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porites

Mālama Nā `Apapa Event

More Reef Clean-Ups

MNA has been doing regular reef clean-ups around the island. Debris removed is largely fishing line and lead weights. On October 29 we had a monster haul of 3636m of fishing line and over 300lbs of lead and other trash. The lead was recycled by giving it back to local fishers. This dive was via a dive boat which costs real money. The divers were all volunteers. Please see our Donate page to contribute to more clean-ups, or come help us if you are a certified diver. See below for a before/after of just one of the 88 coral formations…
porites
October 31, 2026
Four divers working under water with coral formations in the area. Bubbles rising.
Mālama Nā `Apapa Event

Pre-El Niño Reef Surveys

The upcoming El Niño could subject Kaua‘iʻs corals to much higher water temperatures than normal. In preparation for the possible loss of corals to bleaching, MNA is surveying numerous sites on the South Shore. These are sites that we have surveyed previously, and we will survey them again after any abnormal temperatures. These surveys allow us to measure coral health and abundance, among many other things.
porites
July 5, 2026
Four divers working under water with coral formations in the area. Bubbles rising.
Uncategorized

World Ocean Day Clean-Up

MNA did a dual land and underwater debris pickup for World Ocean Day. Six high school and college students worked with MNA staff. Roughly 30m of fishing line was removed along with a lot of lead and other assorted trash.
porites
June 9, 2026
Uncategorized

Earth Day Debris Removal

A group of MNA volunteers celebrated Earth Day 2026 by removing fishing debris and other trash from living coral. One hundred and fifty feet of fishing line and five pounds of lead were removed from the water. This is the most effective way to conserve our local coral. If you would like to join us on a dive like this contact us today. We would also love your donations to cover the cost of gear and transportation.
porites
May 6, 2026
Uncategorized

Coral Damage — Kona Low Storms

On April 24, divers from MNA were invited to observe a coral repair/restoration project involving Kaua‘iʻs Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR). The DAR divers had been trained in repairing storm-damaged coral and were responding to reports of broken coral from the recent Kona Low storms on Kaua‘i. Work like this is closely regulated as it is easy to do more harm than good. DAR was able to address several damaged branching corals and MNA and DAR will monitor the progress of these restored formations over time. Storm damage is one of many stressors to the islandʻs coral formations.
porites
April 24, 2026
Uncategorized

Nuʻalolo Kai Coral Surveys

Several MNA staff and volunteers spent one night at Nuʻalolo Kai on the north shore, to perform coral surveys as well as work with keiki attending a reef camp. Acoustic monitors were also placed in the water to provide indications of reef health via fish activity. Nuʻalolo Kai is a special place for many reasons both scientific and cultural. For this project, MNA worked closely with the Nā Pali Coast ʻOhana, Archipelago Research & Conservation (ARC),  Kaua`i Sailing Association, and the Kaua‘i Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR). Because Nuʻalolo is very shallow, some of the surveys were done via snorkel…
porites
December 15, 2025
Uncategorized

Fishing Debris Removal

MNA spent two days on the water off a popular west-side fishing area, removing fishing line, lead weights and other debris. Many live corals in this area get tangled in the line and die, and there are also entanglement problems with turtles, monk seals, and even some large fish like sharks. This site is only accessible by boat, so the per-day cost is very high. These efforts were paid for by an MNA donor. Maybe you can help pay for the next trip!
porites
December 7, 2025
Scott, Med, Adrana, and Peter from MNA, at the Symposium
Uncategorized

2025 Coral Restoration Symposium

Several members of Mālama Nā `Āpapa attended the fourth Hawai'i Coral Restoration Symposium in Honolulu recently. We presented our current work and many other attendees did the same. The focus this year was on community engagement, involving local community members so that a restoration program has better chances for long-term success. One of our primary motivations walking away from the symposium is to continue to connect with local community partners to positively affect interest in coral reef restoration.
porites
November 9, 2025
Overview image of Kōloa Landing. Shows coral survey locations and the resulting images.
Uncategorized

Coral Surveys –Hanaka‘ape Bay / Kōloa Landing

MNA regularly performs coral surveys at multiple locations around the island. These surveys allow comparisons over time of coral health, assessment of fish species and totals, and just a general summary of the reef health. In addition to photos, a 3D model is created of each survey, again to allow visual feedback of any changes over time. The map below shows a few of the surveys in Hanaka‘ape Bay. In total, there are more than 50 survey locations in this bay alone.
porites
October 9, 2025
Adriana at a presentation dias with slide on screen.
News

MNA at The Delta International Coral Restoration Symposium

MNA Marine Biologist Adriana Santacruz-Castro, Ph.D. recently participated in the Delta International Coral Restoration Symposium. Held in Pingtung, Taiwan, the two-day conference invited top conservation institutions, including the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the world's largest nature conservation organization, the Mote Marine Laboratory, an international authority on marine ecology research, and Kaua‘i's very own Mālama Nā `Āpapa. Attendees shared in-depth information on the latest application trends on coral survey mechanisms. The seminar focused on practical applications and technology. Adriana's MNA presentation included discussion of our coral reef surveying operations as well as our planned coral nursery and outplanting facility.
porites
September 6, 2025