At the 17th Conference on Island Sustainability, marine biologist Mafalda Gentil Martins Seiz de Freitas delivered a presentation grounded in urgency and innovation, drawing directly from her work addressing marine debris across the Pacific.
At the University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability & Sea Grant (UOG CIS & Sea Grant), we define sustainability as the balance between meeting current needs and safeguarding the resources of future generations. Established in 2009, UOG CIS & Sea Grant is the region’s lead institution for supporting the transition toward a sustainable, self-reliant, and prosperous island community.
Since our founding, UOG CIS & Sea Grant has evolved into the region’s focal point for sustainability research and community outreach. We collaborate closely with government agencies, NGOs, and community groups to address critical island needs across four key pillars: Environment, Economy, Society, and Education.
With an expanding portfolio of implementation projects and strong community partnerships, UOG CIS & Sea Grant is moving the region toward a sustainable tomorrow. Our work is defined by action. Through transformative programs like Guam Green Growth, the SEAS Islands Alliance, and Navigating Home, we are turning sustainability plans into on-the-ground reality.
“And I think a lot of us, across island communities, are standing in that same proverbial space, surrounded by opportunity, but calling it waste.”
That reflection from William Castillo anchored his presentation at the 17th UOG Conference on Island Sustainability, where he was featured as a speaker sharing perspectives on value-added agriculture and economic resilience for island communities. Castillo is an associate professor and director of workforce development at Leeward Community College, where he leads initiatives that link education, workforce training, and entrepreneurship.
With approximately $1 million in annual local funding, the Guam Green Growth (G3) initiative generated more than $30 million in external funding last year—an over 30-fold return that underscores the value of investing in sustainability programs, according to UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant Director Austin Shelton, Ph.D.
(Tumon, Guam) – Today, the Guam Visitors Bureau announced the signing of its memorandum of understanding with the University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability (UOG CIS), Sea Grant, and Guam Green Growth (G3) at Hyatt Regency Guam in Tumon during UOG CIS’s weeklong Conference on Sustainability.
“Because for us in the Pacific, resilience is not a trend,” said Sabrina Suluai-Mahuka, Ph.D., founder and executive director of Finafinau, one of two educators at the forefront of Pacific scholarship and advocacy who served as featured speakers, framing the emotional and political weight of island resilience in the face of ongoing environmental and social challenges.
Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero, Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio, and Blue Planet Alliance Executive Director Francois Rogers sign a document reaffirming Guam’s commitment to the 100×100 renewable energy campaign during the 17th Conference on Island Sustainability on Thursday.
Stories—not just systems and statistics—defined the CIS2026 SEED Talks, where voices from across the island community transformed personal journeys into powerful calls for change. Framed as “ideas worth cultivating,” the speaker series invited participants to move beyond data and into lived experience, weaving together narratives of loss, identity, resilience, and hope. In an intimate, TED-style setting, each speaker offered a glimpse into how their own paths, shaped by culture, community, and connection to land and sea—continue to inform their work.
303 University Drive
UOG Station
Mangilao, Guam 96913
Phone: (671)735-5631
Email: cis@uog.edu
seagrant@uog.edu
©2026 University of Guam
Sea Grant. All rights reserved.
303 University Drive
UOG Station
Mangilao, Guam 96913
Phone: (671)735-5631
Email: cis@uog.edu
seagrant@uog.edu
©2026 University of Guam
Sea Grant. All rights reserved.
