Marine Management Solutions (MMS) works with local communities, indigenous leaders, resource
users, government agencies, non-governmental groups, and donors to design and implement marine
resource management solutions that strengthen both environmental and civil security within coastal
communities around the world.
Client services provided by MMS include: (1) Developing sustainable marine resource livelihoods in
post-conflict/civil unrest settings; (2) Capacity building for fisheries collaborative management and
community-based marine conservation; (3) Capacity building in the design, planning, and evaluation of marine protected area (MPA) sites and networks; (4) Capacity building for climate change adaptation
in coastal communities; (5) Measurement of management effectiveness and conservation impact; (6)
Facilitation of agency/organization strategic planning, program development, and project design;
and (7) Conducting applied, interdisciplinary research.
Core principles guiding the work of MMS include: (a) Active community involvement and participation
in local management and decision-making, including by disenfranchised or marginalized stakeholders;
(b) A collaborative management approach to reduce conflict, encourage peace and order, and promote
the rule of law; (c) Local empowerment that encourages self-determination, well-being, and community
resilience; (d) Ethnic, gender, religious, and intergenerational equity to ensure all voices are heard and full, relevant experience and knowledge is applied; and (e) A rigorous commitment to critical analysis and objectivity to provide the most useful solutions.
Current and past clients include: Big Ocean (global); the Coastal States Stewardship Foundation (U.S. Pacific Islands); Conservation International (global); the Coral Triangle Initiative (Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste); EcoAdapt (Pacific Islands);
Hawaii Conservation Alliance (Hawaii); Liberia Ministry of Agriculture, Bureau of National Fisheries
(Liberia); Locally Managed Marine Area Network (Fiji); Malama Maunalua (Hawaii); Marianas Trench
Marine National Monument (CNMI); Maui Nui Marine Resource Council (Hawaii); Partners for Global
Research and Development (Pacific Islands; global); Planning Consultants of Hawaii (Hawaii); Social
Solutions International, Inc. (Pacific Islands); State of Hawaii, Division of Aquatic Resources
(Hawaii); Tetra Tech ARD (Southeast Asia; Pacific Islands); National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (U.S.);
The Nature Conservancy (Hawaii); The Sasakawa Peace Foundation (Japan; global); Tonga Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Forests, and Fisheries (Tonga); The University of Washington (global); U.S. Agency
for International Development (Regional Development Mission for Asia; Pacific Islands Region); U.S.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (U.S. Pacific Islands); and World Wildlife Fund
(global).