Give us 30 Minutes, We’ll Give You a Whole New Way to See the Reef

In December, our team from CORAL, the West Maui Ridge to Reef Initiative, and the Division of Aquatic Resources started conducting West Maui Watershed site visits for decision-makers. We wanted to provide a fun, field-based opportunity for people to join us, talk story, and learn about ongoing coral reef conservation and stewardship efforts firsthand. We also wanted to do this in an informal setting where we can explore strategies and solutions together. But the highlight is really the chance to join us in the water for a snorkel tour on Kahekili reef! Whether you grew up here or moved here from elsewhere, and whether the reef in North Ka’anapali is part of your ahupua‘a or not, there is always something to learn, and this particular reef has a lot to teach us. 

Coral reefs worldwide have declined and continue to be threatened by human activities, and our reefs in Hawai‘i are no exception.

OK, let’s be honest, did you fall asleep while reading that last sentence? Yeah, you’ve heard it before, right? From a bunch of us, probably. I thought so.

Trust us on this, it really makes a difference to see the reef firsthand, WHILE learning about what exactly it is you are seeing. Not convinced? Try this quiz on YouTube right now, before you read any further.

The point is, there’s always something to see, and you may not really “see” it unless you know it’s there in the first place, and that awareness simply won’t come without a guided interpretive experience. That’s what we’re here for, to provide that experience, whether it’s through our reef tour out in the water, or through upcoming new “virtual reef” modules with our partners from ReefQuest. It is our goal to provide this experience to Maui County decision-makers and influential leaders, to provide the broader context of “reef conservation” – the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ - through firsthand experience and collaborative fellowship.

We would like to thank the Honua Kai Resort & Spa, the Hyatt Regency Maui, the Maui Hotel and Lodging Association, and the Maui Vacation Rental Association for supporting its staff in joining us on our first couple reef tours, and their responses have helped convince us that this is in fact a worthwhile endeavor:

 “I just wanted to thank you again for the opportunity to experience and witness the true conditions of our Maui reefs up close. It was certainly an eye-opener for myself, and should be shared with all residents and visitors alike.  We all need to be aware of our impact on this precious and fragile ecosystem to act on preserving it for many more generations to enjoy.” -Joice Castillo, 
Engineering Administrative Assistant, Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa

L-R: Joice Castillo, Parker Bell, Barak Laub, Darla White, Tova Callender, Lisa Paulson

 “Thank you for providing an informational and educational filled morning.  I know more now about the effects of our day to day living on our fragile coral reefs.  Going into the ocean to see the actual dead coral was disheartening and made it very clear that we need to continue looking at better ways to work and live in harmony with our environment.” – Lisa Paulson, Executive Director, Maui Hotel & Lodging Association

L-R: Darren McDaniel (@HonuaKai), Tova Callender, Darla White

 

Still not convinced?

Check out the following photos from our last reef tour and consider the questions in the captions.

What’s going on here? What does the brown mean?

What kind of coral is this? How long has it been growing here? How healthy is this particular coral colony?

Is this normal coral growth?

Is this how coral is “supposed” to look? What is growing over it? What happens next?

Is this a “big” school of fishes? Why were the reef tour leaders both excited and depressed to see this school of fishes?

What kind of fishes are in this school? What are they doing? Why do we care?

 

We’ll do our best to address these questions, and more. And we promise it’s not all “doom and gloom,” either. There are plenty of reasons for hope, and by exploring and implementing solutions together, we will find even more reasons to be hopeful.