Mākena coral reef restoration community outreach project

Establish a community-based effort to restore the coral reefs off the coast of Mākena from Maluaka Beach to Makena State Park, along the base of Pu’u O’lai, which were decimated during the extreme storms of this past summer, leaving fields of broken dead coral pieces covered with algae and plummeting fish populations. The reefs were some of the most diverse and healthy marine ecosystems of South Maui, previously home to a wide array of reef fish, green and hawksbill turtles, spotted eagle rays, spinner dolphins, reef sharks and occasional Hawaiian monk seals. The challenge is that the majority of the ocean users who frequent the area (beachgoers, swimmers, paddlers, divers, snorkelers, fishers and spear fishers) do not live in Makena, so bringing the community together requires outreach through a variety of channels: TikTok videos featuring teenaged presenters who share their love of spearfishing and can speak to the need to give the herbivorous fish in this area time to recover and be replenished; snorkel rental companies and beach signage for visitors advocating snorkeling practices that will protect the reef during this precarious recovery period; social media and tv ads for swimmers and paddlers with messaging about how to remove debris and entangled fishing lines from corals, how to report injured turtles, and how to get involved in reef replenishment activities; and instruction for new homeowners being built in Makena about reef-safe landscaping and lawn care practices. This outreach will require funding to succeed. Bringing together these various groups for shared meals and updates on the recovery efforts and results can help to keep this community-based effort going and growing. All of the outreach efforts and messaging will be coordinated with and approved by Hawaii DAR /DLNR, with input from existing marine conservation groups.