Maui Nui Marine Resource Council

Public invited to free presentation on first community-based marine conservation network on Maui
2022-06-01 17:30 - 18:30 (Pacific/Honolulu) | Zoom webinar
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.

“Rally for the Reefs” webinar on Thursday, June 16 will focus on saving the reefs of Māʻalaea Bay
2022-06-16 17:30 - 19:00 | Zoom webinar
“Rally for the Reefs” webinar on Thursday, June 16 will focus on saving the reefs of Māʻalaea Bay
MĀʻALAEA, HI – Longtime Māʻalaea resident Peter Cannon remembers that during his childhood, “the coral reefs of Māʻalaea Bay were like the robust and healthy reefs that you see today at the ʻĀhihi-Kīnaʻu Natural Area Reserve.” He recalls that local families enjoyed harvests of ribbon limu from the bay, and there was an abundance of native fish and opae.
Since the 1970s, the coral reefs in Māʻalaea Bay have degraded so severely that Hawaii’s Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) has described the situation as “a case study in total system collapse.” In their report, “Status and Trends of Maui’s Coral Reefs” DAR in partnership with the Coral Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program reported on their 1999 monitoring in Māʻalaea Bay and noted that the “end result of reef degradation is evident in Māʻalaea Bay.”
The report noted that in 1972, “Māʻalaea coral reefs were described as being ‘striking in their diversity and in the presence of rare corals species’. As late as 1993, estimated coral cover was 50- 75% close to the site where cover is now 8%. Therefore, in just a few decades, the Māʻalaea reef has transformed from a healthy and diverse ecosystem into a badly degraded habitat overgrown by algae and with little surviving coral.”
The report also noted that fish stocks in in Māʻalaea are now in very poor condition, and the reefs have been invaded by alien and invasive algae species.
Declining ocean water quality in Māʻalaea Bay is a major contributor of the decline. A new report for the years 2019 – 2022 by the Hui O Ka Wai Ola community-based ocean water quality monitoring program indicates that Māʻalaea Bay has excessive levels of nitrates, second only to the levels in Kihei Cove, of all the sites the program monitors along the leeward Maui coast.
What can Maui County residents and visitors do to improve the ocean water quality and save the reefs of Māʻalaea Bay? Learn about the steps that are proposed — and how individuals can help – at an online Rally for the Reefs webinar to be held on Thursday, June 16 at 5:30 pm via Zoom.
Admission is free, but reservations are required. To reserve your spot, visit https://bit.ly/Rally4Reefs.
The “Rally for the Reefs” webinar will feature presentations by:
Stuart Coleman
Founder and Executive Director of WAI (Wastewater Alternatives & Innovations)
Coleman will discuss modern wastewater alternatives and innovations that will make it possible to reduce the pollution that has been harming the corals in Māʻalaea Bay.
Maui County Councilmember Kelly Takaya King
(Holds the County Council seat for South Maui)
Councilmember King will discuss the funding for the improved wastewater treatment system for Māʻalaea in the County’s 2023 budget and the steps ahead to make this system a reality.
State Representative Angus L.K. McKelvey
(Representing West Maui – Māʻalaea – North Kihei)
Representative McKelvey will explain how the State can help establish improved wastewater treatment in Māʻalaea, and why the proposed wastewater treatment project in Māʻalaea could serve as a model for other small communities throughout Hawaii that are looking for replacements for cesspools, injection wells and septic systems.
“The community has been working hard to identify and address the problems that have undermined the ocean water quality of Māʻalaea Bay and harmed the coral reefs,” said Mike Fogarty, Executive Director of Maui Nui Marine Resource Council. “We’ve now reached critical junctures that will decide if and when some of the proposed solutions to the problems of water pollution and reef loss will be addressed. We need to act now to save Māʻalaea’s reefs before it’s too late. Please attend the Rally for the Reefs to learn what can and should be done.”
The Rally for the Reefs webinar is sponsored by WAI, Maui Ocean Center, Māʻalaea Village Association, Maui Nui Marine Resource Council, Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute and Sierra Club Maui Group.
To register to attend this free Zoom event, please visit https://bit.ly/Rally4Reefs.

Free Presentation on “Nature Based Solutions to Cesspools and Injection Wells -- Latest Findings from Field Research” Offered on Wed. July 6
2022-07-06 17:30 - 19:00 | Zoom webinar
Are there effective nature-based solutions that can help replace the 90,000 cesspools in the state of Hawaii that are currently releasing nearly 53 million gallons of raw, untreated human waste into the environment each day?
Can nature-based methods also provide quick-to-install alternatives to the injection wells located throughout the state that are used for wastewater disposal, often to the detriment of nearshore ocean waters and coral reefs?
Get the answers to these questions at a free Zoom webinar on Wed. July 6 at 5:30 pm. The presenters will be Paul Sturm, founder and Executive Director of the nonprofit organization Ridge to Reefs, and John Astilla, a local farmer and founder/owner of Sunshine Vetiver Solutions.
The presentation is part of Maui Nui Marine Resource Council’s monthly Know Your Ocean Speaker Series, supported by the County of Maui.
Admission is free, but advance reservations are required.  To reserve your spot, visit https://bit.ly/RidgeToReefsWebinar.
Sturm will discuss a nature-based treatment system for cesspool conversion which has been shown to be highly effective in six months of testing with University of Hawaii. It relies upon native plant and restoration plant species which use evapotranspiration to reduce the concentration and volume of effluent released to the environment and functions as a zero discharge system.
Astilla and Sturm will also discuss the results of a pilot project adjacent to the Kihei wastewater plant that demonstrates an alternative to injection wells that is less costly, highly effective and more space efficient. This pilot project demonstrates techniques that can be used to treat effluent from any of Maui’s three wastewater plants.
Cesspools are little more than holes in the ground that discharge raw, untreated human waste into the environment, where it finds its way into groundwater drinking supplies, rivers and the ocean. There are about 12,000 cesspools on Maui and 1,400 on Molokai. In 2017, the Hawai‘i State Legislature passed Act 125, which mandates that by January 1, 2050, all cesspools in the State, unless granted exemption, shall upgrade or convert to a septic or aerobic treatment unit, or connect to a sewer system (Act 125, 2017).   But replacing a cesspool with an approved septic system requires a significant cash outlay for most homeowners, with an average cost of more than $23,000 per cesspool replacement.
“More than 53 million gallons of human sewage enters Hawaii’s environment each day through cesspools; this sewage contaminates groundwater drinking water supplies and our coastal ocean waters, creating algae blooms and harm to corals,” says Sturm. “That’s why Ridge to Reefs has focused on finding affordable nature-based alternatives to cesspools, to ease the financial burden on homeowners and businesses, and provide a solution to this pollution issue.”
Sturm and Astilla will also be describing an affordable, nature-based methods to replace the use of injection wells to re-use or dispose of treated wastewater. These methods have been tested at a pilot site near the Kihei Wastewater Reclamation Facility. Results of this pilot project will be presented during the Zoom webinar.  “Throughout the state of Hawaii, more than 500 injection wells, most of which were dedicated to the disposal of treated sewage effluent, had been installed by 1985,” reports Sturm. “Unfortunately, this effluent has been found to enter our coastal waters, where it contributes to coral reef deterioration.”
“We are pleased to provide a nature-based alternatives that are affordable, easily installed and scalable to provide a safe way to take up treated wastewater and keep it out of the ocean,” says Sturm. “This method offers a stopgap solution which can be integrated into until more extensive piping and infrastructure can be constructed to direct the treated wastewater to agricultural and landscaping purposes.”
“We are happy to bring this informative talk to the public, as it presents real answers to the problems that threaten our reefs and drinking water supplies,” says Mike Fogarty, Executive Director of Maui Nui Marine Resource Council. “To ensure clean ocean water along our coasts and the conditions needed for healthy coral reefs, Maui must address its wastewater problems and implement alternatives to cesspools and injection wells now – our reefs simply can’t wait.”
To register for this talk, please visit https://bit.ly/RidgeToReefsWebinar
About Paul Sturm:
Paul Sturm is the founder and Executive Director of the nonprofit organization Ridge to Reefs. Founded in 2011, Ridge to Reefs works to protect and restore coastal and coral reef ecosystems by reducing land-to-sea pollution with nature based solutions. His expertise includes treating polluted storm and wastewater by establishing green infrastructure solutions such as constructed wetlands, rain gardens and bioreactors. Ridge to Reefs currently has projects in the Chesapeake Bay, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Palau, and American Samoa.  Paul has spent over 25 years working on watershed plans, implementation projects, sustainable agriculture and code changes in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and around the country. Early in his career, he spent 6 years researching the effectiveness of implementation of agricultural and urban Best Management Practices and developed methods to track and target pollution source areas in agricultural watersheds.

Public invited to free Aug. 3 presentation on whale shark research and conservation in Hawaiʻi
2022-08-03 17:30 - 18:30 | Zoom webinar
MAʻALAEA, MAUI, HI – Whale shark sightings have been reported throughout the Hawaiian Islands, but very little is known about these slow-moving, filter-feeding giant fish. It’s unknown how many individual whale sharks frequent Hawaii’s waters, where they are coming from or going to, and where they are most frequently seen.
The nonprofit Hawai’i Unchartered Research Collective (HURC) is working to fill in gaps about whale sharks through research and investigations of local and global threats to these mysterious animals. Learn what HURC is discovering about Hawaii’s whale sharks at a free Zoom presentation by Maria Harvey, Director and Chief Research of HURC on Wednesday, August 3 at 5:30 pm. The presentation is free, but preregistration is required. To sign up, visit https://bit.ly/WhaleSharkWebinar
The presentation is hosted by Maui Nui Marine Resource Council as part of its monthly Know Your Ocean Speaker Series. This event is sponsored by the County of Maui Office of Climate Change, Resiliency, and Sustainability (CCRS).
Harvey formed Hawai‘i Uncharted Research Collective in 2017. Her research non-profit provides an avenue to couple her research and education background with her love for the Hawaiian Islands, ocean conservation and the charismatic whale sharks that inhabit the deep blue waters of the Pacific.
Her presentation will dive into some of HURC’s results so far, the efforts that are underway to protect whale sharks and the organization’s future plans.
Harvey graduated from the University of Hawaii in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in Marine Science and is currently working on her graduate degree in Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology.
Harvey’s love for the ocean, education, wilderness, and research has taken her all over the world in recent years. Notably, Harvey has worked in Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico and Cape Cod. During her travels, she has worked as a Captain, naturalist, expedition guide, assistant researcher, and currently a level-4 marine animal disentanglement specialist. Her work and studies have encompassed a variety of species, including spinner dolphins, humpback whales, right whales, bottlenose dolphins, leatherback turtles and whale sharks.
In recent years, Harvey has been a guest lecturer and distinguished speaker for private universities and cruise operations, including the University of Pennsylvania’s Veterinary School, Georgetown University, and UnCruise Adventures.
“Those who have encountered whale sharks in the wild say it is an extremely memorable experience,” said Meredith Beeson, Maui Nui Marine Resource Council’s Research and Program’s Coordinator and manager of the Know Your Ocean Speaker Series. “This free talk will bring you up-close to the world of whale sharks, through Maria Harvey’s work to understand and protect them. Come join us online for this fascinating evening presentation.”
To register, please visit https://bit.ly/WhaleSharkWebinar

Chase Great White Sharks with World-Renowned Photographer David Fleetham in Next Know Your Ocean Speaker Series Webinar
2022-09-07 17:30 - 18:30
KIHEI – For most ocean goers, coming across a great white shark would probably spark fear. But for underwater photographer and former National Geographic assignment photographer David Fleetham, these sharks sparked fascination and sent him on a journey around the world to photograph them and dispel the fear that comes with sharks.
The public is invited to learn more about these animals and Fleetham’s journeys in a free presentation, “Photographing Great White Sharks – A journey to Australia, South Africa, Guadalupe Island Mexico and back to Hawaii.” The Zoom presentation will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 7 at 5:30 pm as part of Maui Nui Marine Resource Councilʻs monthly Know Your Ocean Speaker Series, sponsored by the County of Maui. Admission is free, but advanced registration is required. To register, please visit https://bit.ly/SharkPhotographyWebinar.
Fleetham will share stories and photographs from his 30-year-long mission to learn more about great white sharks and nail down an iconic image of a misunderstood myth.
“For me, the path to good photos of great white sharks has been one with many twists and turns,” said Fleetham. “In terms of perceptions, cage diving with the sharks has become an industry in many parts of the world and has changed our view of these impressive fish.”
Born in Vancouver, Canada in 1958, Fleetham is one of the most published underwater photographers in the world. He began diving and photographing underwater in 1976 and has called Hawaii home since 1986. For the first ten years he photographed in the cold, rich waters of British Columbia, Canada, and worked as a PADI Instructor and USCG Certified boat captain in various dive businesses in the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii. From Hawaii, David has been on assignments to Indonesia, the Galapagos Islands, South Africa, the Bahamas, Micronesia, Australia, Sri Lanka, the Sea of Cortez, China, the Red Sea, the Socorro Islands, numerous locations in the South Pacific and Caribbean, and back to the cold waters of British Columbia.
“Sharks are vital for ocean ecosystems, including coral reefs, where they help maintain a sound balance in the food web,” said Meredith Beeson, Project and Research Coordinator at Maui Nui Marine Resource Council. “Changing public perception and protecting these animals is crucial if we want to continue to enjoy the reefs around Maui Nui, and we’re excited to hear what David has to share from his experience working on this.”
More about David Fleetham’s Work:
Fleetham’s photographs have been published around the globe, with over two hundred magazine covers to date. In 1991 his photograph of a sandbar shark appeared on the cover of LIFE. It is the only underwater image to ever be published on the cover. His award winning work has been published by National Geographic, The Cousteau Society, and every North American diving publication.
In 2010 Fleetham’s image of a manatee was selected from 50,000 entries as the grand prizewinner in the professional division of the National Wildlife Federation’s photography contest. Galleries and agents in over 50 countries reproduce Fleetham’s images thousands of times each year. The American Museum of Natural History, The Smithsonian Museum, The North Carolina Museum of Natural History, The London Zoo, Hong Kong Museum, The Maui Ocean Center, The Waikiki, Vancouver, Monterey Bay, New Jersey State, and Ripley’s Aquariums and the Aquarium of the Americas all display his work.
Fleetham is a founding member of The Ocean Artists Society, whose members include James Cameron, Wyland, David Doubilet, and Al Giddings. You can see his work on his website, and he can be found on Instagram @davidfleetham.

Hui O Ka Wai Ola Reports on Six Years of Monitoring Maui’s Coastal Water Quality 2016-2022
2023-02-01 17:30 - 18:30 | Zoom webinar
How do you know the water off your favorite beach is clean enough to swim in? You have a group of volunteers to thank for that. Prompted by caring for the health of our residents, visitors, and the culturally important and ecologically sensitive coral reefs off our shores, Hui O Ka Wai Ola (the Hui) has been keeping track of changes in water quality on Maui since 2016.
To register (it’s FREE), visit https://bit.ly/HOKWOwebinar2023.
Learn more about the Hui water quality monitoring program, how the past year’s massive storms and brown water events affected water quality, and the new pesticide sampling project on a free Zoom webinar on Wed. February 1 at 5:30 pm, presented by Liz Yannell, the Hui’s Senior Team Leader.
The presentation is part of Maui Nui Marine Resource Council’s monthly Know Your Ocean Speaker Series, supported by the County of Maui. Admission is free, but advance reservations are required.
To reserve your spot, visit https://bit.ly/HOKWOwebinar2023.
In this month’s MNMRC Know Your Ocean Speaker Series talk, Liz Yannell, the Hui’s Senior Team Lead, speaks about water quality observations taken over the last year and looks at long-term trends from the past six years. We’ll also hear about an ongoing collaborative project with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to evaluate pesticide contamination in waters along our coast.
The Hui O Ka Wai Ola is a volunteer-based water quality monitoring organization that is a partnership between MNMRC, The Nature Conservancy, and the West Maui Ridge to Reef Initiative. The Hui’s members include volunteers from diverse backgrounds like scientists and community organizations. The Hawaii Department of Health is mandated to monitor coastal water quality around the islands and encourages partnerships with groups such as the Hui to improve data about pollutants threatening coral reefs and human health.
The Hui’s culture of collaboration and a deep interest in ocean health made for a natural partnership with NOAA’s NCCOS (National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science) carrying out the fieldwork needed for a research study to address a long-standing gap in our understanding of Maui’s water quality, “current use” pesticides. Current use pesticides are still legally in use for pest control vs those, like DDT, that are no longer on the market in the US. Current use pesticides are one class of chemicals that has long been overlooked here in Maui. Pollutants in the water are typically measured by collecting a one-time “grab sample” (i.e. a bottle of water). While these can provide good information, especially when repeated over time, the drawback to using grab samples is that low-level pollutants can be missed. Passive samplers that absorb chemicals in the environment over time can be used to sample for a longer period of time. This minimizes the likelihood of missing the presence of a pollutant. In the current project, silicone bands will be used to soak up any pesticides in the water at eighteen nearshore reefs along leeward Maui. This work will provide a more comprehensive assessment of pesticide pollution in our coastal waters, and help guide pollution reduction actions if needed.

Free Webinar: Catch and Release: Large Whale Entanglement Response in Hawaiʻi
2024-10-02 17:30 - 18:30 | Zoom webinar
MAUI, HI – The Maui Nui Marine Resource Council (MNMRC) will host the October edition of its “Know Your Ocean Speaker Series” featuring Maria Harvey. on Wednesday, October 2 at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom.
Entanglement is one of the leading causes of mortality in large whales. In her talk, Harvey, the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary’s (HIHWNMS) Large Whale Resource Protection, Rescue, and Monitoring Assistant will share stories, dive into the history of response efforts, and share strategies used by authorized entanglement responders. She will also share ways individuals can help in entanglement situations and what the future for large whale disentanglement looks like in the Hawaiian Islands.
Harvey earned her B.A. in Marine Science from the University of Hawaiʻi in 2009 and is currently working on her graduate degree in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology. She has worked as a Captain, naturalist, expedition guide, assistant researcher, and a level-4 marine animal disentanglement specialist. Her work and studies have encompassed a variety of species, including spinner dolphins, humpback whales, right whales, leatherback turtles, and whale sharks. In recent years, Harvey formed Hawai‛i Uncharted Research Collective, a research non-profit, that provides an avenue to couple her research and education background with her love for the Hawaiian Islands, ocean conservation, and the charismatic whale sharks that inhabit the deep blue waters of the Pacific. Her educational background and professional experience brought her to Lynker in support of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary and their large whale health monitoring and disentanglement efforts.
Registration for the talk is free and can be completed at https://bit.ly/KYOMHOCT24.

Speaker Series: Global & Local Coastal Water Quality Data Visualization: A New Tool for Maui's Community
2024-12-04 17:30 - 18:30 | Zoom webinar
Join us for a conversation on how Aqualink, a leading platform for real-time oceanographic data, is partnering with water quality monitoring organization Hui O Ka Wai Ola (HOKWO) to empower residents and scientists alike to track water quality and ocean conditions in real-time. Learn about new tools for monitoring sea surface temperature, wind, and wave conditions alongside HOKWO’s essential data on salinity, pH, and turbidity. The partnership aims to highlight the importance of “thinking globally, acting locally,” equipping Maui’s community with insights to safeguard its cherished beaches and reefs. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about the global network of ocean advocates and how you can make a meaningful impact in protecting Maui’s coastal waters! Register here:
Save your spot, register today!

Meet the Speaker: Caesar Hjertén, Project Manager at Aqualink

Caesar joined Aqualink in February 2022 with the goal of advancing the platform and increasing the organization’s impact. Caesar graduated from UH Hilo where he also played for the university’s soccer team. Caesar is passionate about our oceans and the environment. He likes to play sports, dive, surf, and other outdoor activities. At Aqualink, he manages the online platform, fleet of Smart Mooring buoys, and is Aqualink’s primary point of contact.

Meet the Speaker: Liz Yannell, Program Manager at Hui O Ka Wai Ola
Liz joined the Hui as Senior Team Leader in May 2022 and became the Program Manager in June 2023. She has a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Florida Gulf Coast University. In 2022, Liz graduated from the Marine Options Program at UH Maui and worked as the assistant in the marine lab on campus. As Program Manager, she is primarily responsible for coordinating various aspects of the program, including field, lab, and logistical support, coordinating fellow team leads, and managing the volunteer program. Her responsibilities include overseeing monitoring operations and data collection, entry, and record-keeping; team lead and volunteer training and coordination; preparing and maintaining supplies and equipment; and meeting with advisory Technical and Steering Committees to ensure successful continuity and growth of the program. She also often joins volunteers in collection and analysis of coastal water samples in the field. Liz is from O’ahu and currently lives in Kula with her two kids and husband. She loves all things ocean-related and is very passionate about coral reef conservation.

Free Webinar: Unlocking the Mysteries of Biodiversity on Hawaiian Coral Reefs
2025-02-05 17:30 - 18:30 | Zoom webinar
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!

Volunteer Day: Collecting Limu Samples for Nutrient Testing
2025-02-11 08:30 - 11:00
Testing limu for excessive levels of nutrients can help identify potential pollutants entering nearshore waters. We’re looking for a small group of volunteers to help us collect limu (algae) samples from beaches in Kīhei on Tuesday, February 11 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. The day will include a short training followed by the collection of limu at 2-3 sites in South Maui.
Spaces are limited so sign up today! Click here to sign up.

Volunteer Day: Limu Sampling in North/West Maui
2025-04-14 08:30 - 11:30
We are looking for a small group of volunteers to help us collect limu samples from sites in North/West Maui on Monday, April 14 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The day will include a short training day followed by the collection of limu at sites in North/West Maui.
Generally, ocean water pollution comes from commercial fertilizer, wastewater, or a mix of the two. Analyzing how much Nitrogen is present in sample tissue can give us clues about which one is the culprit. Levels around 2% or less are considered a normal standard for Nitrogen, but elevated levels signal enrichment in the water.
Spots are on a first-come, first-served basis. Mahalo!
Volunteer Sign Up

Volunteer Day - Limu Sampling West Maui
2025-07-15 08:30 - 11:30
We are looking for a small group of volunteers to help us collect limu samples from sites in West Maui on Tuesday, July 15 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
The day will include a short training followed by the collection of limu at 2-3 sites.
Spots are on a first-come, first-served basis.
Sign Up to Volunteer
