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PacIOOS Water Quality Sensor Partnership Program Enhances Maui Nui Marine Resource Council’s Water Quality Monitoring in Māʻalaea Harbor

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MĀʻALAEA, HI – Maui Nui Marine Resource Council’s ocean water quality monitoring efforts in Māʻalaea Harbor are being helped by a new underwater data sensor that the organization has borrowed through the Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System (PacIOOS) Water Quality Sensor Partnership Program. The new data sensor collects data every five minutes on water temperature, salinity, turbidity, chlorophyll and ocean depth.

The PacIOOS program supports scientists and natural resource managers to collect water quality data in order to inform research, conservation, planning, and resource management projects in the U.S. Pacific Islands region. The data sensor is owned and maintained by PacIOOS under the supervision of Dr. Margaret McManus, Chairwoman of the Department of Oceanography at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.

“We are grateful to PacIOOS for the use of this data sensor that will help us learn more about the effects of tides, swell, rain events, and runoff on water quality within Māʻalaea Harbor and to monitor water quality variability over time,” reports Amy Hodges, Programs and Operations Manager at Maui Nui Marine Resource Council.

Mounted 1 or 2 meters below the ocean’s surface, the sensor package is relocated by divers from Maui Nui Marine Resource team to a new site within the harbor about once per month. The sensor package was installed in 2020 and is scheduled to be used in Māʻalaea Harbor through 2021.

The PacIOOS data sensor will help guide Maui Nui Marine Resource Council as it implements its watershed management plan, which aims to reduce sediment and pollutants in Māʻalaea Bay and its harbor. Professor Margaret McManus

“In recent decades, declining ocean water quality has led to significant deterioration of Māʻalaea Bay’s reefs,” says Hodges. “Monitoring by the community-based program Hui O Ka Wai Ola — which was co-founded and is co-managed by Maui Nui Marine Resource Council, The Nature Conservancy and West Maui Ridge to Reef Initiative —  using ocean water samples grabbed from the ocean edge has shown turbidity (sediment) and excessive nitrogen as primary causes of impaired water quality.”

Maui Nui Marine Resource Council’s staff also assist with gathering ocean water quality “grab samples” from the shore. All combined, the Hui O Ka Wai Ola sampling and the MNMRC staff grab sampling results in data from 5-10 sites every three weeks in Māʻalaea Harbor.

Maui Nui Marine Resource Council has also been using a Manta data sonde, purchased with a grant from LUSH cosmetics, to gather water quality data in the Harbor. The sonde is towed behind a kayak and records real time data as it is pulled through varying depths through the water.

The organization has also been testing the nitrogen isotope ratios (δ15N values) in macroalgae (limu) tissue to determine the possible sources of nitrogen pollution in the harbor and the bay. Other ongoing testing in Māʻalaea Bay conducted by MNMRC includes current drift analysis studies, underwater coral cover and fish transects, and stormwater sampling.

To address Māʻalaea’s sediment issues, MNMRC is working to improve stormwater management in the 4,000 acre Pohakea watershed adjoining Mā‘alaea Bay. In 2018, MNMRC commissioned Maui Environmental Consulting (MEC) to create the Pohakea Stormwater Management Plan following meetings with Hawai‘i Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW), Māʻalaea Village Association, Maui Ocean Center and other stakeholders.

MNMRC has been enacting the priorities in this plan. In 2020, MNMRC installed firebreaks in Pohakea watershed to suppress frequent wildfires that occur in this windy, dry region, causing loss of vegetative cover that helps hold soil in place and prevents erosion. Partners included DOFAW, Maui Electric Co. and Goodfellow Bros. Inc.

MNMRC and Maui Environmental Consulting began monitoring headcuts (erosional features) in 2020 to quantify soil loss at four of the most severely eroded sites in the Pohakea watershed nearest the harbor. Their monitoring showed a loss of an estimated 64,050 pounds, or 32 tons, of soil from just two head cut locations in a single moderate rainstorm in January 2021. The lost soil was likely transported via culverts directly into the ocean, contributing to a severe brown water event in Māʻalaea Bay.  MNMRC is now working to obtain funding to work with Maui Environmental Consulting and Goodfellow Bros. to repair two of the most severe head cut locations to reduce the sediment runoff.

Maui Nui Marine Resource Council launched an oyster bioremediation project in Māʻalaea Bay in 2020 to utilize caged oysters as a natural method of water filtration. A single oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of ocean water per day, removing sediment and pollutants. During 2020, MNMRC installed more than 10,000 oysters and conducts periodic monitoring to assess their growth rates and health. Data from the PacIOOS data sensor will help measure changing ocean water quality conditions in response to the oyster program.

“The progress of our projects to clean up Māʻalaea Bay’s water quality will be measured by resulting data from the PacIOOS data sensor and our other monitoring methods,” says Hodges. “We to see evidence of improved ocean water quality, through reductions in sediment and excess nitrogen, an essential step in restoring coral cover and reef health in Māʻalaea Harbor and in the bay.”

To learn more about the PacIOOS Water Quality Sensor Partnership Program and view data, visit https://www.pacioos.hawaii.edu/water/sensor-maalaea/#about.

Founded in 2007, Maui Nui Marine Resource Council is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization working for clean ocean water, healthy coral reefs and abundant native fish for the islands of Maui County. To learn more, visit www.mauireefs.org.

 

CAPTION: Maui Nui Marine Resource Council’s Grace Silver helps to prepare a site in Mā’alaea Harbor for the data sensor on loan from PacIOOS.

Public invited to free webinar on “Shark Research in Hawaii – With an Emphasis on Maui” by Dr. Kim Holland on Wednesday, March 3

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KIHEI, HI – Recent shark attacks that occurred off the coast of Maui in November (2020), December (2020) and January (2021), as well as an incident in February (2021) which involved a large shark biting a kayak, have many ocean users concerned and curious about the sharks found in our nearshore waters. The public is invited to learn more about our local sharks at a free Zoom presentation titled “Shark Research in Hawaii – With an Emphasis on Maui’ by Dr. Kim Holland. Dr. Holland is the Research Professor at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, (HIMB) at University of Hawaii at Manoa and the founder of the Shark Research Group at HIMB.

This free talk is hosted by Maui Nui Marine Resource Council’s “Know Your Ocean Speaker Series” and will take place on Wednesday, March 3 at 5:30 pm via Zoom. The presentation is free, but advance reservations are required. To reserve your spot, please visit https://bit.ly/SharkWebinar

For over 40 years Dr. Holland’s research has focused on the biology and movement patterns of large marine fishes such as tuna, billfishes and sharks. He has been a pioneer in helping to develop and deploy cutting edge tracking technologies that allow unprecedented insight into the movement patterns of marine fishes.

His presentation will include a brief overview of tracking technologies with an emphasis on what has been learned about the movements of sharks around Maui Nui.

“While many Maui residents and visitors are fearful about sharks, it’s important to remember that sharks play an important role in maintaining Hawaii’s ocean ecosystems,” said Anne Rillero, Communications, Community Outreach and Development Manager at Maui Nui Marine Resource Council. “We’re looking forward to learning more about Dr. Holland’s findings and insights about Hawaii’s sharks.”

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 emcee for this event is 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/SharkWebinar

 

Experts tag a tiger shark with a tracking device in the waters off Maui. The satellite tag gets attached to the shark’s dorsal fin and sends a signal every time the fin surfaces the water. Photo Credit: HIMB

Public invited to free Zoom presentation about unique collaboration of 7 environmental projects funded by Maui CARES

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Program provided employment for more than 70 Maui and Molokai residents

“It’s like Maui County’s own version of the Civilian Conservation Corps”

KIHEI, HI – During the Great Depression, the government-sponsored Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) provided paychecks for 3 million unemployed young men and provided valuable labor for conservation projects across the country.

With unemployment at record levels due to COVID-19, a new program followed this historical CCC model and put more than 70 Maui and Molokai residents to work in November, providing seven local conservation nonprofits with needed labor to benefit coral reefs, cultural resources and the environment.

The public is invited to a free presentation on Weds. January 27 at 5:30 pm on Zoom to learn about this unique collaborative employment and workforce training program and the impact it had on our local environment. The presentation will include videos, photos and firsthand accounts of the projects and accomplishments, with information on how the projects incorporated traditional Hawaiian cultural practices and modern technology to prevent sediment pollution in the ocean and protect valuable cultural resources.

It’s free, but registration is required. To sign up, visit https://bit.ly/mauiCARES

This unique collaborative employment and workforce training program was made possible through the County of Maui Office of Economic Development’s Maui CARES program, which was funded by the Federal CARES Act. As the fiscal sponsor, Maui Nui Marine Resource Council oversaw the administration of the Maui CARES funding for the projects and managed the rapid employment of more than 70 new hires with the help of simplicityHR by ALTRES.

The workers participated in conservation and restoration projects in Olowalu, Waihe’e, Keanae, Kipahulu, Hana and Moloka’i. All of the projects were rooted in Hawaiian cultural practices and values which serve as the foundation of our community. Their work was filmed by Inflatable Film of Kula. The evening will include video premieres exclusively for webinar attendees.

“Through this presentation, attendees will be immersed in a virtual experience to feel the importance of Kuleana, ʻOhana, Kōkua, Aloha ʻAina, Mālama ʻAina, and Hānai ʻAina, said Ekolu Lindsey, President of Maui Cultural Lands and a principal organizer of this program. “Be inspired to follow in the footsteps of those who have come before us, as we share our legacies with you.”

The participating nonprofits include:

Ka Honua Momona on Molokai worked to restore two ancient fishponds, which will help trap sediment before it reaches the open ocean – with the benefit of also producing fish for local people.

Kipahulu ‘Ohana in East Maui improved a lo’i, or wetland taro farm. The taro plants will slow the flow of stormwater, allowing time for sediment in the water to settle, rather than flow out to sea.

Hawaiian Islands Land Trust in Waihe’e worked to remove invasive species along approximately 3,000 linear feet of Kalepa Stream to lower sediment loads in the nearshore waters off Waihe’e and protect offshore corals.

Ke Ao Hali‘i (KAH) in Hana worked on 27 acres of publicly owned land at Mokae/Kaholaiki and another ~2 acres of contiguous land, directly above Hamoa Beach. Their project included invasive plant removal and native habitat restoration for seabirds and insects, and a biological survey of ‘opihi as a baseline for a possible ‘opihi rest area in the future.

Kipuka Olowalu in West Maui reestablished washed out and damaged lo’i (taro fields), rebuilt vanished lo’i and prepared lo’i for planting in the Olowalu Cultural Reserve. Workers removed overgrowth, fire hazards and invasive plants; planted native plants and crops and repaired infrasturcture.

Na Moku ‘Aupuni O Ko‘olau Hui in East Maui worked on watershed management and stream maintenance, as well as stream and ditch monitoring in the East Maui Irrigation system to establish accurate data for stream and ditch flow and loss as a basis for making sound future management decisions related to this resource and delivery infrastructure.

Each of the nonprofits will be presenting their work and accomplishments through photos, video and stories from the field.

Na Mamo o Mu‘olea in East Maui focused on land and shoreline management on a county parcel (which Nā Mamo O Mū’olea has a 50 year lease). It included removal of invasive plants around a rock wall that is on the historic registry, and preparation for wall restorations, maintenance of two heiau on the property, installation of new fencing around an area designated for native trees and medicinal plants, and maintenance and repair of feral animal controls.

“This presentation is a celebration of all that was accomplished and learned,” said Lindsey. “We encourage the public to attend to connect with these organizations and the workers who put heart and soul into these challenging and impactful projects.“

The emcees for this event are Ekolu Lindsey and 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.

About Maui Nui Marine Resource Council

Maui Nui Marine Resource Council is a community-based nonprofit organization celebrating 13 years of working for healthy coral reefs, clean ocean water and abundant native fish throughout Maui County. Our work includes co-managing the Hui O Ka Wai Ola Ocean Water Quality Monitoring Program in South and West Maui, efforts to reduce pollution in Mā‘alaea Bay (through erosion-control efforts in the Pohakea watershed and using oysters to filter sediment and pollutants from ocean water), coral reef research, visitor education programs and more. Learn more at www.mauireefs.org.

Maui Nui Marine Resource Council Wins $3,000 Award in Hogan/American Savings Bank Nonprofit Business Plan Competition

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MĀ‘ALAEA, HI – The nonprofit Maui Nui Marine Resource Council (MNMRC) was awarded a $3,000 prize in the 2020 Hogan/American Savings Bank Nonprofit Business Plan Competition for a business plan titled, “Vision for Pohakea.”

“The goal of our Vision for Pohakea plan is to reduce sediment and pollutants in Māʻalaea Bay and Māʻalaea Harbor,” explains Amy Hodges, Programs and Operations Manager at Maui Nui Marine Resource Council. “Pohakea is the name of the 4,000+ acre watershed upslope from Māʻalaea Bay. Pohakea watershed has several gulches that all discharge into Māʻalaea Bay and the harbor. “

MNMRC’s business plan was one of only 8 plans selected as finalists from more than 40 other Hawai‘i nonprofit business plans submitted. Finalists were invited to present their plans to a panel of judges via Zoom, at a Chamindade University event held on October 14. MNMRC’s plan was presented by Amy Hodges, MNMRC’s Programs and Operations Manager, and Ekolu Lindsey, MNMRC Board Member.

MNMRC was awarded 4th place overall and a $3,000 prize, which it will use to help fund the “Vision for Pohakea” plan.

The plan explains that Māʻalaea Bay is a community resource — a place where people surf, fish, swim, paddle, whalewatch and embark on ocean adventures. “Unfortunately, the water quality in Mā‘alaea Bay is compromised by storm water and sediment run-off, as well as other pollution originating from land,” notes the plan. “This nearshore ocean pollution adversely impacts areas in Māʻalaea Bay that are important for recreation, and also undermines the health of coral reefs and sea turtle feeding areas just outside the harbor.”

To improve Māʻalaea Bay’s deteriorating ocean water quality, MNMRC is installing caged oysters in the bay. Oysters are natural filter feeders, with a single oyster capable of filtering 40 to 60 gallons of water per day, removing sediment and other pollutants. The first oysters were installed in early 2020, with new oysters added throughout the year. They are monitored every two weeks and are found to be thriving.

The second part of the project takes place in the Pohakea Watershed, implementing projects outlined in the Pohakea Stormwater Management Plan, which MNMRC commissioned Maui Environmental Consulting to produce in 2018.

MNMRC has been writing grants and raising funds to enact this plan over a multi-year period. Maui Nui Marine Resource Council applied for and received a $300,000 Resilient Communities Grant in 2019, made possible by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the Wells Fargo Foundation, to enhance forest reserve resiliency through fuels management in the Pohakea watershed.

With funds from this grant, Maui Nui Marine Resource Council will establish and improve fuel breaks in strategically placed corridors to mitigate the pervasive cycle of wildfire and protect 3,414 acres of Forest Reserve in Māʻalaea,  part of the Pohakea watershed. That work is slated to begin later this year.

Additional funding for this project is provided by Hawaiʻi Tourism through the Aloha ʻĀina program and the County of Maui Mayor’s Office of Economic Development.

 

Ocean water quality is measured at several shoreline sites along Mā‘alaea Bay through the Hui O Ka Wai Ola citizen-based water quality monitoring program, co-founded and co-managed by Maui Nui Marine Resource Council, The Nature Conservancy and West Maui Ridge to Reef Initiative, working closely with the State of Hawai‘i Department of Health Clean Water Branch.

To gather baseline data about current ocean water quality throughout Māʻalaea Bay, MNMRC is also conducting regular kayak-based ocean water monitoring throughout the bay, using an electronic monitoring probe that provides a stream of data in real-time. The probe was purchased thanks to a generous grant from Lush Cosmetics Charity Pot.

Other support for implementing the “Vision for Pohakea” plan comes from a grant from the County of Maui Mayor’s Office of Economic Development.

To learn more about the Vision for Pohakea plan and how you can support it, please visit www.mauireefs.org.

 

Caption:
Maui Nui Marine Resource Council’s team takes a break from their work with the oysters at Māʻalaea Bay to display their award from the 2020 Hogan/American Savings Bank Nonprofit Business Plan Competition. From left to right: Grace Silver, Amy Hodges and Meredith Beeson.

 

Please note: The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the U.S. Government or the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and its funding sources. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the U.S. Government, or the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation or its funding sources.

Oyster Spat Collected to Raise Next Generation of Oysters for Māʻalaea Ocean Water Improvement Project

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A small bag of 100 tiny Hawaiian oysters, gathered in mid-August under State of Hawai‘i permit by staff of Maui Nui Marine Resource Council (MNMRC), represents the “next generation” in the nonprofit organization’s work to use oysters to filter and clean ocean water in Māʻalaea Bay. The project to improve ocean water quality in Māʻalaea is supported by the County of Maui Mayorʻs Office of Economic Development.

What’s amazing is that the tiny oysters appeared to have “volunteered” for the job.

Months ago, Maui Nui Marine Resource Council Programs and Operations Manager Amy Hodges was amazed to see that floating oyster larvae from native Hawaiian oysters (Dendostrea sandvicensis) had begun to voluntarily attach themselves to the outside of oyster cages that the organization had installed in Māʻalaea Harbor. Over a period of months, they grew into tiny oysters called “spat.”

“It was MNMRC’s goal to incorporate using Hawaiian oysters, which are native to Hawaiʻi, for this project starting in December 2020. And here they were, appearing on our cages,” noted Hodges. “These baby oysters were truly a gift from nature.”

MNMRC coordinated with the Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center (PACRC) in Hilo, a project of the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, to follow the right protocol to safely collect and ship these oysters to PACRC for spawning and propagation. The State of Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture office on Maui inspected the oysters before they were shipped.

The tiny oysters will be well-fed and protected at PACRC, where they will spawn and their progeny will grow larger more quickly than those in the wild. They will be shipped back to Maui in December to be raised in cages as part of MNMRC’s oyster bioremediation project.

MNMRC expects to receive about 3,000 mature Hawaiian oysters from PACRC by the end of 2020.

Hodges explains that oysters are extremely effective natural filter feeders, with each oyster capable of filtering 40 to 60 gallons of water per day, removing sediment and other pollutants. “Our goal is to use the oysters to improve the ocean water quality to Māʻalaea Bay, to provide cleaner, healthier water for the coral reefs and local fish populations,” says Hodges. “The goal is to make Māʻalaea Bay a better place for fishing, paddling, surfing, swimming and beach days for the entire community. We’re glad to have the oysters ‘volunteering’ to help us reach that goal.”

When MNMRC launched its project in early 2020, the team installed cages of Pacific oysters, which are commonly found throughout Hawai‘i, but are not native. The Pacific oysters are larger than Hawaiian oysters and are triploids, meaning they are sterile and cannot reproduce. After seeing that the Pacific oysters survived the polluted water in which they were placed, and the Hawaiian oysters appeared on the oyster cages,  MNMRC’s team decided to go forward with including smaller native Hawaiian oysters in the project, using oyster spat gathered from Māʻalaea Bay. “We believe that these oysters are well suited to the unique conditions of this area,” said Hodges.

All of the oysters are being used to clean polluted water and are unsafe to eat. The oysters may carry Vibrio bacteria which can cause watery diarrhea, often accompanied by abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting, fever and chills. Vibrio is a naturally occurring bacteria and can be found in warm coastal waters and harbors, where it infects oysters.

The cages housing the oysters are clearly marked with warning tags stating, “Toxic. Do Not Eat. Research in Progress. Do Not Remove. Maui Nui Marine Resource Council.”

It is illegal to catch, take, kill, possess, remove, sell, or offer for sale oysters or clams from the waters of the state of Hawai‘i according to fishing regulations HAR 13-83 and HAR 13-85. Violators shall be punished as provided by law. Maui Nui Marine Resource Council is permitted through the State of Hawai‘i for its oyster project.

Maui Nui Marine Resource Council is a community-based nonprofit organization celebrating 12 years of working for healthy coral reefs, clean ocean water and abundant native fish throughout Maui County. MNMRC’s work includes co-managing the Hui O Ka Wai Ola Ocean Water Quality Monitoring Program in South and West Maui, efforts to reduce pollution in Mā‘alaea Bay through erosion-control efforts in the Pōhākea watershed, coral reef research, visitor education programs and more. Learn more at www.mauireefs.org.

Support for this project was provided by Hawaii Tourism through the Aloha ʻĀina program and the County of Maui Mayorʻs Office of Economic Development. 

 

 

 

Hawaiian oysters collected under permit in Mā‘alaea Harbor by Maui Nui Marine Resource Council will be propagated at the Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center in Hilo, and their progeny returned to Maui as part of an oyster bioremediation project to help improve ocean water quality in Mā‘alaea Bay. Photo credit: Maui Nui Marine Resource Council

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The tiny Hawaiian oysters first appeared as spat (baby oysters) on the outside of cages that Maui Nui Marine Resource Council had installed in the harbor. “It almost seems like they were ʻvolunteeringʻ to be part of our project,” says Amy Hodges, Programs and Operations Manager at Maui Nui Marine Resource Council. Photo credit: Maui Nui Marine Resource Council.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 A bag of 100 tiny oysters was collected under State of Hawai‘i permit, then inspected by the Department of Agriculture on Maui, before shipment to the Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center in Hilo, to be raised under ideal conditions for spawning and propagation. Photo credit: Maui Nui Marine Resource Council. 

 

Know Your Ocean: Why some people care about Maui’s reefs — and others don’t.

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Have you ever wondered why some people care — and others seemingly don’t — about protecting Maui’s coral reefs? Imagine if you could climb into their minds to understand what causes visitors and residents of Maui to be motivated (or not) to care for our reefs through their behaviors and actions. How would that help your community be more effective in protecting its reefs?

Find out more about the social and psychological factors that influence human behavior in our nearshore environments, based on a recent joint study conducted in West Maui by Polanui Hiu, The Nature Conservancy, and Stanford University.

You’ll meet Francisca (Kika) Santana, the leader of the study and a fourth-year PhD candidate at Stanford’s Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources. Her team surveyed 300 reef users and learned about their reef-based activities, perceptions of reef health, their social-psychological indicators (such as place attachment and self-efficacy), and pro-environmental behavioral intentions. Alana Yurkanin, Maui Marine Project Manager at The Nature Conservancy, will also share her insights on the survey results.

During the webinar, you’ll also be transported to Polanui, a small, popular beach in Lāhaina, protected by an offshore reef named Nā Papalimu O Pi‘ilani. For generations, this reef sustained Hawaiian families with its abundance of fish and edible limu (algae). Sadly, that abundance has vanished and Polanui now has the lowest fish biomass in Hawai’i, meaning its fish are smaller and fewer than all other sites surveyed across the state.

You’ll meet Ekolu Lindsey and the Polanui Hiu, a local community group that he co-founded that works to restore the resources and Hawaiian traditions once practiced along this shore. Find out about their work and the results of recent human use and creel surveys conducted at Polanui (surveys of beachgoer and angler activity in the nearshore waters of this area).

“Let’s learn together to find ways to be more effective in bringing about positive change for our reefs, both now while tourism is largely absent, and later when visitors begin to visit Maui again,” says Amy Hodges, Programs and Operations Manager at Maui Nui Marine Resource Council. “This free webinar is offered as part of our Know Your Ocean Speaker Series, offered online due to Covid-19.”

 

PRESENTERS:

Francisca (Kika) Santana is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in the Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources (E-IPER). She studies how individuals and groups respond to environmental change and climate risk. Specifically, her research investigates how individuals make protective health decisions in response to wildfire smoke, what motivates coastal users to take pro-environmental action in a declining coral reef environment on Maui, Hawaiʻi, and how communities respond to land loss and restoration efforts in coastal Louisiana. She draws from theories and methods in sociology, environmental and social psychology, and decision science. Before pursuing her degree at Stanford, Francisca worked on energy and marine policy issues in the nonprofit and government sectors. She received a master’s degree in environmental science and management from UC Santa Barbara and a BA in history from Yale University.

 

Edwin “Ekolu” Lindsey
Raised on Maui (where he loved visiting his grandparents’ home in Lahaina to surf, swim, and fish in the waters of Polanui), Ekolu graduated from Kamehameha Schools on O‘ahu, and earned a B.B.A. at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mänoa. Ekolu’s parents — Ed Lindsey, a Native Hawaiian and lifelong schoolteacher, and Puanani Lindsey — co-founded Maui Cultural Lands in 2002. Ed Lindsey also co-founded Maui Nui Marine Resource Council in 2007 with marine biologist Robin Newbold. After his father passed away in 2009, Ekolu assumed the role of president of Maui Cultural Lands.  He carries forward his family’s legacy of service and their vision of protecting and restoring Hawaiian cultural resources and the marine environment. In July 2015, he completed a ten-day, 500-mile journey aboard the voyaging canoe Hikianalia to the Papahänaumokuäkea Marine National Monument in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands to conduct reef surveys and fish monitoring to help better manage Hawai‘i’s marine resources. Ekolu also cofounded Polanui Hiu, the first Community Managed Makai Area (CMMA) on Maui. Ekolu is a member of Maui Nui Marine Resource Council’s Board of Directors.

 

Alana Yurkanin
Alana is the Maui Marine Project Manager at The Nature Conservancy and serves on the Steering Committee of Hui O Ka Wai Ola, a unique community-based ocean water quality monitoring program on Maui. Alana grew up in Hawai’i with a fisherman as a father. From all of her time spent in and around the ocean, she wanted to protect and continue to understand the environment along and beyond the coast – as well as the people and culture so intrinsically connected to our surroundings. In 2014, she completed a Master’s degree in Environmental Science and Management with a specialization in Coastal Marine Resource Management and a focus in Strategic Communications at the Bren School, UC Santa Barbara. During her program at Bren, she focused her studies on topics relevant to natural resource management, fisheries management strategies, storytelling, communication and media, coastal ecology, project management, and marine science. Additionally, she has a background in environmental education, marine science education, outdoor education, ecotourism, seamanship, team building, international aid work, performing arts, homesteading, and farming.

Special thanks to the County of Maui Mayor’s Office of Economic Development for helping to make this presentation possible.

PHOTO CAPTION:
Kika Santana (left) and Marie Janiszewski (right) review a survey response about reef-based activities, perceptions of reef health, their social-psychological indicators (such as place attachment and self-efficacy), and pro-environmental behavioral intentions.

Scientists to Study “Molokini Without Tourists”

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Maui Nui Marine Resource Council Helping to Raise Funds
 to Support This Once-in-a-Lifetime Research Opportunity

According to a 2007 report published in the scientific journal Ecological Applications, Molokini Marine Life Conservation District was considered the most effective marine protected area in Hawaiʻi1,2. However, during the past decade, Molokini’s ecosystem health has declined, likely related to pressures from intensive tourism at this mid-ocean reef system3,4.

During this time of COVI D-19, when tourism is switched off and there are no tour boats or snorkelers at Molokini, there is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study how human activity impacts marine life in the Molokini Marine Life Conservation District.

The question: now that there is no tourism, is the wildlife changing how it uses the reserve?

“Molokini Crater is one of the most dramatic natural areas in the main Hawaiian Islands, and harbors coral reefs as well as fishes, sharks, manta rays and other wildlife,” says Maui resident Russell Sparks, Aquatic Biologist, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources on Maui. “Under normal conditions, tourism activity is very high at Molokini, with diving and snorkeling boats visiting continually. Now, there is no tourism.”

“How have important species changed their use of Molokini’s reef habitats in the absence of tourism?” asks Sparks. “We now have the opportunity to find out.”

Led by Sparks, a small team of scientists with expertise in animal tracking, underwater survey methods, wildlife ecology and past Molokini research experience is hoping to answer this question.

The team of Hawaiʻi-based scientists has extensive experience with coral reef ecology and animal movement studies in the Hawaiian Islands: Kevin Weng, Associate Professor at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science; Alan Friedlander, Chief Scientist, Pristine Seas, National Geographic Society, and director of the Fisheries Ecology Research Lab at the University of Hawaiʻi; and Whitney Goodell, National Geographic Fellow and marine ecologist with the Fisheries Ecology Research Lab, University of Hawaiʻi.

Friedlander has studied Molokini extensively and is the co-author of five research publications on Molokini conducted in collaboration with the Maui Division of Aquatic Resources.

The scientists plan to work at Molokini this summer (May and June) to conduct diver surveys of fishes and other wildlife. They will install a network of tracking receivers and tag animals with telemetry devices. Vessel activity will be counted using a time-lapse camera. This builds on previous work conducted by Friedlander’s lab in collaboration with the Maui Division of Aquatic Resources1,2,3,4 and offers a unique opportunity to compare current conditions with a robust, existing baseline.

The local nonprofit Maui Nui Marine Resource Council is raising funds for the team of scientists to conduct this study. The organization has set up a GoFundMe page for this project at gofundme.com/f/molokini-during-covid-19-research-study.

“Molokini is normally visited by 1,000 tourists every day and is one of the most visited marine protected areas in the world,” reports Robin Newbold, Co-founder and Chair of Maui Nui Marine Resource Council. “Many Maui residents are wondering what’s happening there now that the tourists are gone. We’re excited that these scientists have stepped forward to collect data relating to this important question.”

Newbold explains that the scientists are donating their time and resources for this study and have organized some parts of the expedition. However, they require support in a number of areas, since the urgent nature of the project has prevented the normal routes of science funding and planning.

The scientists have permits to travel and go to work at Molokini. They have a boat and captain, science equipment and telemetry tags ready to go.

As of July 15, they are seeking the use of a car or rental car, and a place to park an 18 foot boat overnight and when not in use. If you can help, please email [email protected].

“On behalf of the scientists, we are asking for help from the community for this project,” says Newbold. “Perhaps you have a car that’s not being used that you could share with the researchers.”

“We also welcome cash donations,” says Newbold. “100% of the donations collected by Maui Nui Marine Resource Council for this project will go directly to this research.” To donate, visit GoFundMe at gofundme.com/f/molokini-during-covid-19-research-study.

Maui Nui Marine Resource Council is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization working for healthy coral reefs and clean ocean water for Maui’s nearshore areas. To learn more, visit www.mauireefs.org.
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1 Friedlander AM, Brown EK, Monaco ME. 2007. Coupling ecology and GIS to evaluate efficacy of marine protected areas in Hawaii. Ecological Applications 17:715-730.

2 Friedlander AM, Donovan MK, Koike H, Murakawa P, Goodell W. 2019. Characteristics of effective Marine Protected Areas in Hawai‘i. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. Aquatic Conservation, 29(S2):103-117. DOI: 10.1002/aqc.3043

3 Filous, A., Friedlander, A.M., Koike, H., Lammers, M., Wong, A., Stone, K. and Sparks, R.T., 2017. Displacement effects of heavy human use on coral reef predators within the Molokini Marine Life Conservation District. Marine Pollution Bulletin 121:274-281.

4 Filous A, Friedlander A, Wolfe B, Sparks R. 2017. Movement patterns of reef predators in a small isolated Marine Protected Area with implications for resource management. Marine Biology, 164(1). DOI: 10.1007/s00227-016-3043-3

Photo credit:
 Molokini photographed by Bossfrog, 4 December 2015, under Creative Commons, via Wikipedia.

50th Anniversary of Earth Day

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Due to COVID-19, big gatherings are not part of Earth Day 2020, the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day. But there’s so much you can do at home in honor of Earth Day to help shape a better future for our planet and our island home.

Check out these ideas:

1. Get informed. Learn what sea level rise caused by climate change will do to the shorelines, reefs and your favorite beaches in Maui County. Visit the Hawaii Sea Level Rise Viewer at https://www.pacioos.hawaii.edu/shoreline/slr-hawaii/.

2. Share what you’re observing here in Hawaii — beach loss, shoreline erosion, declining coral reefs, fewer reef fish — with friends and family worldwide. We need an informed public to understand what’s at stake and to vote for candidates who will actively work to fight climate change.

3. Help keep Maui County’s corals as resilient and as healthy as possible by keeping reef-harming chemicals out of the ocean. Choose sunscreens that don’t contain reef-harming oxybenzone and octinoxate. Learn more at https://www.mauireefs.org/sunscreens/

4. Remember, whatever you use in your home or yard will eventually find its way into the ocean. Pledge to stop using pesticides and herbicides in your landscaping, home and place of business. If you live in a condo, talk with your property manager about choosing non-toxic alternatives.

5. Dispose of unwanted or expired prescription medicines properly — never flush them down your toilet. When medications are flushed down a toilet or drain, they enter our wastewater treatment systems, which are not designed to remove medications. Some medications such as hormones and antidepressants include endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), which interfere with the reproduction and normal growth of many aquatic species, including fish.

Visit https://www.cvs.com/content/safer-communities-locate to find the CVS location nearest you that will accept unwanted medications.

6. Join the movement to prevent plastic pollution. Carry a set of lightweight cutlery in your purse or car so you can skip single use plastic utensils. Consider packaging as well as price when you shop. Learn more about the bill passed recently by the Maui County Council that bans nearly all sales and use of plastic disposable food ware in Maui County. Encourage Maui County Mayor Michael Victorino’s to approve it.

https://www.mauinews.com/news/local-news/2020/04/near-ban-on-plastic-disposable-utensils-okd/

7. Help prevent sediment-laden stormwater runoff; it is harmful to Maui’s nearshore reefs. In your yard, cover bare soil with mulch or plants to prevent runoff. Create a small soil berm in a ring around new plants to contain water. Incorporate permeable materials (like permeable pavers) into your patios, driveway, and walkways.

8. Educate the next generation. Check out the American Museum of Natural History’s curated list of Earth Day videos and plan an Earth Day watch party with your family. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrfcruGtplwH76Sryqpk7nXf0YIEM0piZ

Humanity is working together in amazing ways to fight the coronavirus pandemic. The impossible is possible if we all work together for our planet. Happy Earth Day!

Free Oct. 7 Webinar by Daniel Amato, Ph.D. on “Sewage Impacts on Hawaiʻi’s Coastlines: Past, Present and Future”

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What will determine the future impacts of sewage on Hawai’i’s nearshore ecosystems and public health? Learn more at a free Zoom webinar titled “Sewage Impacts on Hawaiʻi’s Coastlines: Past, Present and Future” by Daniel Amato, Ph.D., which will include recent research and latest information on Hawaiʻi’s wastewater saga. The webinar will take place on Wednesday October 7 at 5:30 pm and is free and open to the public. It is presented by Maui Nui Marine Resource Council as part of their monthly “Know Your Ocean Speaker Series.” Advance reservations are recommended as the Zoom webinar is limited to 100 attendees. Make your free reservation at https://bit.ly/MauiSewage

“My talk will share reports on how injection wells and cesspools continue to pollute Hawaiʻi’s waters, with an emphasis on recent Maui studies,” says Dr. Amato. ”I will also present recent decisions from the Hawaiʻi State Legislature and the current status of their effort to phase out cesspools.”

Dr. Amato will also discuss the current situation with sewage pollution in Hawai’i, and will present community efforts and new technological developments in sewage detection that show promise for the future.

A water quality specialist, Dr. Amato’s professional work focuses on the detection and impacts of land-based pollution in the Pacific Ocean and the development of new technology to assist in detecting the DNA of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) in the water.Dr. Amato is a Marine Research Specialist at the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa, an Environmental Scientist at Element Environmental LLC, and serves as the coordinator for Surfrider-Oahu’s Blue Water Task Force.

“We are offering this webinar by Dr. Amato to share important information about sewage and its impact on Maui’s coastlines, including ocean water quality and our nearshore coral reefs,” says Amy Hodges, Programs and Operations Manager at Maui Nui Marine Resource Council. “It’s a critically important topic, at a time when our coral reefs need the benefit of clean ocean water, to survive the impacts of climate change and warming water.”

“We thank the County of Maui Mayorʻs Office of Economic Development for supporting our Know Your Ocean Speaker Series,” says Hodges.

For reservations for this talk, visit https://bit.ly/MauiSewage.

About Maui Nui Marine Resource Council:
Maui Nui Marine Resource Council is a community-based nonprofit organization celebrating 12 years of working for healthy coral reefs, clean ocean water and abundant native fish throughout Maui County. Our work includes co-managing the Hui O Ka Wai Ola Ocean Water Quality Monitoring Program in South and West Maui, efforts to reduce pollution in Mā‘alaea Bay (through erosion-control efforts in the Pohakea watershed and using oysters to filter sediment and pollutants from ocean water), coral reef research, visitor education programs and more. Learn more at www.mauireefs.org.

 

Public Invited to Free Presentation on “Sunflower Farming: A Sustainable Model for Maui’s Former Sugar Cane Lands That Benefits Local Coral Reefs” on Wednesday, October 3 

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Can fields of cheerful golden-yellow sunflowers be a model for creative and sustainable ways to use Maui’s former sugar cane lands that also have a positive impact on Maui’s coral reefs? Come explore this topic at a free presentation by Pacific Biodiesel at Maui Nui Marine Resource Council’s monthly meeting on Wednesday, October 3 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at Pacific Whale Foundation’s classrooms at the Ma’alaea Harbor Shops. The public is invited, admission is free and refreshments will be served.

“Maui Nui Marine Resource Council is a local nonprofit that works for clean ocean water, healthy coral reefs and restoring an abundance of native fish,” says Robin Newbold, co-founder and chair of the organization. “We strongly believe that coral reef conservation requires a ‘mauka to makai’ (mountains to sea) approach, which means looking at upslope activities including use of our island’s former sugar cane lands. We’re pleased to present this talk about one farming model that ties together sustainable agriculture and protection of our local environment, including the reefs.”

The presenter will be Joy Galatro, marketing director at Maui-based Pacific Biodiesel, a renewable energy company that has devoted the past two decades to keeping used cooking oil out of our local landfill by recycling it into a renewable fuel. Trilogy Excursions and Extended Horizons use this non-toxic, biodegradable fuel (called biodiesel) to help power their vessels for snorkeling, whalewatching and other cruises.

During the past two years, Pacific Biodiesel has converted 200 acres of former sugar cane land in Maui’s central valley into fields of sunflowers, raised without pesticides or herbicides, no GMO crops, requiring little irrigation and home to 15 thriving bee hives. Once harvested, the sunflower seeds are pressed into a full-flavored oil that has won favor by local chefs.

Recently, the company has incorporated the oils into its new Kuleana® natural beauty products line — including its newly launched Kuleana® Sunscreens made from plant-based oils including the company’s Maui Sunflower Oil, minerals, and other reef-safe natural ingredients. The new sunscreen does not contain ecologically harmful chemicals such as oxybenzone and octinoxate – two chemicals known to be toxic to corals and other marine life and recently banned by Hawaiʻi’s new sunscreen law.

In addition to its environmentally friendly formulation, Kuleana Sunscreen aims to support environmental organizations in the state through its membership in 1% for the Planet, a global organization that connects dollars and doers to accelerate smart environmental giving.

“We are proud to offer consumers another natural product that aligns with our state’s environmental goals to protect and preserve fragile marine ecosystems, including coral reefs,” said Galatro, “Practicing sustainability and protecting the environment are central to our company’s mission.” For more information, visit Biodiesel.com and KuleanaBeauty.com.

About Maui Nui Marine Resource Council:
A Maui-based nonprofit organization founded in 2007, Maui Nui Marine Resource Council is working for healthy coral reefs, clean ocean water and abundant native fish for the islands of Maui County. Current projects include ocean water quality testing in South and West Maui, work to improve ocean water quality in Ma’alaea Bay, ongoing studies of corals in Olowalu and Ma’alaea, and outreach programs to educate visitors about protecting Maui’s coral reefs. To learn more, visit www.mauireefs.org.