• Summary of Water Quality Research from Kahalu‘u Bay, Hawai‘i Island

    April 11, 2022
    Water quality has a profound effect on the health of nearshore coral reef ecosystems in Hawaiʻi and around the world. One of Kahalu‘u Bay’s most unique and important features is its abundant pūnāwai (freshwater springs). Excess nutrients, sewage, and pathogens from increased development, cesspools, fertilizers and pesticides, and stormwater runoff create stress and imbalance in the nearshore environment, making the need to better understand and manage this issue more urgent for the health of our communities and ecosystems. A dedicated team of trained citizen scientists has been collecting water
     quality data at Kahaluʻu for nearly 13 years, helping us better understand how we can reduce stressors to increase the resilience of the bay’s coral reef ecosystem. Dr. Rick Bennett will share a summary of the data and what they tell us in an online presentation on Wednesday, April 20, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. HST. The community is invited to sign up and participate so we can all be better informed and more effective caretakers of our nearshore environments. Please contact Cindi Punihaole, director of our Kahalu‘u Bay Education Center, for more information.

    From The Lealet:     Messages from Ahupuaʻa ʻo Kawaihae April 2022 LINK