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.
poritesJune 9, 2026
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.
poritesMay 6, 2026
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.
poritesApril 24, 2026
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…
poritesDecember 15, 2025
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!
poritesDecember 7, 2025
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.
poritesNovember 9, 2025
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.
poritesOctober 9, 2025
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.
poritesSeptember 6, 2025
Working with a group of 15 students at Island School, MNA is helping to create an aquaculture nursery for Limu. This nursery is another step towards an approved coral nursery where broken coral can be used to produce new, larger coral formations. These will eventually be planted in locations in the ocean that are coral deficient. The structure of this Limu facility is very similar to what a coral nursery would look like. The tanks or "raceways" are set up for constant turnover of seawater so that the creatures in the tank experience something similar to being in the ocean.
poritesOctober 25, 2024
MNA's summer inter this year, Jaden De Souza, helped with coral surveys and the data-crunching that comes afterwards. She was a great addition to our team. Her own mini-CV (below) eloquently describes her background and goals. Mahalo Jaden and we all hope to work with you again! Aloha, my name is Jaden De Souza, I was born and raised on Kaua‘i and am currently earning my Masters Degree in Communication from Saint Mary’s College after completing Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Science (2025). I eventually want to work in coral restoration and help regrow our damaged reefs. My goal…
poritesSeptember 2, 2024