Press Releases

NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries today announced the appointment of Malia Chow as the new superintendent of Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.

Chow has worked for NOAA for the past ten years. She currently is the sanctuary's Management Plan Review coordinator. Previously, she was a policy analyst for the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve, which became Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

"Malia brings vision and leadership to the sanctuary," said Allen Tom, Pacific Islands regional director for NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. "She promotes a true sense of collaboration while weighing the needs of the local community and constituents."

Chow was raised on the island of Oahu. She received a bachelors of science degree from the University of Washington and a Ph.D. in cellular biology from the University of Pennsylvania. She will be located in the sanctuary's Honolulu office in Hawaii Kai.

Encompassing 1,370 square miles of federal and state waters, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary was created by Congress in 1992 to protect humpback whales and their habitat in Hawaii. It is administered by the NOAA in partnership with the State of Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources.

NOAA's mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Visit us at http://www.noaa.gov or on Facebook.

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