Let’s travel to the island of Maui, Hawai‘i—a place of natural beauty, rich culture, and of course, vibrant coral reefs that we work tirelessly to protect. In 2022, we have advanced our watershed restoration project in West Maui, which focuses on decreasing sediment runoff that reaches coral reefs.
West Maui used to have an abundance of pineapple and sugarcane plantations, which are now out-of-use and have left the land degraded. On rainy days, sediment from these landscapes slides down old dirt roads, into streams, and eventually lands in the ocean and settles on coral reefs. When runoff and land-based pollution enter coral reef ecosystems, they can reduce corals’ access to sunlight and promote algae growth. And when there is too much algae, it can take over space from reef-building corals and ultimately, make it difficult for them to stay healthy and survive.
That’s why our dedicated team members and partners in Hawai‘i are restoring the watershed by installing native plants and vegetation to trap sediment and prevent runoff from reaching the ocean. Thanks to generous donations and hardworking volunteers, we have been able to advance the project in 2022 and continue our work to protect coral reefs. Here is what we’ve accomplished so far:
Keep exploring our website to learn more about our work on the Hawaiian Islands and how you can get directly involved.