Malama Kai Hosts July ReefTalks

Mamala Kai hosts ReefTalks, a monthly lecture series on ocean conservation.

Join special guest Kelly Hondula on Thursday, July 16th (6 PM) at The Thirsty Gecko!

Kelly Hondula
Associate Research Scientist
Center for Global Discovery & Conservation Science, ASU, Hilo, HI
ʻĀkoʻakoʻa Reef Restoration Program

Topic: Where Is Sewage Contamination Leaking into West Hawaiʻi Reefs?
This talk will describe underground sewage pollution from wastewater that reaches West Hawaiʻi coastal bays and amplifies the negative effects of climate change on coral. We’ll discuss findings from our study that combined airborne mapping techniques, field sampling, and statistical models to identify where contaminated groundwater is leaking into the reef, spanning the coastline from South Kona to North Kohala. We found widespread but spatially variable contamination, and that contaminated sites were associated with both higher numbers of cesspools and higher levels of built-up land cover near the shoreline.

Guest Speaker Bio
Kelly Hondula is an Associate Research Scientist with Arizona State University’s Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science based in Hilo. Her work involves measuring coastal water quality with techniques ranging from the seafloor to satellites. She specializes in aquatic biogeochemistry and watershed science, and has studied topics ranging from the biodiversity footprint of food waste, to models of flood risk behavior, and the policy and ethics of ecosystem restoration. Kelly has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Environmental Science from the University of Virginia and a PhD in Marine, Estuarine, and Environmental Sciences from the University of Maryland.

Details
July ReefTalks
Thursday, July 16th @ 6pm
The Thirsty Gecko | 74-5588 Pawai Place, Kailua Kona, HI 96740