Do not disturb: Improving conditions for successful coral spawning
Supporting the delicate, sacred reproductive cycle of corals is vital to their regeneration and continued survival. For the fourth consecutive year, our Kahalu‘u Bay Education Center team worked with the County of Hawai‘i to close Kahalu‘u Beach Park to the public during a critical cauliflower coral spawning period. Ancestral knowledge and the kaulana mahina (Hawaiian lunar calendar) tell us that cauliflower corals in Kahalu‘u Bay spawn shortly after the Kulu and Lāʻaukūkahi moons set in the months of Welo and Ikiiki, and this year the County closed the park for an entire week to give the coral gametes ample time to settle with minimal disruption. And we’ve started a movement: based on the past success of these closures at Kahalu‘u, the State of Hawai‘i also closed Waiālea Bay for two consecutive mornings this year to reduce stress on cauliflower corals spawning there.
Mineral-based sunscreen dispensers: Protecting ‘āina and kānaka
Two touch-free mineral-based sunscreen dispensers at Kahalu‘u Beach Park are aiding our efforts to educate beachgoers about reef-friendly sun protection alternatives. With visitors returning to Hawai‘i in record numbers, keeping harmful petrochemicals found in commercial sunscreens out of Hawaiʻi’s marine ecosystems is essential to support the health and regeneration of our corals. The dispensers are provided by Raw Elements, which offers FDA-approved sunscreen products containing reef-friendly zinc oxide as the only active ingredient. As traffic at Kahalu‘u Bay increases, so do the costs of keeping the dispensers stocked. Local businesses are invited to sponsor the dispensers so that we can continue to offer beachgoers a reef-friendly sunscreen alternative. Mahalo nui to Target in Kailua-Kona for believing in our work and becoming our very first sponsor, and to 365 Kona Newbies who collectively raised funds to sponsor and support this effort. Email Cindi Punihaole or call 808-887-6411 for more information. Individual donations to support our efforts to protect Kahalu‘u’s coral reefs are always welcome as well!
Protect the reef: Become a ReefTeacher!
Kahalu‘u Bay’s coral reef and its vibrant inhabitants continue to educate us and the passionate community stewards dedicated to protecting them. On behalf of Kahalu‘u Bay, we invite new and longtime residents interested in protecting and deepening their relationship with Hawaiʻi’s reef ecosystems to join our ReefTeach program! By helping to educate beachgoers about coral reef health and how to respectfully engage with these fragile ecosystems we become better learners and ʻāina advocates ourselves. Community members of all ages are invited to become ReefTeachers; we provide training and participants set their own schedules. Email Kathleen Clark or call 808-887-6411 for more information or to sign up for an orientation.
What to pack: A guide for a sustainable visit to Hawai‘i
If you’re visiting the islands soon, or know someone who is, we encourage you to check out and share “Visiting Hawai‘i? Pack these essentials to protect island ecosystems,” a resource we created to inform guests prior to their arrival about proper reef-friendly sun protection and waste minimization.
