For many, the thought of being able to go out to your backyard and grab a fresh fish for dinner seems absurd, but it is a reality for members of the first cohort of the University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant’s (UOG CIS&SG) Community Based Aquaponics Systems (CBAS) program.
“Protecting our island’s natural resources starts by meeting our community right where they are!” 🌊🌿
Huge congratulations to Navigating Home fellows Kira Reklai and Enqi Yang on concluding their 3-month fellowship! From connecting culture and early childhood education with science communication to hands-on fisheries management and youth outreach, Kira and Enqi showed us that conservation takes everyone—STEM and non-STEM alike.
Check out the full story of their journey and how they’re building connections between culture, community, and resource conservation ✨
Every September, Guam highlights environmental stewardship, cultural preservation, and green innovation during Sustainable September. This month-long movement connects island community action to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as the world works toward the 2030 global benchmark.
At the core of this effort are the University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant (UOG CIS & Sea Grant), Guam Green Growth (G3) initiative, and Guam NSF EPSCoR programs. Together, their initiatives turn ambitious global goals into practical local solutions that reflect and include the diverse, multicultural communities that call Guam home. Here are just some of their efforts:
The University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant has named journalist and media professional Thomas Mangloña II as the first UOG CIS & Sea Grant Marianas Science Communications Fellow, launching a new effort to strengthen the way science and environmental research are shared with communities across the region.
The Guam Green Growth (G3) initiative leveraged approximately $1 million in annual local funding to attract over $30 million in external support, showing that local sustainability investments can deliver significant socioeconomic benefits. At the 2026 Virtual Island Summit, Governor Lou Leon Guerrero shared these results and highlighted Guam’s ongoing sustainability initiatives during a panel with policymakers and practitioners.
©2023 University of Guam Sea Grant. All rights reserved.
303 University Drive UOG Station | Mangilao, Guam 96913
Phone: (671)735-5631 | Email: seagrant@uog.edu
