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In Hawai‘i and across much of Oceania, Pacific Islanders celebrate the connections between our islands and the ocean that surrounds us. Since the beginning of time, we have relied upon precise observations of marine and celestial realms to intentionally navigate thousands of miles across vast expanses of open ocean. Through our migrations, we have created—and continue to create—purposeful relationships by observing the movements of swells, weather patterns, celestial bodies, and marine life. In direct opposition to colonial Western thought, we view Oceania as a metaphorical road that connects rather than separates island people (Hau’ofa, 1994). As descendants of the ocean, the dearth of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NHPIs) in ocean science seems inconsonant. We wonder, where are all our island people in the ocean sciences? In better defining the persistent, systemic, and collective barriers that NHPIs face within Western society and the academy, we identify gaps that conventional professional development programs aimed at minoritized groups in the geosciences have been unsuccessful in filling. We share lessons learned from building two wa‘a (canoes) in programs that center oceanic ways of knowing. 

Academic science is becoming increasingly recognized for fostering a toxic workplace culture. A growing number of studies show that hierarchical structure, intense competition, excessive workload expectations, and lack of adequate financial support create an unhealthy work environment (Stephan, 2012; Callier and Vanderford, 2014; Hall, 2023). Science in academia is flooded with underpaid and underappreciated students and postdocs, and sadly, academic institutions are not adequately addressing the urgent need to fix this unsustainable structure (Stephan, 2012; Callier and Vanderford, 2014). This article is our plea to academic science: it is time to change the culture of our workplace and better support the next generation of scientists.