Blog Archives: In the News

The Maui News: All South Maui beaches exceed sediment standards

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The Maui News: June 14, 2019

Citizen data also show harmful nutrient levels in some waters

KIHEI — Data collected from South Maui’s beaches by Hui O Ka Wai Ola show that “every single site exceeds the state standard” for allowable amounts of sediment and that some offshore waters contain potentially harmful nutrients.

“One of the biggest problems is high nutrient levels followed by turbidity,” said James Strickland, program project manager, at a gathering Wednesday night at the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.

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The Maui News: All 19 West Maui beaches sampled are ‘impaired’

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The Maui News: Aug. 1, 2019

Hui O Ka Wai Ola gives report on quality of offshore waters

LAHAINA — All 19 sampled beaches in West Maui are “impaired” and exceed the state standard for allowable amounts of sediment and potentially harmful runoff nutrients in coastal waters, according to data collected by the Hui O Ka Wai Ola program.

The report by the volunteer group of shoreline water testers presented at a gathering Tuesday comes on the heels of a report for 20 South Maui sites in June. That report showed problems with turbidity and runoff nutrients, as well.

Turbidity is the biggest problem on the west side, followed by “really high nutrient levels,” the group reported. Water temperatures also are warming up to levels that could cause coral bleaching.

The hourlong presentation Tuesday night in Lahainaluna High School’s cafeteria included data collected from shorelines stretching from Honolua Bay to Papalaua. The goal of the Hui O Ka Wai Ola water sampling program is to reveal the true quality of the water and “accelerate positive change.”

“An incredible amount of interested volunteers have shown up for years now, and that is an integral part of gathering all that data,” said Alana Yurkanin of The Nature Conservancy, who’s also the communications and safety coordinator for the program. She noted that this is “the first citizen science-based water quality monitoring program like this in Hawaii.”

The Maui News: Maui Prep joins water quality testing

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The Maui News: Feb. 3, 2020

Hui O Ka Wai Ola, an ocean water quality testing program with the Maui Nui Marine Resource Council, added a new water quality monitoring partnership with Maui Preparatory Academy students, project manager James Strickland announced Tuesday.

Eight middle-school students are conducting turbidity sampling in Napili Bay as part of their project-based learning program.

Based on student input, Hui O Ka Wai Ola has sectioned off the bay into four, 250-foot increments and is sampling each of the four sites at depths of 2 and 6 feet.

To learn more about Hui O Ka Wai Ola and to view data collected from beaches in South and West Maui, visit www.huiokawaiola.com. For more information about how to donate to the project, visit www.mauireefs.org.

Read the article on Maui News.

The Maui News: Maui nonprofits win cash prizes for new projects

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Maui nonprofits win cash prizes for new projects

Reported by The Maui News NOV 28, 2020
Chaminade University’s Hogan Entrepreneurial Program and American Savings Bank recently awarded a total of $34,000 to eight Hawaii nonprofit organizations as part of its 2020 Nonprofit Business Plan Competition. Held every other year, the competition is open to nonprofit organizations planning to start new ventures that will benefit society.

Forty teams participated in this year’s competition. Eight finalists and an honorary student were selected. Among this year’s winning nonprofits and projects are two from Maui County:

• Third place ($5,000) went Assistive Technology Resource Centers of Hawai’i — The Music Club. In November 2019, a group of persons with disabilities interested in music gathered on a Thursday evening to “jam” and get to know one another. It was highly successful, with more individuals with disabilities joining monthly. That was the genesis of The Music Club which is open to all PWD who either play an instrument, want to play an instrument, sing, or simply enjoy experiencing music. The objective includes providing a fun, safe, and nurturing environment for individuals with disabilities to explore their musical creativity without the fear of being judged or intimidated.

• Fourth Place ($3,000) went to Maui Nui Marine Resource Council — Vision for Pohakea (featured in a separate community story in The Maui News on Nov. 14).

The cash prizes were donated by the Hogan Family Foundation and American Savings Bank.

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The Maui News: Maui has the highest number of tiger sharks, attacks in state

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Not only does Maui have the highest number of tiger sharks in the state, the area also sees the most shark attacks, according to local scientists who have tracked and studied Hawaii sharks for decades.

Shark bite frequency by island from 1995 to 2021 shows that Maui outpaces any other Hawaiian island with about 40 nonfatal bites and five fatal bites, research from the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology shows. Oahu is second with slightly more than 20 nonfatal bites. Hawaii island is third with about 15 nonfatal bites.

Despite shark attacks off Maui in November, December and February, shark expert Kim Holland said he and colleagues are surprised that there aren’t more attacks, given how many tiger sharks are actually in the water.

“One of the things that has to come across in this conversation: The amazing thing to me and my colleagues is not how many shark attacks there are in Hawaii, it’s how few shark attacks there are in Hawaii,” he said. “If you think of how many tens of thousands of person hours of ocean users there are in the water and how common we know large sharks are, the fact that we have two (attacks per year) to five (attacks) to zero to eight to two to four to zero attacks per year is really astounding.”

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Maui Now: Presentation July 7: “Next Steps Beyond Enactment of Hawaiʻi’s Sunscreen Law”

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CAPTION: Dr. Craig Downs, Executive Director of Haereticus Environmental Laboratory, gathers coral samples at Honolua Bay on Maui. His groundbreaking research educated the world about sunscreen chemicals and their role in coral reef decline. Downs will be one of the speakers at the free Zoom presentation on “Education vs. Enforcement: Next Steps Beyond the Enactment of Hawaiʻi’s Sunscreen Law” that will be hosted by Maui Nui Marine Resource Council on Wednesday, July 7 at 5:30 pm. Joining him as a presenter will be Hawaiʻi Senator Mike Gabbard, who authored the legislation that resulted in Hawaiʻi’s ban on the sale of sunscreens that contain the chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate. Image courtesy of Maui Nui Marine Resource Council.

ARTICLE:
Hawaiʻi’s ban on sunscreens containing the reef-harming chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate went into effect on January 1, but questions relating to enforcement, effectiveness, impacts of replacement chemicals and whether new laws are needed have surfaced.

These topics will be discussed on Wednesday, July 7 at 5:30 p.m. via a free Zoom presentation featuring special guest speakers:

  • Dr. Craig Downs, whose groundbreaking research educated the world about sunscreen chemicals and their role in coral reef decline; and
  • Hawaiʻi Senator Mike Gabbard, who authored the legislation that resulted in Hawaiʻi’s ban on the sale of sunscreens that contain the chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate.

The presentation titled “Education vs. Enforcement: Next Steps Beyond the Enactment of Hawaiʻi’s Sunscreen Law” is sponsored by the County of Maui Mayor’s Office of Economic Development and is hosted by Maui Nui Marine Resource Council as part of the organization’s “Know Your Ocean Speaker Series.”

This event is free, but advanced reservations are required.

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The Maui News: Hawaii suncreen law topic of Wednesday zoom presentation

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Questions involving Hawaii’s ban on sunscreens containing the reef harming chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate will be answered during a free presentation at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday via Zoom.

The presentation titled “Education vs. Enforcement: Next Steps Beyond the Enactment of Hawaii’s Sunscreen Law” is sponsored by the County of Maui Mayor’s Office of Economic Development and hosted by Maui Nui Marine Resource Council as part of the organization’s “Know Your Ocean Speaker Series.” More events part of this series are held monthly via Zoom.

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Maui Now: Oyster Project Launched on Maui to Improve Water Quality

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An innovative pilot project that uses oysters to improve water quality at Maui’s Māʻalaea Harbor was launched on Friday by the Maui Nui Marine Resource Council.

“Today we’re starting with 518 oysters–is the final count. We have the Pacific Oyster–which is the common species that’s with us today. It was born and raised in Hilo… at the Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center,” said Amy Hodges, Programs Manager for the Maui Nui Marine Resource Council.

Oysters are used around the world to help improve water clarity and quality, allowing for sunlight penetration, which is important for corals and other animals. Read the full article:

Oyster Pilot Project Launched on Maui to Improve Water Quality

On Akaku TV: Free presentation about Kahoʻolawe at the April 3, 2019 meeting of MNMRC

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Our Wednesday, April 3, 2019 meeting featured a free presentation focusing on Kahoʻolawe titled, “Kūkulu Ke Ea A Kanaloa — The life and spirit of Kanaloa builds and takes form.” The talk was presented by Dean Tokishi, Ocean Resources Specialist III, Kaho’olawe Island Reserve Commission and took place at The Sphere at Maui Ocean Center.

Special thanks to Akaku Community Media for filming Deanʻs excellent presentation. You can view it here.

https://vimeo.com/332580699

“Wildfire on Maui: the History, Threat, and Our Collective Responsibility” Presentation at February 6 Meeting of MNMRC on Akaku Community Media

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“Wildfire on Maui: the History, Threat, and Our Collective Responsibility” on Wednesday, February 6.

A presentation by Clay Trauernicht, PhD, Wildland Fire Specialist at University of Hawaiʻi Cooperative Extension on “Wildfire on Maui: the History, Threat, and Our Collective Responsibility” was offered at the  Wednesday, February 6, 2019 meeting of Maui Nui Marine Resource Council. We learned that  an average of more than 1,000 wildfires burned more than 17,000 acres each year in Hawai‘i, with the percentage of total land area burned comparable to and often exceeding figures for the fire-prone western United States.

Special thanks to Akaku Community Media for covering this free talk.

Didnʻt get to attend? You can view it here.