotic environment. This method not only conserves water but also provides a sustainable source of nutritious food.

“The success of our first CBAS cohort laid a strong foundation, and we are looking forward to welcoming a larger second cohort into the program. This expansion is another important step forward to increase food security across our island communities,” said UOG CIS & Sea Grant Director Austin Shelton, Ph.D.

With the second cohort, the program will distribute an additional 40 aquaponics systems, providing comprehensive training and ongoing support to new participants. This expansion is a direct response to the community’s demand and the proven effectiveness of the initiative in promoting self-sufficiency and sustainable practices.

“We are really excited at the reception of the first round of the CBAS program,” said UOG CIS & Sea Grant aquaculture specialist David Crisostomo, who heads the program. “Being able to provide this opportunity to the community and our people is something that can benefit future generations with food security.”

As a part of the program, selected applicants must attend mandatory training sessions to be qualified to receive the systems and will receive support from the UOG CIS & Sea Grant aquaculture team following the installation of the systems.  The individual systems are valued at $3500.00 and will be given to qualified recipients at no cost through support from the Office of the Governor.

Applications and program details are available online at uog.edu/seagrant or by contacting Crisostomo at (671) 727-5655 or via email at crisostomod8562@triton.uog.edu.

Deadline to apply for this cohort is July 7, 2025. 

The University of Guam (UOG) is proud to announce the release of Biology of Rabbitfishes, a comprehensive volume exploring the evolutionary history, ecological roles, and economic significance of rabbitfishes (family Siganidae). 

The book, edited by UOG assistant professor Brett Taylor Ph.D. and Andrew Hoey Ph.D., brings together cutting-edge research on this fascinating group of reef fish that hold cultural significance to the people of Guam.

In its juvenile form, the rabbitfish, or mañahåk, have been harvested for thousands of years off the coasts of Guam and are a favorite in CHamoru cuisine.   

According to Taylor, a leading expert on the biology of tropical reef fishes and coastal fisheries, who serves out of the UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant along with the UOG Marine Laboratory, this volume provides in-depth analyses of rabbitfish life histories, fisheries, and aquaculture, with a particular emphasis on the unique ways these fish have been collected in Guam.

“Rabbitfishes play an important role in tropical marine ecosystems and have historically been an important fisheries resource,” said Taylor. “This book sheds light on their ecological versatility, their capacity to adapt to changing environments, and their significance in sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.”

With more than 29 recognized species distributed across the Indian and Pacific Oceans—and more recently in the Mediterranean Sea—rabbitfishes have garnered increasing scientific attention for their ability to thrive in diverse habitats.

The research featured in Biology of Rabbitfishes underscores the significance of these species in coastal ecosystems, particularly in regions like Guam, and how their rapid life cycle and adaptability make them a potentially valuable resource for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.

Biology of Rabbitfishes will serve as a key reference for marine biologists and fish scientists and is published by CRC Press of the Taylor & Francis Group and is available in print or eBook format at https://www.routledge.com/Biology-of-Rabbitfishes/Hoey-Taylor/p/book/9781032216492.

The American Leadership on the SDGs, a United Nations initiative, has featured University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant Director Austin Shelton, Ph.D., for his work in advancing the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The American Leadership on the SDGs is a joint effort by the United Nations Foundation and the Center for Sustainable Development at the Brookings Institution. This initiative highlights the often-overlooked achievements of individuals and communities working towards critical global goals, while also equipping them with resources to amplify their impact.

“It’s an honor to be featured in American Leadership on the SDGs. There are hundreds of collective sustainability actions tracked on the Guam Green Growth Dashboard and people around the world are taking notice. I am thankful to the dozens of G3 Working Group members and partners who are accelerating local action for global impact and really making a big difference for our sustainable future,” Shelton said.

In the feature by Megan Rabbitt of the United Nations Foundation, Shelton describes how his commitment to sustainability began. Growing up, he witnessed the decline of the island’s coral reefs.

“Around the time I was in high school, I noticed that the corals just weren’t as colorful and bright anymore,” he said. “I wasn’t catching the same size and quality of fish as I used to.”

After completing his doctorate, Shelton pursued a career as a marine and environmental scientist, returning to the island to lead the UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant. He soon realized that traditional marine conservation wasn’t enough. The 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) offered a comprehensive framework for the interconnected challenges facing islands like Guam. Shelton emphasizes that “sustainability is key to all of the actions we need to take,” linking ocean health (SDG 14) to land use (SDG 15) and climate action (SDG 13).

The feature also described Shelton’s contribution to Guam becoming a founding member of the Local2030 Islands Network in 2019. This network provides an island-led, peer-to-peer platform to advance SDG progress, which eventually led to the launch of Guam Green Growth, or G3. According to Shelton, G3 was inspired by the work done by Hawaiʻi Green Growth. 

G3 has spearheaded numerous sustainability projects, Shelton mentioned in the feature that he is particularly proud of their work on strengthening the circular economy and establishing Guam as a makerspace and innovation hub. The feature also mentioned G3’s investment in the next generation through the Conservation Corps program, training participants in various fields from agriculture to renewable energy.

Furthermore, the feature detailed how G3’s success has led to the launch of similar initiatives in Palau and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The Marshall Islands are also slated to launch their program in this month.

“This recognition is important for Guam and other territories who are striving for sustainability against unique challenges, as it validates our efforts and amplifies our voice on a broader stage,” he added.

For more information on Guam Green Growth and the SDG work on Guam visit guamgreengrowth.org today.

The University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant’s Island Conservation Lab (UOG CIS & Sea Grant ICL) and the Guam Department of Agriculture Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources (DAWR) hosted representatives from the CNMI Department of Fish and Wildlife (CNMI DFW) for a two-day workshop on the Guam and CNMI State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAP).

The Guam and CNMI teams have been working independently to revise their SWAPs, but in a historic step toward regional collaboration, these teams gathered for the first time to discuss shared Species of Greatest Conservation Need. Through this unified effort, the teams identified priority species from both SWAPs and produced key conservation and management goals for the species on a landscape scale across the Marianas.

“Coming together with CNMI to discuss natural resources that we share is a tremendous step in aligning the Mariana Islands. Land, water, plants, various animal & fish species, all have significant cultural and environmental significance to our people,” said director of the Guam Department of Agriculture Chelsa Muña, who is hopeful that the partnership will strengthen the support for the islands’ conservation efforts.

UOG CIS & Sea Grant Associate Director for Natural Resources Else Demeulenaere, Ph.D., added to the SWAP discussion during the event, drawing parallels to the biogeography shared between Guam and the CNMI. “As a biogeographer and ethnobotanist, I see the Mariana Islands as a single biogeographic region, a chain of interdependent landscapes, species, and cultural histories,” she remarked. “Conservation cannot happen in isolation. We are recognizing that what affects one island affects us all, and that protecting biodiversity means thinking and acting at the scale of the whole archipelago.”

UOG CIS & Sea Grant project associate Caley Jay Chargualaf, who works with the Island Conservation Lab on the project, sees a lot of common ground between the two islands and the species that call them home.

“Our plants and animals do not recognize geographic or political borders. The land and sea belong to them as much as they do to us,” said Chargualaf. “It is our responsibility to work together, guided by passion and experience, to ensure these species have the opportunity to thrive in our shared environment.”

According to wildlife biologist and conservation planner Dacia Wiitala from the CNMI Division of Fish & Wildlife, the meeting served as an opportunity to start a partnership that will have a lasting impact.

“The purpose of the workshop was to identify opportunities for collaboration between Guam and CNMI natural resource managers that would result in cost-saving opportunities, regional capacity building, data sharing, and overall improvements to conservation practices for our shared Species of Greatest Conservation Need,” said Wiitala.

Wiitala also stressed the big role community feedback plays in conservation.

“Stakeholder engagement is the most important aspect of conservation planning. Talking with people who have different perspectives and experiences brings up new ideas and considerations that might be missed if you don’t seek out diverse input,” added Witala.

More community meetings will be held in the coming months as updates to the SWAP are ongoing. For more information follow @UOGCIS and @uog.islandconservationlab on Instagram or visit uog.edu/cis today.

From strengthening individual green growth hubs to collaborating and sharing knowledge for sustainable development, the Local2030 Islands Network is set to take the next step with the launch of the Green Growth Partnership Community of Practice.

Austin Shelton, Ph.D., director of the University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant, made the announcement in April in Busan, South Korea at the “10th Our Ocean Conference”on stage next to conference founder and 68th Secretary of State John Kerry.

The Local2030 Islands Network is a global platform advancing island-led, culturally informed sustainable development solutions. Governor of Guam Lourdes Leon Guerrero committed Guam as a founding island member of the Local2030 Islands Network and Shelton serves as a member of its steering committee. The Local2030 Islands Network facilitates the Green Growth movement in islands across the globe.

Shelton described the network’s new initiative as “Green Growth for resilient islands.”

Building on the network’s existing communities of practice — and informed by leading examples like the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) dashboards created by Hawaiʻi, Guam and Ireland, Shelton said “The network will expand peer learning, increase in-country technical capacity, foster collaboration within and across islands, and share best practices for holistic ridge-to-reef management rooted in circularity, localization and regeneration.”

The launch of the Green Growth Partnership Community of Practice will be shared through the network’s Virtual Island Platform. This free, open-access resource aims to create new opportunities for collaboration across fields, help identify and measure SDG outcomes and support scalable solutions to critical island and ocean challenges.

“Through curriculum co-development, training programs and the continued growth of SDG dashboards, we aim to support transparent tracking of commitments — including those made here at the Our Ocean conference — and drive progress toward national and global sustainability and climate resilience goals,” Shelton said.

“Together, through a commitment to green growth and collective action, we can lead the way toward a regenerative and resilient future,” he added.

In 2023, the UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant announced a partnership with the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program for the expansion of Green Growth initiatives across the Western Pacific, supported by a $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of State through the NOAA National Sea Grant College Program. The grant supports the growth of the Local2030 Islands Network and the Green Growth initiative in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.

Soon after, Palau and the Northern Mariana Islands launched their own Green Growth initiatives in 2024. The Marshall Islands followed, with President Hilda Heine, Ed.D., announcing their commitment to launch their initiative during the 16th UOG Conference on Island Sustainability in April.

The Our Ocean Conference marked its 10th anniversary with the theme, “Our Ocean, Our Action.” The event served as a key platform for setting concrete directions for international cooperation on sustainable ocean development. It also provided a forum for global dialogue on implementing agreements to advance the future of the oceans, including the U.N. Treaty on Plastic Pollution.