Mauka to Makai team formed in wake of wildfire

Following the Maui fires, PacWhale Foundation’s Conservation team, Research team, and Eco-Adventures crew created the Mauka to Makai program to help restore the health of Maui’s land and sea.

In September 2023, the Mauka to Makai team began weekly reef monitoring dives at Māla Wharf to record the status of fish, invertebrates and coral cover. By comparing changes in other areas to the control site at Māla Wharf, the team hopes to identify which changes can be attributed to the fires and which changes are due to other threats including climate change, overfishing and unsustainable tourism.

In January 2024, PWF launched a new community-based program called Mālama Pono. Through Mālama Pono, PWF provides teams of volunteers to support organizations that are working to make Maui more resilient to climate change and/or organizations that are working to provide relief efforts to communities affected by the Maui fires.

Information on the programs and their progress will be shared by Susan Frett of the Pacific Whale Foundation at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 7 via Zoom. The event is being presented as the February edition of the Maui Nui Marine Resource Councilʻs Know Your Ocean Speaker Series.

Registration is free and can be completed online.