On my way over to Aotearoa New Zealand, I had the opportunity to visit O‘ahu, Hawai‘i, where I connected with OWU alumni and explored the island’s marine conservation initiatives. I started my trip with training on the Avelo, a new scuba system (stay tuned for a blog on that experience!) and got to explore beautiful coral reefs and wrecks.
During my visit, I stayed with Stacey Tighe (1980 North American Scholar). We met with Jessica Schem (2014 REEF Intern) and Mykle Hoban (2010 AAUS Intern). We attended a Talk Story event hosted by Civil Beat on a NOAA expedition to the northwestern Hawaiian islands. Dr. Randy Kosaki, NOAA research scientist, shared his perspective on the status of the islands. One of the most encouraging parts of the talk was hearing about the recovery of East Island after Hurricane Walaka. This island is essentially a sandbar, but a critical habitat for nesting green sea turtles and monk seals. Using drone imagery, they were able to identify hundreds of turtle nests! During this event, we also heard from Papah?naumoku?kea Marine Debris Project, a marine debris removal program that has removed more than 1 million pounds of trash from the western Hawaiian islands in the last four years. Much of this debris that is collected is given to Hawai‘i universities that are developing methods to repurpose the debris. See the recorded event here – it’s worth a watch!
A highlight of my trip was a community working day at the He’eia fish pond. This fish pond is managed by the nonprofit Paepae o He’eia, which aims to preserve traditional Hawaiian fishing practices for the community. The introduction of invasive mangroves in the early 1900s completely changed the coastal ecosystem. They also changed the fish pond, as the roots eroded the walls of the pond. Part of the working day was removing the mangroves from the outside of the fishpond. We also worked to build a mud wall for a smaller nursery pond within the larger pond. At the end of a (very muddy) day, we shared a meal of kalua pork, rice, and poi- most of which was sourced from the preserve. It was so interesting to learn more about this cultural practice and contribute to this restoration project.
During my visit I also got to explore Hanauma Bay State Park. This nature preserve was declared a protected marine life conservation park in 1967, but with no limits on daily visitors, the area became overexploited. In the 90s, efforts began to address this problem. Today, there are limits on how many visitors can enter the park, and everyone must watch a 9-minute video about protecting and conserving the area. These efforts have led to the recovery of the biodiversity in the bay. I got to spend a day snorkeling and exploring the area!
I also got to visit the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) with Mykle. The lab is located on Coconut Island, famously filmed in the opening sequence of Gillian’s Island. A wide range of research projects are based out of the lab, from coral restoration to shark research. Stacey also helped organize a behind-the -scenes tour of the Waikiki Aquarium. This is the second oldest public aquarium in the islands, and it was fun to see behind the tanks before exploring inside the aquarium.
Stacey and I also had fun watching sunrises on the beach, hiking, and making chocolate truffles!
Thank you to the Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society and our sponsor Rolex for making this scholarship experience possible. I would also like to thank Reef Photo and Video, Nauticam and Light and Motion for my underwater camera setup as well as Aqualung, Fourth Element, Suunto, Halcyon, and DUI for my diving equipment.
