Innovative Trends in Marine Management: Hawaii´s Manganese Crust Work Group

In spite of tight funding, Hawaii has been the location of a number of innovative ocean technologies. These have been facilitated by the coordination of university researchers, industry representatives, Federal agencies, and State officials. An excellent example of this new trend in marine management is the recently formed Joint State-Federal Manganese Crust Work Group. Funded by the U.S. Department of the Interior, this group will oversee the writing of an EIS for a proposed manganese crust lease sale in the Hawaiian Archipelago and act as a forum for the consideration of the many complex issues surrounding ocean mining. The Work Group´s success stems from its open dialogue with all concerned groups and its emphasis on an adequate research base.