Kaanapali Makai Watch Coordinator Luna Kekoa's Report on the KHFMA Birthday Bash

by Luna Kekoa

On a sun shining , windy July 23^rd, the Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management area celebrated its second year of existence with a Birthday Bash!  This event was hosted by the Kaanapali Makai Watch team, as well as the NOAA Humpack Whale Sanctuary and Marine Mammal Stranding team, and the West Maui Watershed partnership. 

Honorary guests to the KHFMA celebration included our Maui County Council members Mike Victorino, Joe Pontanilla, and Elle Cochran who shared their perspectives and concerns of the area with community members and volunteers.
 

As part of the celebration the community was encouraged to participate with an underwater scavenger hunt, and for those who couldn’t get wet, there was also a land-based scavenger hunt.  One group of volunteers participated in a Fish Identification Network (FIN) fish count survey,  while another group conducted water quality samples.  On land, beach-goer surveys and herbivore identification surveys were being conducted with park visitors and hotel guests.  Once the surveys were completed the group gathered around for some cake.  This year, researchers conducting experiments in the Kahekili area created KHFMA theme cakes that included a manini(convict tang) cake, a coral cake (with healthy and unhealthy reef), and urchin cupcakes. 

We would like to mahalo all participants who visited and shared in the KHFMA Birthday Bash!

Kahekili, a "Hope Spot" for Hawaii, celebrates its 2nd birthday!

by Coral Rick

Early on a Saturday morning a Medieval village of tents began to grow on the shore of North Ka`anapali.  Slowly the tents were erected one by one by a small clan of Menehunue (disguised as Makai Watch) so that government and NGO folks could set up their exhibits. The posters were hung, the colorful pamphlets were laid out on the tables, and the freshly prepared foods were arranged in a tempting spread. And the pilgrims arrived from far and wide with flippers and snorkels and BCDS and wetsuits and heavy cans of air. And they brought their children - the future scientists and leaders. They came for many reasons: some to enjoy the sun and surf; others to count fish; and all came to celebrate the second anniversary of a marine protected area called the Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area.

Armed only with underwater slates and cameras, a dozen snorkelers slipped into the ocean further up the beach, allowing the constant wind to help them drift South and back to the village of tents.  Then smaller groups of divers turned on the valves of their air tanks and kicked slowly offshore before drifting down to the reef below. All were greeted by hungry schools of fish – herbivores – parrotfish and surgeonfish chomping away and keeping the coral reef from being overwhelmed by the algae.  In a soundless exchange of solidarity, a dozen divers waved and gave the “okay” sign to a dozen snorkelers patrolling from the surface.  They had come to see the abundance of marine life and they found biodiversity.  Scattered across the bottom of the reef were the experiments of scientists in big metal cages (under permit, of course) studying the role of urchins in the health of the coral reef ecosystem.

Back on shore, with gear cleaned up and packed away, they feasted and posed for photographs. Of course there was a Kahekili birthday cake.  And, of course there was the traditional group photo with everyone wearing funny little birthday hats.  Sylvia Earle has a dream of “hope spots” – places that are critical to the health of the ocean.  Kahekili is a “hope spot” in the main Hawaiian Islands because it was doomed to become another reef collapse.  But, thanks to the work of scientists, government, community and volunteers, there is hope.

P.S.  Two more exciting fish counts are being planned for August and September, so follow us on Facebook

To see more photos from the event, visit the Ka'anapali Makai Watch page on facebook!

Update from Hawaii Coastal Zone Management & NOAA on the West Maui Watershed Collaborative Planning Project

At the Coastal Zone 2011 (CZ11) Conference in Chicago on July 20, 2011, a special session was held on the US Coral Reef Task Force priority partnership initiatives called “Managing Coral Reefs from Ridge to Reef – Working in Partnership across Federal and State Agencies and Non-governmental Organizations to Address Local Needs.”  The two priority partnerships are West Maui Watershed/ Kaanapali Hawaii Coral Reef Strategy Priority Site for the Pacific and Guanica Bay, Puerto Rico for the Caribbean.
Visit this link to see the presentation given at CZ11 for West Maui which provides a good update and overview of the actions and strategy for collaboration.