My NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship examines the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hawaiʻi through the lens of polycentricity. Polycentric governance refers to multiple, semi-autonomous groups or individuals interacting through cooperation and/or competition to achieve governance goals. I am pairing political ecology’s focus on power with new institutionalist theories about polycentric governance to explore how governance actors have been empowered to or kept from participating in the creation and on-going management of this area. The project empirically examines the theoretical claim that polycentric governance systems increase the potential for sustainable management of complex social-ecological systems. The research is ongoing, but early results suggest the importance of considering colonial histories as well as the structure of, stakeholder participation in, and resources allocated to decision-making processes in the governance of large ocean areas, even when these areas are remote.
