The Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area to Host Sister Event to the Smithsonian Institution’s Earth Optimism Summit – All invited to talk story and swim for science on Earth Day

KAʻANAPALI, MAUI – The Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area to Host Sister Event to the Smithsonian Institution’s Earth Optimism Summit – All invited to talk story and swim for science on Earth Day

On the afternoon of Earth Day 2017 (April 22^nd), all are invited to meet at Kahekili Beach Park (Old Airport Beach) in North Kāʻanapali at 1:00 pm to join members of the community, resource managers, scientists, and conservationists to talk story, learn more about one another, and discuss areas of environmental concerns and conservation successes in our community and globally.

While there are many environmental concerns in our world today, there is also cause for celebration of conservation efforts that have resulted in success. That is the idea behind the Earth Optimism Summit, a global initiative spearheaded by the Smithsonian Institution that “celebrates a change in focus from problem to solution, from a sense of loss to one of hope, in the dialogue about conservation and sustainability,” according to the event website.

Locally on Maui, those who have supported, managed and enforced the Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area (KHFMA) for over seven years now have reason to celebrate, as this unique Marine Managed Area is showing signs of success. However, reef recovery is a long process that requires sustained action and support from the community. Stewards of this area are coming together to host a community event with an overarching theme of positivity and community engagement, and it has received the distinction of becoming an official ‘sister event’ to the Earth Optimism Summit.

Event organizers agree that the story of the KHFMA is inspirational in many ways, particularly because “it’s an example of a marine managed area that didn’t need to be ‘closed down’ to result in early improvements such as more and bigger fishes,” according to Liz Foote, one of the event’s organizers. She continues, “it still has a long road ahead, but the more people who follow the rules and share them with others–along with the message of why this area is special–the better a chance it has to recover and benefit the surrounding areas and the people who want to visit and harvest from them.”

The event will kick off with a gathering focused on Earth Optimism, followed by the opportunity to Swim for Science as an ocean-themed extension of the March for Science (the official March for Science on Maui will be taking place from 9-11 am at the University of Hawaii Maui College in Kahului). Dr. Emily Kelly and her colleagues from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego have been studying the reef at Kahekili for over a decade. Together they conceived of the idea of an ‘underwater’ march in conjunction with the Earth Optimism Summit; as Dr. Kelly notes, “we value science to learn about our world and inform policy. However, we don’t always have the opportunity to share the scientific results we have been gathering all these years directly with the community. Therefore we swim in support of science and the Earth Optimism we have as a result of seeing improved ecosystem health at Kahekili.” 

Participants will have the chance to learn about the Eyes of the Reef Reporting Network, a statewide citizen science effort that anyone can do. According to Darla White of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources and an Eyes of the Reef program coordinator, “as we celebrate the value of science in understanding our world, don't forget that your contribution is so important. Maui Nui's coral reefs are some of the most valuable reefs in the Main Hawaiian Islands and they are all connected. However, many are stressed by land-based pollution, overfishing, and warming oceans. Therefore, it is more important than ever to keep your eyes open for changes (e.g. white coral; increases in algae) and report them to the Eyes of the Reef Network. Your reports matter!”

Finally, Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement (DOCARE) officers will also be in attendance to host a walk-and-talk-story with participants to share enforcement perspectives of the KHFMA. They will have fishing-related giveaways to share along with refreshments provided by the organizers. Edward “Luna” Kekoa, DOCARE’s Statewide Makai Watch Coordinator, underscores the importance of this opportunity for community to come together during this event: “we believe in collaboration and partnerships but lack the relationships with one another, therefore, we talk story." To accomplish this, in addition to walking the beach with enforcement officers, an informal panel discussion will be held, entitled “A Fisherman, a Scientist, a Manager, and an Enforcement Officer walk into a beach park.”

Event organizers invite everyone to come join together for Earth Day and share their Earth Optimism for the successful management of reefs at Kahekili and beyond for future generations. For more about this event, please contact Emily Kelly at (919) 949-7399 or emilylak@gmail.com and visit the Facebook page for the Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area.

Professional Profile: Craig Downs

1. Name: Craig Downs

2. Job Title: Executive Director, Haereticus Environmental Laboratory

3. Degree(s) held and from where:

         BA: Hiram College

         MSc: Syracuse University

         Ph.D.: University of Hawaii – Manoa

        

5. Briefly describe the project(s) you are currently working on:

         In Maui, we are working on two projects:

(1)  The Kapalua Bay Restoration Initiative – Kapalua Bay’s coral reef “collapsed” beginning in 2006.  We have spent the last 5 years conducting scientific investigations into the stressors impacting the Bay and the relative contribution of these different stressors to ecological degradation.  Our goal is to mitigate these stressors and return the Bay back to health.

(2)  Impacts of sunscreen on coral reefs – our organization has partnered with about a dozen other organizations around the world to examine the ecological impacts of different chemicals in sunscreen lotions. It is estimated that coral reefs the world over can be exposed to at least 14,000 tons of sunscreen lotion a year.  We have demonstrated that some ingredients in some sunscreen formulation can be a significant threat to coral reefs, and that it is possible to formulate sunscreen lotions that could be relatively safe for coral reefs.

6. Explain how/why your job is important to society:

 Very few organizations conduct research on environmental degradation or on anthropogenic factors that pose (e.g., sunscreen use, pesticide use) a risk to ecological integrity.  Our organization partners with government agencies, academic institutions (high schools to universities), large international NGOs and small, grassroots community coalitions to understand the factors that threaten wild environments through scientific/forensic investigations.  Once we understand these causes, we develop or facilitate the development of solutions that mitigate these destructive processes.  This can range from advocating the use of better tertiary sewage treatment systems for island communities to ecologically safe sunscreen formulations used near coral reefs.

13. What do you like to do on your days off?   

What days off?

Connectivity - What is it, why you should care, and what do we do about it??

Last month, Dr. Rob Toonen, a scientist working at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, visited Maui to give a presentation for the spring session of Ocean Awareness Training in Lahaina and Kihei.

In an effort to get the word out about the significance of his research and its implications for marine conservation in Hawai'i, two volunteers, Kathy Corcoran and Eden Zang, each wrote articles and commentary about the presentation. 


Kathy's piece, "Rob Toonen: Current marine research supports kupuna teachings," was printed in the May 12th issue of the Lahaina News, and Eden's is posted below. 


For reference and context, you can check out Dr. Toonen's slide presentation HERE.

Connectivity: What is it and why should we care?

By Eden Zang

Our world ocean is in an all time vulnerable state. When you think of marine conservation what comes to mind? Save the Whales, the great garbage patch, oil spills, ocean acidification, overfishing? Often times we focus on one topic at a time hoping that if we can fix that one piece it will help the issue on a whole. While it certainly helps to have a concentrated effort on particular issues in support of the overall resiliency of the system, often times we are just treating the symptoms. What are the core issues facing the degradation of our oceans?

Dr. Rob Toonen of Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, spoke at Ocean Awareness Training, on Monday April 25th and Tuesday April 26 night about connectivity and why we should care. His interest and research has focused on larval ecology and connectivity of marine invertebrates. A significant finding of his was related to breeding populations of coral reef invertebrates.  For example, if a population of a particular species is on Kauai and there was the same genetic population found on Maui, if for some reason the population on Maui was wiped out, the population could still go on if the population on Kauai was able to effectively disperse to Maui (source sink dynamics). What he and his team discovered is that there are several species that are genetically different on each island (i.e. opihi), indicating a lack of successful dispersal, so if Maui’s population of opihi was wiped out it is unlikely they could repopulate within any reasonable human timeframe. So here is where connectivity comes in. With effective management and community support, we have seen Marine Protected Areas work. They often create a scenario where the animals become plentiful and larger in size thus creating more biomass and an overflow into unprotected areas where individuals can then harvest them. But pointing to the research of Toonen, this may be where these animals live but it may not be where they came from as larvae. Thus, we need to protect the breeding grounds as well. Scientists are now beginning to define boundaries for protected areas based on ecosystem dynamics rather than solely on individual species . The need to create these boundaries came from examining our current management of these resources. Increased management supported by community buy-in, coupled with policy change at the local, national and worldwide level are imperative if we don’t want to lose precious animals and eco-systems. By taking ecological factors into account and protecting whole ecosystems, we create a healthy area of abundance that will ensure future generations will have not only a sustainable food source, but a beautiful place to live, work and play.

I also want to point out that marine ecosystems aren’t just affected by what we protect or do in the water. What we do on land has a significant effect on marine ecosystems. The traditional Hawaiian system of ahupua’a was based on the fact they knew what they did at the top of the mountain affected the bottom into the ocean. To effect change we must look at the holistically at our ecosystems.  A huge concern for scientists today is ocean acidification, an outcome of climate change. One of the most significant findings in recent years is that more acidic oceans can significantly affect the development and ultimately wipe out populations of animals that produce calcium carbonate shells and skeletons like mollusks such as opihi, formanifera (plankton that are a major part of the marine food web) and reef-building corals (Zimmer 2010, Daniels 2010). Coral reefs are already under several stressors. Ocean acidification could be the final blow. So what does this have to do with what we do on land? Well let’s examine renewable energy. What do solar panels and wind farms have to do with the oceans? Clean energy is of utmost importance to our oceans health. The main cause of ocean acidification is an excess of CO2 in the atmosphere. CO2 can get into our air by driving cars or drilling for so-called clean energy sources like natural gas. But as author Ann Perry points out, “The primary culprit in human-induced global warming is carbon dioxide, which is emitted by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas.” Global warming or climate change is having a significant effect on our oceans. Therefore, whether you live on Maui, in North Dakota, or Europe, your actions to reduce your carbon footprint can help reef ecosystems worldwide.

When it comes to conservation issues, policy change or management of marine areas, it can seem overwhelming. Sometimes it feels like we “the little guy” can’t make a difference. But it’s the small everyday changes and decisions that we make as individuals that WILL make a difference. My previous career was in nonprofit fundraising. I told people “Every dollar counts, because your dollar, combined with my dollar, combined with the dollar from the person down the street, that’s how we make a difference.” The thought here is that the sum is greater than all its parts. This method was a successful fundraising model for our organization for decades and the last year I was there we raised over 47. 4 million dollars in the annual campaign for our local county. And it started with just a dollar. We can effect change by combining all our small efforts. It starts now with just one change, “I pledge to unplug all my electronic devices when I leave the house for the day”. It starts with one phone call to our senators. Whatever we do, it needs to start now.

I encourage you to advocate for the issues you feel are important. Write to your legislators; they respond when enough of their constituents are coming forward with a united voice. Talk with our local Department of Land and Natural Resources officials to see how they are looking towards the future to implement ecosystem-based management. Talk to your HR department about how they can make your workplace more green and tell your co-workers to do the same. Write a letter to your local paper. The more people talking about an issue the more likely it is to get attention. We must articulate our views respectfully, with facts, passion, and without aggression and our point will get across.

Research like that of Rob Toonen is powerful but without action from the public it may never be used to protect these important eco-systems or our future.  Let’s not let the hard work of the Toonen lab go to waste!

Reference: (coming soon)

Join the conversation:

Maui Ocean Bloggers

Hawaii Eco-Tube

Maui County Environmental Programs Office

Senator Dan Inouye’s Website

Local Papers:

Maui News' Letter to the Editor submission form

Lahaina News - click here to send an email Letter to the Editor

Maui Weekly - click here to send an email Letter to the Editor

Maui Time - click here to send an email Letter to the Editor

DAR's Final Report to NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program

The State of Hawai'i's Division of Aquatic Resources has released a report on the outcomes of its monitoring program, "Long-Term Monitoring of Coral Reefs of the Main Hawaiian Islands" prepared by William Walsh, Russell Sparks, Camille Barnett, Courtney Couch, Stephen Cotton, Darla White, Kristy Stone, and Eric Conklin. 

Click here to view the report in Google documents.

Below is the Summary of Findings for MAUI from the report:

Benthic
• Nine of the 20 currently monitored coral reefs have experienced significant changes (paired t-tests of first survey year vs. most recent survey year, p<0.05), with coral cover declining at 7 sites and increasing at 2 sites.
• Coral cover declines at three sites (Honolua Bay, Mā’alaea Bay, and Papaula Point) were so severe that these individual reefs may have already experienced a total coral reef ecosystem collapse.
• Sites experiencing significant coral reef declines appear to be affected by anthropogenic impacts such as land based pollution, sedimentation and overfishing.
• Monitoring sites with stable high coral cover (Kanahena Bay, Olowalu, and Molokini) appear to be away from urban areas, are fairly remote or are located offshore.

Fish
• Comparisons between fully protected reserves versus areas open to fishing show that marine reserves have consistently higher resource fish biomass levels, larger sized fish, greater numbers of apex predators, and the greater abundances of schooling grazers.

Shallow Water Habitat and Fish Surveys (lay-net regulation assessment surveys)
• Fish biomass levels were higher in areas where past lay-net fishing effort was lower.
• Qualitative habitat assessments show the areas that experienced the highest past lay-net fishing effort had the most degraded reef habitats with algal cover at 20% or higher at most of these survey locations.

Kahekili Herbivore Baseline
• 242 Sites have been surveyed to establish a firm baseline of fish, benthic cover, and urchin populations.
• Benthic community structure and fish biomass varied significantly by habitat, and therefore may have markedly different responses to the management implementation.

Volunteer Herbivore Grazing Assessments
• Over 100 trained volunteer community members have participated in 532 surveys, totaling over 2400 contributed hours
• General grazing trends for both acanthurids and scarids were similar. A significant negative correlation for grazing rate versus fish size was observed, which is intuitive because smaller fishes require continuous energy for growth. Conversely, bite sizes increased with fish size.
• The area of algae scraped by scarids over a year has a significant positive linear relationship to size (i.e. larger fish have a greater impact on algal removal).
• Both scarids and acanthurids are critical grazers for controlling algae on the reefs. Not enough data was gathered on kyphosids due to infrequent presence of this family in the study sites.

Roi Control Assessments
• Data has been collected on community efforts to reduce roi populations on Maui. Most of this effort has been at one location, Olowalu.
• When data on both CPUE and the number of roi escaped are combined, a significant decline in roi abundance can be seen.
• While roi have been substantially reduced, they are still present in moderate densities despite months of removal effort.
• Ciguatera analysis of fish weighing over one pound indicates that 69% of the population contains ciguatoxin.

Coral Disease Assessments
• HIMB researchers’ data showed a 47% decrease in coral cover over a period of one year at a site known as Montipora Pond, wherein a nearly monotypic stand of Montipora capitata has a chronic outbreak of Montipora white syndrome. DAR Maui took over monthly monitoring efforts to learn more about this outbreak. The outbreak shows patterns of waxing and waning, with an increase in coral mortality.
• NOAA and DAR Maui have partnered to gather data on coral disease at four sites on Maui in order to test a satellite predictive tool model for Hawai′i. The first of two years of data collection has been completed.