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Take a Virtual Dive with Hawaii’s Whale Sharks in Next Know Your Ocean Speaker Series Webinar

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KIHEI, HI — Hawaiian waters are popular for ocean migrants, from humpback whales to green sea turtles to great white sharks, but did you know that the largest fish in the world visits the islands as well? Whale sharks, which can grow up to 60 feet, have eluded residents and scientists alike, but Kona-based Hawaii Uncharted Research Collective (HURC) is working to understand more about these gentle giants.

The public is invited to learn about HURC and these animals in a free presentation, “A look at whale sharks in Hawaii: A research effort for the conservation of an endangered species,” led by HURC founder Maria Harvey. The Zoom presentation will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 3 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, visit https://bit.ly/ WhaleSharkWebinar.

Harvey founded HURC in 2017 with a mission to conduct research on whale sharks and other marine organisms in Hawaiian waters, focusing on population dynamics, ecology, animal behavior and human impacts. HURC merges community engagement with scientific research, relying on citizen science and field studies to better understand how and why these sharks use Hawaii’s offshore areas. Findings from this research will support local and global efforts to conserve whale sharks and their environment.

Her presentation will cover how and why Hawaii Uncharted Research Collective was formed and will give viewers a glance at the organization’s research projects. It will also provide information on localized and global threats to whale sharks, dive into some of HURC’s results so far, and discuss the future of the organization and other conservation efforts.

“Hawaii Uncharted Research Collective provides an avenue to couple my research and education background with my love for the Hawaiian Islands, ocean conservation, and the charismatic whale sharks that inhabit the deep blue waters of the Pacific,” said Harvey. “I’m excited to share the story of HURC and what we’ve accomplished since our founding.”

Whale sharks are found worldwide in tropical seas, preferring open waters where they can be found filter feeding with their large mouths on some of the smallest marine organisms, plankton. They are currently listed as “endangered,” mainly due to fishing pressure, accidental catch and vessel strikes. Capable of living upwards of 100 years, very little is known about these animals, especially those in Hawaiian waters. HURC’s research hopes to contribute to worldwide scientific investigations into these mysterious and threatened animals.

“Hawaii truly is a remarkable place for marine wildlife,” said Mike Fogarty, Executive Director of Maui Nui Marine Resource Council. “We’re excited to share Maria’s work with the larger public and hear ways that residents and visitors alike can contribute to local efforts to research and protect these charismatic sharks.”

To reserve your spot, visit https://bit.ly/WhaleSharkWebinar.

About Maria Harvey:
Maria 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. Maria’s love for the ocean, education, wilderness and research has taken her all over the world in recent years. Notably, Maria has worked in Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico and Cape Cod. During her travels, she has worked as a Captain, naturalist, expedition guide and assistant researcher, and is 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, Maria 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.

In her free time, Maria loves to travel and backpack. Just last year, she completed the 211-mile John Muir Trail. When she isn’t on the water or hiking, she loves to spend time with her two beloved golden retrievers, Samantha and Palmer. One day, Maria would love to own an animal sanctuary in honor of her favorite four-legged critter, Melvin the pig (Instagram: @melvinpig).

New FlushAware App to Be Topic of March 2 Know Your Ocean Speaker Series

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Meet the App’s Developer and Learn More About Where Wastewater Goes When You Flush Your Toilet on Maui

PAIA, MAUI, HI – The average person flushes their toilet five times per day. But when you flush, do you know where your wastewater goes and what impacts it has on the ocean where you surf or swim, the beaches where you play and the fish that you eat from our coastal waters? Maui Nui Marine Resource Council invites you to learn more about the path that wastewater follows once it leaves your toilet and how your wastewater is impacting our nearshore ocean water quality at a special Know Your Ocean Speaker Series presentation on Zoom on Wed. March 2 at 5:30 pm featuring Travis Liggett as the guest speaker. To reserve your spot, please visit https://bit.ly/FlushAwareWebinar

Liggett is the president of Reef Power LLC and the developer of the new FlushAware app with a demonstration website launch for Maui island users slated for March 2022.

“FlushAware is a new online education system that will inform users about the treatment level and destination of their Maui Island disposal method, while providing tools for activism and improving life downstream,” says Liggett.

During his presentation, Liggett will demonstrate how the new FlushAware app will work, and will discuss solutions to Maui’s wastewater challenges, which he says can be found in the living life support ʻĀina. “Native species such as stream limu, breadfruit and taro provide answers to our water waste woes. Instead of nearshore injection, municipal discharges in Maui can be polished with turf scrubbers to reduce nutrient pollution using local freshwater algae,” reports Liggett. “The wastewater can then be 100% reused as irrigation of native food agroforestry, pastureland, and vetiver slope stabilization plantings to reduce sediment transport potential from mauka lands.”

Travis Liggett graduated from University of California at Berkeley with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on design in 1998, and from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering with a focus on life science in 2003.

In 2001 Mr. Liggett started work as a Research Assistant at  BioServe Space Technologies, a NASA Commercial Space Center locate

d at CU Boulder, and continued his tenure working for the Agency as a Flight Systems Engineer for the Space Station Biological Research Project starting in 2003, then as an Aerospace Research Engineer focusing on functional prototype development of new life science technologies from 2005 – 2010 at  NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, located in California’s Silicon Valley.

On Maui, Travis has managed algae growth operations at Maui Tropical Algae Farm, and served as Principal Engineer for Water Quality Consulting, Inc., where he performed core duties including work on the Maui Ocean Center’s 2018 NPDES permit application.

Travis founded the small business Reef Power LLC in 2018 with the objective of bringing to Maui a natural regenerative reuse wastewater nutrient polishing system called a turf scrubber growing native Hawaiian stream limu (freshwater macroalgae), coupled with native food agroforest irrigation for disposal, instead of nearshore injection wells.

“Wastewater has a significant impact on Maui’s coral reefs and nearshore ocean water quality, whether you live in Kula or Kihei,” says Mike Fogarty, Executive Director of Maui Nui Marine Resource Council. “The FlushAware App will contribute to our community’s growing awareness of the impacts of each and every flush – the first step in finding an answer to the question of how to manage our wastewater to protect our reefs and the ocean waters that surround our shores.”

The Know Your Ocean Speaker Series is hosted 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.

Photo at right: A turf scrubber reduces nutrient pollution using local freshwater algae.

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?”

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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.

Free Presentation to Discuss Redefining the Definition of a Public Aquarium – and What it Means to Our Local Community

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KIHEI— A free Zoom presentation on Wednesday, January 12 at 5:30 pm by Tapani Vuori, Maui Ocean Center’s General Manager and founder and president of the Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute (MOCMI) will discuss “Redefining the definition of a public aquarium and what it means to our local community.”

Vuoriʻs presentation is part of Maui Nui Marine Resource Council’s monthly “Know Your Ocean Speaker Series.” His talk will look at the history of Maui Ocean Center, its operational details and its journey of transformation over the past few years, driven by Maui Ocean Centerʻs vision and mission.

Reservations are required. To reserve, visit https://bit.ly/OceanCenterWebinar

Vuori will discuss Maui Ocean Centerʻs role in the community in Māʻalaea and its stated responsibility first and foremost to add value to the community every day.

“I will discuss topics such as aquarium and zoo industry in general, plastic marine debris, shark finning, climate change, tourism, and environmental threats to nearshore marine ecosystems,” says Vuori. “I’ll share with the audience what Maui Ocean Center is doing about all of these issues — and why our aquarium and others around the world need to take action on the problems impacting our planetʻs oceans.”

Vuori draws inspiration from world-renowned scientist and ocean protector Dr. Sylvia Earle, who said, “the oceans deserve our respect and care, but you have to know something before you can care about it.” Vuori notes that Earleʻs powerful message is the driving force behind the energy he brings to Maui Ocean Center each day, and his goal to educate people and get them to care about the creatures beneath the oceanʻs surface.

Vuori grew up in Finland, where he formed a powerful connection with nature and the ocean — a bond he has carried throughout his life. He got his diving license as a young child and as a boy experienced the wonder of diving in winter beneath an ice-covered surface. As a young adult, Vuori moved to the U.S. to attend college, starting at Brigham Young University in Utah and graduating from UCLA in 1987.

When Vuori accepted the position as Maui Ocean Center’s general manager, he had one request — to build an on-property nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization to support conservation efforts further. Through his efforts and vision, Vuori became the founder and president of the Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute (MOCMI), which serves to restore Hawaiʻiʻs coral reefs and rehabilitate injured Hawaiian green sea turtles.

Today, Vuori works from all angles to protect marine life and is deeply involved in Mauiʻs island community. In addition to his contribution at MOCMI, Vuori is an active board member of Māʻalaea Triangle Association, vice president of the Māʻalaea Village Community Association, and president of the advisory council for Maui County on Civil Rights. Vuori is also working to establish a regional wastewater treatment center for Māʻalaea Bay to replace the nutrient leaching injection wells that have caused widespread loss of coral reef and limu in the bay.

“My hope is that this talk will inspire our audience to become more active in their community, where ever it may be,” says Vuori.

Maui Nui Marine Resource Council’s monthly “Know Your Ocean Speaker Series” events are supported by the County of Maui Mayor’s Office of Economic Development.

To learn more about Maui Ocean Center, visit www.mauioceancenter.com.

To learn more about Maui Nui Marine Resource Council, visit www.mauireefs.org.

Reserve your spot for this presentation at https://bit.ly/OceanCenterWebinar.

Public Invited to “Talk Story with Maui Nui Marine Resource Council” on Wednesday, December 1 at 5:30 pm

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KIHEI, HI — 10,000 oysters cleaning the water in Māʻalaea Harbor. Hundreds of ocean water quality samples gathered and analyzed. Three new solar-powered monitoring buoys providing data for scientists worldwide. A major new grant to help prevent coastal flooding in Kihei. Education programs to help visitors protect Mauiʻs reefs as they enjoy our island’s beaches. And much more. 

The public is invited to learn about the many projects underway at Maui Nui Marine Resource Council during a “Talk Story” evening with their staff on Wed. Dec. 1 from 5:30 to 6:30 pm on Zoom.

During the evening, attendees will learn about ways that this Maui-based nonprofit is working for healthy coral reefs, clean ocean water and a sustainable population of native fish for the islands of Maui County. Questions and suggestions will be welcomed, and door prizes will be awarded.

“We’re looking forward to sharing the latest news and developments at Maui Nui Marine Resource Council at this annual event,” said Mike Fogarty, Executive Director. “It’s been a very busy year for our staff, resulting in some exciting progress in our work to protect Maui’s reefs and nearshore waters.”

The evening will include details about an initiative to promote reef-friendly landscaping in South Maui, new technology that’s being used to identify ocean water quality issues along Maui’s coasts, and steps taken during 2021 to prevent ocean pollution caused by wildfires, feral axis deer, and marine debris transported into the ocean from Maui streams and gulches.

“We guarantee you’ll learn a lot about coral reef protection and why it is so important to the future of our island,” noted Amy Hodges, Programs and Operations Manager at Maui Nui Marine Resource Council. “And in turn, we want to hear from our community, to learn about your ideas and suggestions for protecting Maui’s coastal waters.”

Due to Covid-19, this annual event will once again be held by Zoom. Preregistration is required. To sign up, visit https://bit.ly/MNMRCUpdates.

Free November 3 presentation will share ocean water quality data from
 29 Maui beaches and its impact on watershed management planning

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KIHEI, HI — Every three weeks year-round, more than 20 Maui residents leave their homes in the early morning hours to help monitor the ocean water quality along the coasts of South and West Maui.

Carrying portable lab equipment in their cars, they work in small teams, wading knee deep into the ocean to gather water samples. Inital testing is completed in their cars, with additional testing taking place at indoor labs and at the University of Hawai‘i Manoa.

This unique volunteer-based program known as Hui O Ka Wai Ola (“Association Of The Living Waters”) has been gathering data in this way for five years, including through most of the Covid-19 pandemic.

What are they discovering about Mauiʻs coastal waters?

Learn more about this community-based effort and its findings at a free Zoom presentation on Wednesday, November 3 at 5:30 pm, hosted by Maui Nui Marine Resource Council as part of its “Know Your Ocean Speaker Series.”

The presentation will be conducted by Tiara Stark, Senior Team Lead of the Hui O Ka Wai Ola Program. Stark is responsible for overseeing all of the Hui O Ka Wai Ola water quality monitoring tasks and regularly accompanies the volunteers on their monitoring expeditions. She will describe the coastal water quality trends that Hui O Ka Wai Ola has identified, and explain how these findings are helping to drive watershed management actions in our community.

Starkʻs presentation will include a snapshot of the findings at each of the projects’ 29 monitoring locations, so that attendees will be able to learn the latest about ocean water quality at their favorite beaches.

Stark notes that almost all of the 29 locations where Hui O Ka Wai Ola monitors ocean water quality are failing to meet State of Hawai‘i Department of Health standards.

“This is frustrating to our community, because we all want clean ocean water for our shorelines,” says Stark. “But with all of the data weʻve been gathering, weʻve acquired important information about whatʻs likely happening upslope from the ocean in our watersheds thatʻs creating the problems that weʻre seeing.”

“The data weʻve gathered will help shape better management strategies for our watersheds with the aim of achieving cleaner ocean water to benefit our coral reefs, our nearshore fish populations and marine wildlife, and the people of Maui County who love being in and around the ocean,” says Stark.

Hui O Ka Wai Ola was co-founded in 2016 through a partnership of Maui Nui Marine Resource Council, The Nature Conservancy, and West Maui Ridge to Reef Initiative.

The three organizations worked closely with the State of Hawai‘i Department of Health Clean Water Branch to establish consistent protocols that would ensure that the Hui O Ka Wai Ola data would be readily accepted for reports by county, state and federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection.

Maui Nui Marine Resource Council, The Nature Conservancy, and West Maui Ridge to Reef Initiative continue to manage the program together.

Learn more about Hui O Ka Wai Ola and how you can volunteer at www.huiokawaiola.com.

 

Presenter Tiara Stark

 

Free Presentation “Saving a Species: “Rehabilitation as a Conservation Tool for Hawaiian Monk Seals” Offered on Weds., Aug. 4

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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 Hawaiʻi, 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 July 7 Zoom Presentation by Dr. Craig Downs and Hawaii Senator Mike Gabbard: “Education vs. Enforcement: Next Steps Beyond the Enactment of Hawaii’s Sunscreen Law”

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KIHEI, HI— Hawaii’s ban on sunscreens containing the reef-harming chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate went into effect on January 1, but is the law effective in protecting our local coral reefs and marine animals as intended? Is the ban being enforced? What’s the latest scientific evidence about the chemicals that are replacing these two ingredients in some brands of sunscreen? Are new laws needed?

Get the answers to these important questions 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 Hawaii Senator Mike Gabbard, who authored the legislation that resulted in Hawaii’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 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.”

This event is free, but advanced reservations are required. To reserve your spot, please visit https://bit.ly/SunscreenWebinar.

Downs graduated from Hiram College with a B.A. in philosophy and biology, received his M.Sc. from Syracuse University, and received his Ph.D. from the University of Hawaii in cell and molecular biology. He has published over 50 scientific papers and a number of book chapters in scientific textbooks, and is the co-editor of the CRC press veterinary book, Diseases of Corals, as well as founded a number of companies and nonprofits relating anywhere from animal welfare to environmental conservation and exploration.

Downs has held positions as research professor at University of Hawaii’s School of Medicine and Sweet Briar College. He is currently an invited professor at Sorbonne University (France) and is the Executive Director of Haereticus Environmental Laboratory, a non-profit scientific organization dedicated to increasing the scientific, social and economic knowledge of natural environmental habitats in order to better conserve and restore threatened environmental habitats and resources.

Gabbard, who has represented District 20 since 2006, which includes Kapolei, Makakilo, and portions of Kalaeloa, Waipahu, and Ewa, has authored 54 bills that became law relating to energy efficiency, renewable energy, endangered species protection, industrial hemp, the environment, public safety, and more.

One of those bills that became law in 2018, SB 2571, is the ban of sale or distribution in the state of any sunscreen that contains oxybenzone or octinoxate, or both. Last session, Gabbard introduced SB 366, which would ban the sale, offer of sale, or distribution in Hawaii of any sunscreen that contains two more chemicals, avobenzone or octocrylene.

The speakers plan to address whether or not sunscreen pollution is a symptom of unsustainable tourism and coastal development, how we get visitors and residents to comply with the new sunscreen law, and who is responsible for enforcing it.

This panel will also provide information and tips on how you can help to protect the marine environment.

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/SunscreenWebinar.

Free Presentation on “Growing Up Fast: A Land-Based Coral Nursery for Restoring Hawaii’s Reefs” Offered During Earth Week

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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