Blog Archives: In the News

Nearshore water-quality data collection expanded. Volunteer-based group adds 12 new testing locations, bringing total to 48 sample sites — May 12, 2018, The Maui News

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A groundbreaking data collection program for measuring water quality has added 12 new locations in South Maui, for a total of 48 sites along southern and western shorelines, researchers said Tuesday.

Data gathered by the volunteer-based Hui O Ka Wai Ola ocean water quality testing program from the past year and a half also will be included — for the first time — into the state’s 2018 Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report.

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Maui Water Quality Testing Expands, 14 Sites Added — May 8, 2018, MauiNow.com

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The volunteer-based Hui O Ka Wai Ola ocean water quality testing program has expanded again, with the addition of 12 more testing sites in South Maui.

With this expansion, the program is now covering 48 shoreline locations where trained volunteers routinely test water quality on Maui every 2 to 3 weeks.

The Hui O Ka Wai Ola program is the first community-based water quality monitoring to measure for nutrients, along with turbidity, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH and temperature in Maui’s coastal waters.

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Maui ‘Ground Zero’ in Coral Reef Studies – June 22, 2016 MAUINOW.COM

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Several Maui non-profits are participating in the International Coral Reef Symposium taking place this week at the Honolulu Convention Center on Oʻahu.

With one of the most extensive coral reefs communities in Hawaiʻi, Maui County has been an especially important ground-zero for coral reefs studies and community-led action.

Lessons learned from Maui’s community-based reef management, watershed partnerships, long-term reef monitoring studies, and citizen science programs are being shared throughout the conference.

Aquatic Biologist Russell Sparks of Hawaii Department of Aquatic Resources to be Guest Speaker at March Meeting of Maui Nui Marine Resource Council

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A free presentation offering updates on the State of Hawaii’s management of Maui’s nearshore fisheries and coral reef resources will be featured at the Wednesday, March 7 meeting of the nonprofit Maui Nui Marine Resource Council. The talk will be presented by guest speaker Russell Sparks, Aquatic Biologist of State of Hawaii, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources. Sparksʻ presentation will also include an update on the status of Mauiʻs reefs following the bleaching event of 2015.

The meeting will take place from 5 to 7 pm at Pacific Whale Foundation’s Discovery Center Classrooms at Ma’alaea Harbor Shops at 300 Ma’alaea Rd, Wailuku (next to Maui Ocean Center). The talk is free and everyone is invited. Refreshments will be served. 

Maui Nui Marine Resource Council (MNMRC) is a Maui-based nonprofit working for healthy coral reefs, clean ocean water and the restoration of abundant native fish in the nearshore waters of the islands of Maui County. 

At the March 7 meeting, MNMRC staff will be offering updates on their recent and ongoing projects, including the expansion of a volunteer-based water quality monitoring program to include 48 sites in South and West Maui and a study of corals off Olowalu. 

Sparks received his B.S. in Biology from Oregon State University. He received his M.S. in Marine Biology from University of Hawaii at Manoa in 1996. Since 1998 Russell has worked for the State of Hawaii, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources as an education specialist and more recently as an aquatic biologist. He is currently responsible for leading the design, implementation, and overall management of the Maui marine monitoring program, and for working with stakeholders and communities to develop marine management programs aimed at adaptively managing nearshore fisheries and coral reef resources.

To learn more, visit www.mauireefs.org. 

Please Support Protection of Maui’s Coral Reefs at Flatbread Company Benefit on Tuesday, January 30

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Enjoy some exceptionally delicious wood-fired pizza and support efforts to protect Maui’s coral reefs at a benefit for the nonprofit Maui Nui Marine Resource Council at Flatbread Company in Paia on Tuesday, January 30.

All pizzas purchased between 5 pm and 9 pm that day will help raise needed funds for Maui Nui Marine Resource Council’s work to restore healthy coral reefs, clean ocean water and abundant native fish for the islands of Maui County. The Flatbread Company will donate $3.50 for each large flatbread and $1.75 for each small flatbread sold during the benefit, whether the pizza is for takeout or in-restaurant dining.

A silent auction will take place during the event. The staff of Maui Nui Marine Resouce Council will be on hand to meet the public and talk about their nonprofit organization’s work  including sunscreen pollution prevention, improving wastewater management, testing ocean water quality and establishing community managed marine areas.

Individuals who join Maui Nui Marine Resource Council as members with a $50 donation will receive a free Maui Nui Marine Resource Council totebag and two free MauiReefs.org bumperstickers.

The Flatbread Company is located at 89 Hana Highway in Paia.

Celebrating 10 years, Maui Nui Marine Resource Council is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization established by marine biologist Robin Newbold and the late Uncle Edwin Lindsay, a kapuna and community activist. To learn more, visit www.mauireefs.org.

Scientists Take Action to Reverse Coral Reef Declines on Maui

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MAUI NOW

Maui Now Staff

January 16, 2017

In the last 20 years, 25% of Maui’s surveyed coral reefs have died and 50% are declining in health, according to the nonprofit Maui Nui Marine Resource Council.

The organization is continuing efforts to reverse this trend, and in doing so, convened its Maui Coral Reef Recovery Team for its 14th meeting to provide specific guidance towards saving Maui’s coral reefs.

Discussions centered on addressing land based sources of pollution, water quality monitoring, community-based management, and Governor Ige’s commitment to effectively managing 30% of Hawaiʻi’s nearshore ocean waters by 2030.

“Maui’s coral reefs are some of the most well-developed reefs in Hawaiʻi. Unfortunately, they are facing serious threats – from land-based pollution to overfishing,” said Dr. Bob Richmond, Chair of the Maui Coral Reef Recovery Team and Director of UH Mānoa’s Kewalo Marine Laboratory. “Our goal is to support local, community-based solutions that will mitigate these threats.”

To address declining coral trends, MNMRC formed the MCRT in 2010. Comprised of leading coral reef scientists, resource managers, cultural advisors, and community members, the MCRT helps develop solutions for improving water quality, native fish populations, and coral reef health.

Scientists have documented serious declines in the health and abundance of corals and reef fish populations at eight important coral reefs on Maui in the last 20 years. Major threats facing Maui’s reef include: land-based pollution, over-fishing, declining water quality, invasive algae, coastal development, recreational overuse, and climate change.

Despite these declining trends, MCRT members agreed that reversing the decline of coral reef health is more likely to occur within Maui Nui than elsewhere in the Hawaiian Islands, due in part to the geographic connection between the four islands and the Network of Community Managed Makai Areas.

“Maui Nui Marine Resource Council is a critical part of Maui’s reef recovery efforts and, with broad support from both the local and scientific communities, is well poised to locally lead Governor Ige’s 30×30 initiative,” said Dr. Richmond.  “Maui’s reefs are at a crossroads, and our actions in the next few years will determine the fate of these important ecosystems.”

MNMRC formed the Maui Coral Reef Recovery Team in 2010  to help address major threats to Maui’s reefs. The MCRT is comprised of leading coral reef scientists, resource managers, and community members.

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Maui ‘Ground Zero’ in Coral Reef Studies – June 22, 2016 MAUINOW.COM

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Several Maui non-profits are participating in the International Coral Reef Symposium taking place this week at the Honolulu Convention Center on Oʻahu.

With one of the most extensive coral reefs communities in Hawaiʻi, Maui County has been an especially important ground-zero for coral reefs studies and community-led action.

Lessons learned from Maui’s community-based reef management, watershed partnerships, long-term reef monitoring studies, and citizen science programs are being shared throughout the conference.

"Boatload of Decision Makers" Reveals Plight of West Maui Reefs. Photo credit: DLNR.

“Boatload of Decision Makers” Reveals Plight of West Maui Reefs. Photo credit: DLNR.

A number of local non-profits are in attendance, including Maui Nui Marine Resource Council, Maui Cultural Lands, West Maui Kumuwai, Project S.E.A. Link, Coral Reef Alliance, Maui Ocean Center, and The Nature Conservancy, in addition to governmental agencies and resource managers.

The conference brings together over 2,500 of the world’s leading coral reef scientists in a week-long series of plenary sessions, workshops, public events, and presentations. Coming on the heels of the 2015 worldwide coral bleaching event, the conference is making a strong point to translate coral reef science into action steps for managers, policy makers, and community-based organizations.

The theme, “Bridging Science to Policy”, acknowledges the critical and urgent need to address global coral reef decline.

“We are thrilled to be able to showcase the steps that Maui is taking to restore our island’s reefs,” said Robin Newbold, Chair of Maui Nui Marine Resource Council. “Science repeatedly demonstrates that this is a critical time for coral reefs worldwide. It is time for Hawaiʻi to focus our efforts on action.”

In 2013, Maui Nui Marine Resource Council’s coral reef recovery team published the Maui Coral Reef Recovery Plan. The plan was developed by 20 of Hawaiʻi’s most eminent scientists and led by Dr. Bob Richmond. The document describes Maui’s urgent need for reef protection and recovery, and provides an outline to help MNMRC actively implement reef restoration strategies.

“Studies show that 25% of Maui’s reefs have been lost in the past 20 years,” said Newbold. “We are also seeing continued coral decline, struggling fish populations, and polluted near-shore waters.”

The MCRP outlines a comprehensive framework for addressing these issues and supporting local reef recovery. Actions include building the capacity of local communities to manage reef areas, reduce the amounts of sediments and nutrients flowing onto reefs, and increasing public awareness about the state of the island’s reefs.

“Despite these issues, there is hope. We have an opportunity to reverse Maui’s coral reef declines,” said Newbold, “but we must act now, before it really is too late. Attending the International Coral Reef Symposium gives us the ability to share our experiences, while learning from a global network of scientists and mangers.”

Local cultural advisor, and son of the late environmentalist and Native Hawaiian community leader Ed Lindsey, Ekolu Lindsey served as a panelist for a session that explores the connectivity between Hawaii’s natural resources and cultural heritage.

Lindsey is the cultural advisor of Maui Nui Marine Resource Council, President of Maui Cultural Lands, and Vice President of ʻUhane O Waʻa Kaulua. Lindsey highlighted the efforts of Polanui Hiu Community Managed Makai Area that utilizes ground-up, place-based management to restore fish populations and support reef recovery.

See more at: https://mauinow.com/2016/06/22/maui-groups-make-big-impression-at-coral-reef-symposium/

 

The State of Our Maui Coral – The Mauimama: January-February 2016, Issue 40

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“In the end we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught.”Baba Dioum – Senegalese Forestry Engineer

The love of the ocean connects us to each other and to this very special island we are so blessed to call home. It seems impossible to quantify something so seemingly simple as “the beach”… everything from the precious time spent playing in the sand with our friends and family, to the fish we love to snorkel with, to the surf that soothes the soul. There is one thing that ties all these together ~ our coral reefs. Coral Reefs are an amazing resource, but unfortunately they are in danger, primarily due to human activities. The good news though, is that it is not too late to fix it.

Our reefs nurture our fish stocks, provide sand for our beaches, protect our shores from storms and swell, create the surf we cherish, and help drive Hawaii’s $12 billion annual tourist industry. However, during the past two decades, nearly one-quarter of Maui’s corals have been lost, with half of Maui’s reef sites currently experiencing declining health.

Some of this decline could be related to the quality of our waters; coral require very clean and clear water in order to thrive. Yet nearly 90% of water quality samples taken around Maui between 2012-2014 violated State Water Quality Standards for turbidity, nutrients and/or bacteria. Fish also play just as an important role as water quality for coral to remain strong and healthy, however the average amount of reef fish found around Maui is now the second lowest in the main Hawaii islands, behind only O`ahu.

Fish have a symbiotic relationship with corals and play a huge part in helping keep our reefs healthy. The herbivores keep the algae trimmed back so they don’t encroach on corals, which is a critically important job, especially in times of severe stress. Without the fish the algae grows unchecked.

This summer, the ocean’s temperatures were especially warm causing severe coral bleaching both locally and across the world. Bleaching is how corals cope with too much heat; they release their zooxanthellae in an attempt at slowing the overproduction of energy and waste, which is toxic for the coral. It’s the zooxanthellae however that gives coral its color, so when they are released, the coral becomes white. Without their zooxanthellae, the coral cannot fight off disease or make food, and thus is in a severely weakened state. While the coral will look completely white it is not necessarily dead, yet. “Coral mortality” as its called, happens once the algae take over. So as long as conditions return to a better state for coral within a few weeks, and the fish are present to help the coral fight off algae in the mean time, coral will have a chance at coming back to life… This is why fish are so important to corals’ survival!

So what can you do to help? The easiest thing to do is to learn and teach others. If someone asks, “Why are our reefs dying?” or, “Where are all the fish?”, tell them that the dirt and pollutants that are washing into our oceans are the #1 killer of our reefs and therefore protecting our reefs and fish population starts on land. Tell them that just 1 pound of dirt can have the same cumulative impact as 5,000 pounds due to turbulence and waves continuing to stir up the sediment. Corals function much like solar panels, deriving their energy from sunlight. When sediment either settles on top of coral or is in the water column, it blocks the sunlight causing severe stress and prevents the coral’s keiki from settling to build new reefs.

There is so much you can do to help our reefs and ocean: Visit Maui Nui Marine Resource Council (www.mnmrc.org) to learn more and sign up for our newsletter to stay connected. Find us on Facebook. Every “Like” is a statement that clean oceans and reefs are important and sends a strong message that our community cares for the future of our Maui reefs and fish. Share your knowledge with friends and family. Make a small first step and refuse to use sunscreen with Oxybenzone. Come out to our family events, fish surveys, and restoration work. If you have 5 hours a month, join us in monitoring water quality. At home, learn about how chemical fertilizers and insecticides impact our reefs if they reach our oceans, and how to make better choices for our coral. Everybody’s voice and actions make a difference and are vitally important to ensuring our reefs are healthy for future generations.

Editor: Kate Griffiths

Image Credit: Pauline Feine