Pacific Islands Must-Reads of 2019

Olive ridley sea turtle hatchling © NOAA Fisheries

In 2019, we brought you science and conservation stories covering a wide range of topics important to the Pacific Islands region.

Approximately 30 olive ridley hatchlings crawling to the sea after found emerging under a towel at Kailua Beach Park. - photo © NOAA Fisheries

Here are the 10 stories that resonated the most with our readers and have been shared and liked many times over on social media.

• Rare Olive Ridley Sea Turtle Nest Discovered on O?ahu
• Death of Young Hawaiian Monk Seal RL44/Nanea
• Prey-Size Plastics are Invading Larval Fish Nurseries
• NOAA Develops a New Type of Coral Nursery
• Endangered Hawaiian Monk Seals Cry Foul Over Selfies
• The Mysterious Kona Crab and its Sustainable Fishery
• Motherload: The Story of a Fertile Turtle in the Hawaiian Islands
• Tracking and Managing Predicted Massive Coral Bleaching in Hawai'i
• Partnering to Protect and Study Monk Seals and Sea Turtles: Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Field Camps 2019
• Researchers to Study Survival of Kona Crabs After Catch and Release

RL44 spotted on the beach before being tagged. - photo © NOAA Fisheries

Recommended 10 Noteworthy Stories

For one reason or another, some feature stories don't gain as much traction online as others. Here is a collection of highly recommended stories that you may have missed but still deserve your attention.

• Advances in Monk Seal Rescues: An Early Notification from a Fisherman Saved a Life
• 500,000th Spiny Superhero Released to Devour Hawai?i's Coral-smothering Algae
• U.S. Territorial Bottomfish Stocks Less Healthy Than Previously Assessed
• Preserving Poke in a Changing Climate
• NOAA and Partners Gather to Discuss Hawai'i Coral Bleaching and Restoration
• Lava Flow Time Portals: Understanding the Development of Deep-water Coral Communities
• Restoring Natural Grazing Processes Can Help Coral Reefs
• 10 Years of Science and Stewardship in Pacific Marine National Monuments
• Training Future Leaders in Marine Science and Conservation
• Faces of Whale Conservation in the Pacific Islands

Monk seal release. - photo © NOAA Fisheries

A Hawaiian collector sea urchins cleaning a coral of invasive algae in Kane‘ohe Bay. - photo © NOAA Fisheries