Free Presentation on “Growing Up Fast: A Land-Based Coral Nursery for Restoring Hawaii’s Reefs” Offered During Earth Week
2021-04-21 17:30 - 18:30 UTC | Zoom webinar
KIHEI, HI— In honor of Earth Day and Earth Week, the public is invited to a free presentation on “Growing Up Fast: A Land-Based Coral Nursery for Restoring Hawaii’s Reefs” on Zoom on Wednesday, April 21 at 5:30 pm.
The presenter will be coral specialist Christina Jayne of the Dept. of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources Hawaii Coral Restoration Nursery. The talk is hosted by Maui Nui Marine Resource Council, as part of its monthly “Know Your Ocean Speaker Series.”
Coral reef restoration is the process of raising new corals — often from fragments of coral salvaged from the wild — in a protected, nurturing environment, then transplanting them out into the ocean to grow and form new reefs. When combined with efforts to improve coral reef habitat, it is viewed as a way to help coral reefs survive the stresses of climate change and warming ocean waters.
For the past two years, Jayne has worked for the Dept. of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources as a coral restoration specialist at the Hawaii Coral Restoration Nursery on Oahu with director David Gulko. Before moving to Honolulu, she earned her bachelor’s in Marine Biology from the University of California San Diego and her masters from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.“Hawaii’s reefs are extremely unique and Hawaiian corals have some of the slowest growth rates in the world, which is why the State has taken an innovative, land-based approach to coral restoration,” notes Jayne.
Hawaii’s first state coral nursery, which is managed by DAR, opened in 2016 at the Anuenue Fisheries Research Center on Oahu.
Corals are brought to the Coral Restoration Nursery and are rapidly grown using a series of aquarium-based techniques that help them to generate large coral colony modules in a fraction of the time it would take naturally, which can be out-planted back on the reef.
The nursery typically uses corals for out-planting from harbors because of their lower ecological value compared to corals from natural areas, says DAR, and they may also be more resilient to any challenges and environmental changes.
University of Hawaii Sea Grant researchers are also conducting experiments at the Anuenue facility to understand different environmental conditions, like light and water movement, that are useful for growing corals quickly. Creating the best environment for the corals to grow rapidly will help to restore local reefs after disturbance events such as bleaching or physical damage.
Maui Nui Marine Resource Council’s “Know Your Ocean Speaker Series” events are held monthly via Zoom. Support for these events is provided by the County of Maui Mayor’s Office of Economic Development.
The virtual event’s emcee will be Darla Palmer-Ellingson, local radio show host of the public affairs program, Island Environment 360 Maui’s only commercially broadcast public affairs show on environmental and related Hawaiian cultural topics, aired on the stations of H-Hawaii Media.
To reserve your spot at this free Zoom webinar, please visit https://bit.ly/coralnurserywebinar

Free presentation on “Purifying Kihei’s Wastewater with Green Infrastructure as an Alternative to Injection Wells”
2021-06-09 17:30 - 18:30 UTC
Three new low cost, low energy, pilot green infrastructure systems that will be constructed in Kihei this summer to purify water coming out of the Kihei Wastewater Reclamation Facility will be the topic of a free Zoom presentation by Paul Sturm, Executive Director of Ridge to Reefs, on Wednesday, June 9 at 5:30 pm. This new system will harness the power of plants, soil and microbial activity to purify wastewater to approach drinking water standards, dramatically expanding its potential uses and reducing the need for disposal via injection wells.
This talk will be presented via Zoom as part of Maui Nui Marine Resource Council’s monthly “Know Your Ocean Speaker Series.” These monthly virtual events are supported by the County of Maui Mayor’s Office of Economic Development.
To reserve your spot, please visit https://bit.ly/KiheiWastewater.
Sturm will be presenting plans for the three new Kihei Wastewater Disposal Pilot projects that Ridge to Reefs will construct this summer with support from support from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and assistance from John Astilla, founder and owner of Sunshine Vetiver Solutions and construction support from Ali’i Farm Service. The pilot projects will be aesthetically pleasing and odor-free, bearing a closer resemblance to gardens rather than treatment facilities.
“Through natural processes, we will reduce the amount of wastewater that needs to be disposed of; any remaining wastewater will come as close as possible to drinking water standards, expanding opportunities for its re-use,” says Sturm. “Our Ridge to Reefs Kihei Wastewater Disposal Pilot will be up and running within two months, ready to demonstrate the effectiveness of Ridge to Reef’s nature-based solutions as viable, affordable alternatives to groundwater injection disposal.”
“We believe this system has the potential to reduce land-to-sea pollution from wastewater, to benefit Maui’s local coral reefs,” says Sturm.
Ridge to Reefs (RTR) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) formed in 2011 to help protect and restore coastal and coral reef ecosystems by reducing land-to-sea pollution with green infrastructure. The organization uses natural methods and innovative engineering to solve pressing environmental and social problems. Their expertise includes treating polluted storm and wastewater by establishing green infrastructure solutions such as constructed wetlands, rain gardens and bioreactors. Using proven natural methods and state-of-the-art engineering, Ridge to Reefs has installed systems in Maryland, Virginia, Puerto Rico, Palau and American Samoa. To learn more, visit https://www.ridgetoreefs.org/
The event’s emcee will be Darla Palmer-Ellingson, local radio show host of the public affairs program, Island Environment 360 Maui’s only commercially broadcast public affairs show on environmental and related Hawaiian cultural topics, aired on the stations of H-Hawaii Media.
“As a nonprofit working for healthy coral reefs and clean ocean water, Maui Nui Marine Resource Council is extremely proud to host this presentation, as our community works on solutions to reduce pollution to our nearshore waters, to help our coral reefs survive,” says Mike Fogarty, Executive Director of Maui Nui Marine Resource Council. “We are happy to see this innovative science-based pilot project come to Kihei, to use natural materials to better treat wastewater and reduce its pollution impacts on our ocean waters.”
To reserve your spot at this free Zoom webinar, please visit https://bit.ly/KiheiWastewater.
About Paul Sturm:
Paul founded Ridge to Reefs (non-profit organization) in 2011 to support local creation and implementation of watershed plans primarily in the Chesapeake Bay and in coral reef watersheds – with the goal to achieve tangible environmental outcomes.
Paul and his team are currently testing a low cost, low energy, nature-based alternative septic system with University of Hawaii and have constructed similar systems in Puerto Rico and American Samoa. He has worked on innovative methods to control sediment transport using vegetation and stormwater using plants and biochar amendments. Recent efforts have also focused on improving food security, soil health and agricultural resilience in the face of climate change.
Paul is a former Center for Watershed Protection Director/Biologist and spent 11 years working on watershed plans, implementation projects and code changes in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and around the country. Prior to that, he spent 6 years researching the effectiveness of implementation of agricultural and urban BMP’s and developed methods to track and target pollution source areas in agricultural watersheds.
Paul participated in the development of the EPA Sponsored Illicit discharge detection manual. He directly assisted the development of field assessment protocols for the Outfall Reconnaissance Inventory (ORI) and the development of the field form as well as the water chemistry testing protocol that was developed for the manual. The manual was produced for EPA and distributed to officials in all 50 states to help guide NPDES compliance methods for Phase I and Phase II communities. Paul also helped conduct a webcast for EPA that included over 1000 attendees. Paul conducted the field portion of the training where videos of the outfall reconnaissance inventory methods were presented for several outfalls. Paul also answered technical questions from participants in the webcast.
Paul has contributed to more than 20 publications and has presented more than 60 lectures around the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. These include participation as a trainer at four National Watershed Institutes, invited speaker at four US Coral Reef Task Meetings in Washington, D.C. and San Juan, Puerto Rico, three National River Rallies, three Army Corp of Engineers Water in the Watersheds Courses in Davis, CA and a Coastal Zone Management Course for the Institute of Marine Affairs in Trinidad and Tobago. Paul has led trainings in stream assessment, stormwater retrofitting, erosion, code change, illicit discharge detection and elimination, and sediment and erosion control.

Free Presentation “Saving a Species: “Rehabilitation as a Conservation Tool for Hawaiian Monk Seals” Offered on Weds., Aug. 4
2021-08-04 17:30 - 19:00 UTC
Hawaiian monk seals are endangered, with fewer than 1,400 animals left on earth — yet they have recently been in the news, as videos and photos have surfaced showing the seals falling victim to harassment by visitors who get too close or attempt to touch them, sometimes for social media content. Learn more about Hawaiian monk seals at a free presentation called “Saving a Species: Rehabilitation as a Conservation Tool for Hawaiian Monk Seals” on Wednesday, August 4 at 5:30 pm HST via Zoom where two special guests from The Marine Mammal Center’s dedicated hospital for monk seals, Ke Kai Ola, on Hawai’i Island will highlight their conservation and outreach work.
The Center’s Lauren Van Heukelem, Response and Operations Coordinator, and Dr. Sophie Whoriskey, Hawaiian Monk Seal Conservation Veterinarian, will speak at this event, part of the “Know Your Ocean Speaker Series” which is hosted every month by Maui Nui Marine Resource Council.
Researchers estimate that about 30 percent of Hawaiian monk seals are alive today due to conservation efforts led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and partners like the Center. The mission of The Marine Mammal Center focuses on global ocean conservation through rescue and rehabilitation, scientific research, and education.
Reserve a spot at the free presentation by visiting https://www.bitly.com/monksealwebinar
“We are hosting this special presentation with the awareness that public education is needed to help protect our Hawaiian monk seals from harassment or injury,” says Anne Rillero, Communications Manager at Maui Nui Marine Resource Council. “These animals are among the most endangered seals on earth.”
Dr. Whoriskey received her bachelor’s degree from Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada, and her veterinary medical degree from the Atlantic Veterinary College. She first came to The Marine Mammal Center in 2015 as the intern veterinarian in marine mammal medicine and pathology where she spent two years training with marine mammal medicine experts.
In 2020, she returned to the Center as a full-time Hawaiian Monk Seal Conservation Veterinarian. She leads the Center’s Hawaiʻi animal care operations, dedicated to the rehabilitation, conservation and research of the endangered Hawaiian monk seal.
Whoriskey has extensive field experience in remote and harsh environments and has participated in research projects from Alaska to Antarctica, all with a mission of advancing the global body of knowledge on marine mammal health.
Born and raised in Hawaii, Van Heukelem received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in Marine Biology. She has participated in many research studies both in Hawaiʻi and the Northern Mariana Islands on various topics.
As the Response and Operations Coordinator, Van Heukelem oversees the monitoring of the endangered Hawaiian monk seal population on Hawaiʻi Island. She runs the Center’s 24-hour hotline for reporting seal sightings around the island and coordinates outreach and population assessments on a daily basis.
“On Hawai’i Island, we operate Ke Kai Ola, the only hospital dedicated to Hawaiian monk seals, providing support for monk seals found throughout the Hawaii archipelago,” says Van Heukelem. “Utilizing a 24-hour response hotline and a variety of education and outreach programs, we aim to advance conservation practices that empower our local community to protect this rare species.”
This presentation will focus on the center’s mission and work over the past 45 years in California and Hawaiʻi. Since opening Ke Kai Ola in 2014, The Marine Mammal Center has treated 36 Hawaiian monk seals and supports the work of NOAA’s Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program by providing the only long-term care facility for this endangered animal.
These monthly virtual events are supported by the County of Maui Mayor’s Office of Economic Development.
The event’s emcee will be Darla Palmer-Ellingson, local radio show host of the public affairs program, Island Environment 360 Maui’s only commercially broadcast public affairs show on environmental and related Hawaiian cultural topics, aired on the stations of H-Hawaii Media.
To reserve your spot at this free Zoom webinar, please visit https://www.bitly.com/monksealwebinar

Eleu (PP08), a weaned female Hawaiian monk seal pup rescued from Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument Refuge, rests during rehabilitation at The Marine Mammal Center’s Ke Kai Ola hospital and visitor center in Kailua-Kona, HI. The young female seal’s name means one that is active, alert, energetic, lively and nimble. Credit Lauren Van Heukelem © The Marine Mammal Center, NOAA Permit #18786-03

Hawaiian monk seals RK26 (on left) and RL50 (on right) rest on a beach. As the world’s largest marine mammal hospital, The Marine Mammal Center actively monitors endangered monk seals that frequent Big Island beaches to check on their condition, but its experts do not serve in a law enforcement capacity. Credit Sheila Latta © The Marine Mammal Center

Free Talk “Spying on Spinners: What We Can Learn From Listening” Focuses on Study of Spinner Dolphins
2021-10-13 17:30 - 19:00 UTC
A free presentation called “Spying on Spinners: What We Can Learn from Listening” on Wednesday, Oct. 13 at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom will take a look at research conducted in the Maui Nui region (Maui, Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, and the ‘Au‘au Channel) that listened to spinner dolphins to learn more about their behaviors.
The presentation is part of Maui Nui Marine Resource Council’s monthly Know Your Ocean Speaker Series. Reserve your spot at https://bit.ly/SpinnerDolphinWebinar
Megan McElligott, a fourth-year doctoral candidate at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in the Marine Biology Graduate Program, will be the guest speaker. She will discuss her recent work around Maui, Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, and the ‘Au‘au channel for her master’s thesis, titled “Investigating Spinner Dolphin (Stenella longirostris) Occurrence and Acoustic Activity in the Maui Nui Region” which was recently published in Frontiers in Marine Science.   She will discuss how the acoustic recordings in her study confirmed that spinner dolphins use Mānele Bay and Honolua Bay for their daily resting behavior, as well as their use of the ʻAuʻau channel for resting.
“Hawaiian spinner dolphins rest during the day in the islands’ coastal waters where they are susceptible to human disturbance,” reports McElligott. She notes that spinner dolphins are nocturnal and hunt in offshore waters at night. During the day, they use areas close to shore to socialize, nurture their young, shelter from predators, and rest in preparation for nightly hunting.
The goal of McElligott’s research is to help wildlife managers determine the best ways to protect spinner dolphins from human disturbance.
McElligott’s research was one of the studies examined by NOAA Fisheries leading up to their new rule finalized on September 28, 2021 that prohibits swimming with, approaching, or remaining within 50 yards of a Hawaiian spinner dolphin. The rule applies to any vessel, person, or object (including all boats, canoes, stand-up paddleboards, drones, or any other means) that is within 2 nautical miles from shore in the main Hawaiian Islands and in designated waters bounded by the islands of Lāna‘i, Maui, and Kahoʻolawe. This final rule will officially be in effect on October 28, 2021, 30 days after it was published in the Federal Register. Learn more about this new law and its exceptions at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/new-regulation-protects-hawaiian-spinner-dolphins-against-disturbance.
McElligott’s study was conducted using a combination of passive acoustic monitoring and vessel surveys to document spinner dolphin occurrence and movements. Bottom-moored acoustic recorders were deployed at eight locations in Maui Nui, and at one previously established resting bay off west O‘ahu for comparison. The amount of whistles, clicks, and burst pulses at each location was quantified and averaged by the hour of the day.
“What we observed in Maui Nui is different from what we see off Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi island,” says McElligott. “I will also talk about what we aim to investigate with our current data collection efforts in Mānele, Hulopoʻe, and Honolua.”
To learn more this species’ behavior and McElligott’s research, tune in to Maui Nui Marine Resource Council’s “Know Your Ocean Speaker Series” on Oct. 12 at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom.
These monthly virtual events are supported by the County of Maui Mayor’s Office of Economic Development.
The event’s emcee will be Darla Palmer-Ellingson, local radio show host of the public affairs program, Island Environment 360 Maui’s only commercially broadcast public affairs show on environmental and related Hawaiian cultural topics, aired on the stations of H-Hawaii Media.
NOAA Fisheries is also proposing to establish time-area closures to reduce disturbance in five nearshore areas designated as essential daytime habitats for spinner dolphins. This regulation would prohibit entering restricted areas between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily in parts of Kealakekua, Hōnaunau, Kauhakō (Ho‘okena), and Makako Bays on Hawai‘i Island, and La Perouse Bay on Maui.
Since this is a proposed rule, a decision on whether to finalize the rule will not happen until after the public has an opportunity to comment. The public comment period for the proposed time-area closures will be open until December 27, 2021, 90 days after publication in the Federal Register. To learn more, visit https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/proposed-rule-establish-time-area-closures-hawaiian-spinner-dolphins-essential-habitats-main

Free Zoom Presentation on Wed. Feb. 2 by Dr. Jennifer Lynch: “Did Maui’s expanded polystyrene ban improve the amounts or types of plastic on Maui beaches?”
2022-02-02 17:30 - 18:30 (Pacific/Honolulu)
KIHEI, HI – On December 31, 2018, Maui County banned the use, sale or provision of polystyrene food service containers as a step to protect marine wildlife and bird populations. The County took this step after learning about the lightweight nature of polystyrene and its ability to break down into smaller fragments that persist for decades, contributing to the potential illness and death of marine animals and birds that mistake the small fragments for food and ingest them.
Did this ban improve the amounts or types of plastic on Maui beaches? Learn what recent research has found at a free Zoom presentation by Dr. Jennifer M. Lynch, the co-director of the Hawaii Pacific University Center for Marine Debris Research. Her talk will take place on Wednesday, February 2 at 5:30 pm as part of Maui Nui Marine Resource Councilʻs Know Your Ocean Speaker Series, sponsored by the County of Maui Office of Economic Development.

Admission is free, but advance reservation is required. To register, visit https://bit.ly/MauiPlasticWebinar.
Dr. Lynch is one of eight co-authors on a study titled, “Did Maui’s expanded polystyrene ban (County Ord. No. 4457) improve the amounts or types of plastic pollution on Maui beaches?“
The study abstract states that “in order to protect native wildlife and Hawaii’s unique coastal environments, reduce plastic waste, and promote the health and welfare of the residents of Hawaii, bans on single-use plastic items have been implemented by some local municipalities. However, the impacts and effectiveness of these policies has been rarely studied.”
The study used polymer identification methods to determine if ordinance number 4457 had an effect on the amount and composition of plastic marine debris on five Maui beaches.
The authors of the study are Kerrianne O’Malley, Hawaii Pacific University Center for Marine Debris Research; Sheena Weller, Hawaii Pacific University Center for Marine Debris Research; Cheryl King, Sharkastics; Jens Currie, Pacific Whale Foundation; Kayla Brignac, Hawaii Pacific University Center for Marine Debris Research; Melissa Jung, Hawaii Pacific University Center for Marine Debris Research; Regina Ostergaard-Klem, Hawaii Pacific University and Jennifer M. Lynch, National Institute of Standards and Technology and Hawaii Pacific University Center for Marine Debris Research.
“We are excited to host Dr. Lynch and to learn about her findings about how Mauiʻs polystyrene ban has impacted the debris on our local beaches,” commented Michael Fogarty, Executive Director of Maui Nui Marine Resource Council. “Her findings are valuable for our nonprofit, especially now as we launch a National Geographic-funded study of the streams and gulches that are transporting plastic waste to Mauiʻs beaches and shorelines.”
“Polystyrene foam is lightweight, floats, and is more likely to be blown from landfills, even when disposed of properly,” reports the website Foam Free Maui County. Recent studies conducted by University of Hawaii at Manoa show that methane and ethylene (major contributors to global warming) are emitted as polystyrene breaks down (Royer et al 2018). Carbon dioxide is also emitted (Ward et al 2019).
“Join our presentation to learn what is being found here on Maui,” notes Meredith Beeson, Project and Research Coordinator at Maui Nui Marine Resource Council and the coordinator of the Know Your Ocean Speaker Series. “Sign up today at https://bit.ly/MauiPlasticWebinar.”
Jill Wirt, Project and Research Coodinator at Maui Nui Marine Research Council will emcee the free event.
About Dr. Jennifer M. (Keller) Lynch
Dr. Jennifer Lynch has worked for the National Institute of Standards and Technology since 2003, and became the Co-Director of the Hawaii Pacific University (HPU) Center for Marine Debris Research (CMDR) in 2019. The CMDR was purposefully established in Hawaii, one of the most plastic polluted marine environments. Dr. Lynch’s research focuses on developing optimal methods to quantify and chemically characterize plastic marine debris to answer questions about pollution quantities, sources, fate, transport, effects, and reuse. She has authored 61 peer-reviewed publications and four book chapters, and mentored over 45 graduate students.
About Maui Nui Marine Resource Council
Maui Nui Marine Resource Council (MNMRC) is a Maui-based non-profit organization working for clean ocean water, healthy coral reefs and a restoration of abundant native fish for the islands of Maui County. MNMRC is recognized for its ability to work with the community to plan, fund, enact and manage culturally appropriate, science-based solutions to serious problems undermining nearshore ocean water quality and threatening local coral reefs. To learn more, visit www.mauireefs.org.

Public Invited to Free Zoom Presentation on Solving Climate Change with the World’s Mightiest Seaweed
2022-05-04 17:30 - 19:00 (Pacific/Honolulu)
Discover a Hawai’i Grown Solution to the Global Climate Challenge on Wednesday May 4 at 5:30 pm
KIHEI, HI – Learn how the startup company Symbrosia is working to solve climate change by reducing livestock methane emissions with seaweed that’s grown sustainably in Hawaiʻi, at a free Zoom presentation offered on Wednesday, May 4 at 5:30 pm. The presenters will be Daisy Stock and Kylie Tuitavuki of Symbrosia.
This Zoom presentation is offered as part of Maui Nui Marine Resource Council’s Know Your Ocean Speaker Series, supported by the County of Maui Office of Climate Change, Resiliency and Sustainability. Admission is free, but preregistration is required. To sign up, visit https://bit.ly/SymbrosiaWebinar.
“Symbrosia has been developing a breakthrough seaweed supplement that, when sprinkled into animal feed, increases growth rates and reduces the methane emissions from cows by over 90%,” Tuitavuki reports.
The seaweed is Asparagopsis taxiformis, which Symbrosia views as the sustainable feed material of the future for the world’s millions of farmers and billions of farm animals.
“We are collecting, cultivating and partnering with ranchers and farmers throughout the Hawaiian Islands, to support local food systems and the local economy while also fighting against climate change,” notes Stock, who is the R&D Manager at Symbrosia. “Our team is currently scaling up sustainable production in Kailua Kona, HI at Symbrosia’s pilot facility.”
“The United Nations has declared 2020-2030 the ‘decade of ecosystem restoration’,” said Tuitavuki, a member of Symbrosia’s Business Development team. “While seaweed has long been touted for its impressive array of restorative ecosystem services, only recently has research started to uncover algae’s potential within the food, animal feed, and biofuel sectors.”
“Maui Nui Marine Resource Council is pleased to offer this talk as part of our Know Your Ocean Speaker Series,” comments Meredith Beeson, who coordinates the monthly speaker series. “We look forward to helping our community learn about a potential solution that can help address livestock methane pollution, which currently accounts for 6% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.”
“If enough cows, sheep, and goats start snacking on this methane-vanquishing seaweed, it will prevent gigatons of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere and will bring the entire animal agriculture industry one big step closer to being carbon neutral,” reports the Symbrosia website. “This will make a huge difference in the fight against climate change.”
To learn more about Symbrosia, please visit https://symbrosia.co.
The Know Your Ocean Speaker Series is hosted by the nonprofit Maui Nui Marine Resource Council on the first Wednesday of each month and is funded in part by the County of Maui Office of Climate Change, Resiliency and Sustainability and by donations from individuals and businesses in the community. To learn more, visit www.mauireefs.org.
To reserve your free spot at this talk, please visit https://bit.ly/SymbrosiaWebinar
About Daisy Stock
Leading the R&D team at Symbrosia, Daisy investigates novel approaches to A. taxiformis strain selection and development. Prior to joining the team, she worked in a NASA laboratory investigating the origin of life through isotopic analysis of meteoric material. While earning her B.S. in Marine Science from UC Berkeley, Daisy completed her undergraduate thesis on light sensory mechanisms of sea urchin and contributed to marine conservation research in Panama, Mo’orea, Hawai’i, and California. Daisy is passionate about inclusive, community-oriented science and is excited for the future of marine based approaches to climate change mitigation.
About Kylie Tuitavuki
As a member of the Business Development team, Kylie facilitates outreach, community building, and story-telling for Symbrosia’s partners throughout the Hawaiian Islands. In addition to her work at Symbrosia, Kylie is a current graduate student at UH Mānoa investigating the long-term sustainability of indigenous cropping systems and their potential for revitalization that would support local food systems. While earning a B.A. in Anthropology and Integrative Biology at UC Berkeley, Kylie completed her senior thesis on the impact of long-term agricultural management strategies on soil health and has worked on several community-based research projects in Vanuatu, Mo’orea, and Hawai’i. Kylie is passionate about equitable, inclusive, and community centered research and is thrilled to uplift local and underserved communities in the fight against climate change.

About Maui Nui Marine Resource Council
Maui Nui Marine Resource Council (MNMRC) is a Maui-based non-profit organization working for clean ocean water, healthy coral reefs and a restoration of abundant native fish for the islands of Maui County. MNMRC is recognized for its ability to work with the community to plan, fund, enact and manage culturally appropriate, science-based solutions to serious problems undermining nearshore ocean water quality and threatening local coral reefs. To learn more, visit www.mauireefs.org.

Public invited to free presentation on first community-based marine conservation network on Maui
2022-06-01 17:30 - 18:30 (Pacific/Honolulu)
Kihei, HI – The public is invited to a free presentation on “Weaving the Net – How the Maui Nui Makai Network is connecting communities for a healthy land and sea of tomorrow” to be held on Wed. June 1 at 5:30 pm via Zoom.
At this free event, speakers Maile Shannon and Scott Crawford will share the story of the Maui Nui Makai Network, including ongoing projects and its vision for the future. The Network includes nine member communities that actively manage coastal areas of Maui Nui, incorporating native Hawaiian values, knowledge and experiences into management practices. Through the Network, member sites share and learn from their diverse experiences, lessons and best practices to help each other mālama (care for) specific makai (seaward) areas.
The presentation is hosted by Maui Nui Marine Resource Council as part of its “Know Your Ocean Speaker Series” with support by the County of Maui Office of Climate Change, Resiliency, and Sustainability (CCRS).
While the presentation is free, pre-registration is required. To register, visit https://bit.ly/MNMNWebinar
The speakers for this presentation are:
Maile Shannon, the current Chair of the Maui Nui Makai Network. She has been involved in ‘āina-based work since 1999. Formerly a farmer/rancher, Shannon has worked and volunteered as a conservationist in the nonprofit world since 2009 while raising her children Marcus, Shannon, and Hunter.
Scott Crawford, the current Secretary of the Maui Nui Makai Network. He has served as the Executive Director of Kipahulu Ohana, Inc. for 20 years, helping to manage Kapahu Living Farm traditional wetland taro farm, and the Malami i ke Kai program, including the proposed Kipahulu Moku Community Based Subsistence Fishing Area. He also works with other Network members from East Maui: Na Mamo O Mu’olea and Ke Ao Hali‘i (Save Hana Coast) and he helps to manage the Hana Farmers Market.
“We are pleased to host this event, to help the public learn about the Maui Nui Makai Network’s community-based approach to protecting the marine resources found along the shorelines of Maui County,” said Robin Newbold, Co-founder and Chair of Maui Nui Marine Resource Council. “We supported the creation of this Network in its early days and are pleased to be one of four Kākoʻo members, as we watch it grow and thrive, incorporating Hawaiian traditions to create an effective modern-day approach to protecting our nearshore reefs, marine wildlife and coastal waters.”
To register for this event, please visit https://bit.ly/MNMNWebinar
About Maui Nui Marine Resource Council
Maui Nui Marine Resource Council (MNMRC) is a Maui-based non-profit organization working for clean ocean water, healthy coral reefs and a restoration of abundant native fish for the islands of Maui County. MNMRC is recognized for its ability to work with the community to plan, fund, enact and manage culturally appropriate, science-based solutions to serious problems undermining nearshore ocean water quality and threatening local coral reefs. To learn more, visit www.mauireefs.org.

Free Webinar: Unlocking the Mysteries of Biodiversity on Hawaiian Coral Reefs
2025-02-05 17:30 - 18:30 (Pacific/Honolulu)
Dr. John Burns of the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo will share how the Multiscale Environmental Graphical Analysis (MEGA) Lab is using cutting-edge 3D technology to map and study reefs as the organization pursues its goal of mapping 1 million of the world’s best reefs by 2030. MEGA Lab uses their 3D reconstructions of reefs, layered with an array of environmental data to improve their understanding of the biology and ecology of these habitats, which has helped them learn how coral reefs are changing over time, and how these changes impact associated reef organisms and the services we as humans depend on.

Register today using the link below!
