Speed-Date-a-Scientist event to kick off the 2015 Ridge to Reef Rendezvous!

Join an array of researchers and science fans this Friday the 24th at Maui Brewing Co.'s Kahana Brewpub for the "Speed Date a Scientist" pau hana, co-sponsored by partners in the West Maui Ridge to Reef Initiative and the Hawai'i Environmental Education Alliance. For more on the event, check out this article in the Lahaina News by Alana Yurkanin.
 

Want to get to know our lineup in advance? Their profiles are below. Many of them will also be onhand the next day for the Ridge to Reef Rendezvous at Kahekili Beach Park (Old Airport Beach in North Ka'anapali), where they'll be participating in our "Stump (and Soak) a Scientist" game - you'll have a chance to ask them questions, and possibly pelt them with a wet sponge depending on their answer. Thanks for being so good-natured about all this, gang!!

Speed-Date-a-Scientist lineup:

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?

Student Art Contest and Exhibition will be part of this summer’s Ridge to Reef Celebration and 5th Birthday Bash for the KHFMA!

As part of this year’s big annual community event at Kahekili Beach Park on Saturday July 26^th, we are holding an art contest and exhibition for Maui students of all ages! There will be a prize awarded to the entry that best communicates one of the key themes and associated conservation messages surrounding the “ridge to reef,” “mauka to makai” region of West Maui and particularly the Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area (KHFMA). Everyone who attends will have a chance to vote for the winner, as all entries will be on display as part of the event. 

Guidelines for Entering:

• Artwork should be in the form of posters on plain paper, with a maximum length/width of 12 inches.

• Themes to choose from (see below for guidance on exploring these themes):

1)    Coral Reefs

2)    Pono Fishing

3)    “Herbivores Help Keep Reefs Healthy”

4)    What is the KHFMA?

5)    Watershed Stewardship: What You Can Do

• Write the student’s name and contact information (phone, email) on the back.

• Turn in artwork no later than July 14^th to be entered.  Artwork can be mailed to Liz Foote, or arrangements can be made to drop it off or get it picked up by coordinating with Liz at Lfoote@coral.org or (808) 669-9062.

Exploring the Themes:

Under each theme below are some links to places where you can find more information about each theme. Check it out, and decide which theme you’d like to highlight in your artwork!

1)    Coral Reefs

CORAL’s Coral Reefs 101: http://coral.org/coral-reefs-101/

2)    Pono Fishing

Ma Ka hana Ka ‘Ike project by Pelika Bertelmann: http://www2.hawaii.edu/~pelikaok/hanamalama2.html

Hui Malama o Mo’omomi’s  Pono Fishing Calendar (2011):  http://www.wpcouncil.org/education/docs/2011/2011%20Pono%20Fishing%20Calendar.pdf

Hawaii Living Reef Ethical Fishing Guidelines: http://www.hawaii.edu/ssri/cron/files/pr_fs-fishing_ethics.pdf

NOAA’s Ethical Angling brochure: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/management/recreational/documents/ethical_angler_web.pdf

3)   “Herbivores Help Keep Reefs Healthy”

KHFMA educational sign:

http://www.hawaiicoralreefstrategy.com/PDFs/14_Makai_Watch_On-going/KHFMA_Sign_Generic_No_Box_COMPRESSED.pdf

http://mauioceanbloggers.blogspot.com/2013/06/new-educational-sign-describes-how.html

video: http://www.oceanplus.tv/en/stories/video/394-herbivory-and-coral-reef-health

4)    What is the KHFMA?

Hawaii Coral Reef Strategy: http://www.hawaiicoralreefstrategy.com/index.php/prioritysites/westmaui#The_Kahekili_Herbivore_Fisheries_Management_Area

Several links here: http://mauioceanbloggers.blogspot.com/2012/06/khfma-info.html

TNC Reef Resilience Program Case Study on the KHFMA: http://www.reefresilience.org/pdf/Case_Study_Kahekili.pdf

Blog posts by Scripps Institution of Oceanography PhD student Emily Kelly: http://coralreefecology.ucsd.edu/2010/11/26/notes-from-the-field-hawaii/

http://coralreefecology.ucsd.edu/2011/02/24/thrilled-to-be-back-on-the-reef/

NOAA Fisheries Blogs on KHFMA research: http://pifscblog.wordpress.com/2012/10/04/west-maui-surveys/

http://pifscblog.wordpress.com/2013/05/09/surveys-khfma-maui/

5)   Watershed Stewardship: What You Can Do

From the West Maui Kumuwai website: http://westmauikumuwai.org/what-you-can-do/

Learn more about watersheds and conservation efforts in West Maui:

EPA’s “What is a Watershed” http://water.epa.gov/type/watersheds/whatis.cfm

EPA’s Watershed Stewardship Toolkit: http://www.epa.gov/owow_keep/adopt/#toolkit

Watershed Stewardship efforts of the West Maui Ridge to Reef Initiative: http://www.westmauir2r.com/watershed-management-plan.html

West Maui Mountains Watershed Partnership http://www.westmauiwatershed.org

Announcing this year's Ridge to Reef Celebration and 5th Birthday Bash for the KHFMA! Join us on Saturday, July 26th!

Our annual celebration of Ridge to Reef stewardship and the KHFMA is ON!

Join us at Kahekili Beach Park (Old Airport beach in North Kāʻanapali) on Saturday, July 26th for all sorts of fun for the whole family.

We had a blast last year, and it's promising to be even bigger and better this year!

The official event listing is here on Facebook, where you'll find an up to date game plan of all the activities, as well as the prizes generously donated by local businesses.

See you at the beach!

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.