Community-led coral restoration effort launches in South Maui

A new Community-Based Coral Restoration Area (CBCRA), established in South Maui, is offering damaged corals a chance to recover from rising ocean temperatures, sediment pollution and human activity.

Over the course of three days in February, the Maui Nui Marine Resource Council (MNMRC) worked under the guidance of Kuleana Coral Restoration to find broken corals near large reef colonies and re-plant them on bare reef in the same area. The group claims reattaching the broken coral can help to extend its lifespan and, over time, increase coral cover and provide habitats for fish and other marine life. 

“We are excited to support Maui’s community in creating this new CBCRA site,” said Kuleana Coral Restoration manager Blake Nowack. “We have spent over a year training and planning with the MNMRC team to pilot restoration techniques in Maui so that their local communities can foster resilient coastal ecosystems. Kuleana Coral primarily focuses on Oʻahu, but we want all of Hawaiʻi to have healthy reefs, so we support efforts on other islands whenever we are able to.” 

The restoration team sourced corals that were already detached from reefs, focusing on grapefruit-sized (or larger) Large Rescued Colonies and smaller coral fragments. Large Rescued Colony corals were prepared with a metal pin for reattachment while smaller, baseball-sized fragments were reattached directly to the bare reef using an adhesive. 

The project began with collaboration between MNMRC and community members to identify areas needing restoration.

Vernon Kalanikau, a Kanaka ʻŌiwi (native) of Kula Moku, explained why he supports the initiative. “Kula Kai is facing many threats, so when this project came up, we thought, ‘Why not try? What do we have to lose?’”

Kalanikau continued, ““It is clear the reefs need help, and while we are also looking mauka for solutions to mitigate sediment run-off, the thought has always been, ‘What else can we do to help makai?’ We felt that if there is an opportunity to do something in the ocean, this is a good place to start. Considering the damage sediment run-off has caused to our reefs in Kula Kai for years, a project like this can only have positive outcomes and results.”

In addition to working with community members, MNMRC also worked with the State of Hawaiʻi Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) to evaluate site selections and hosted DAR staff on Day 2 of the project.“Protecting our local reefs is of critical importance,” said DAR aquatic biologist Russell Sparks. “Being a part of this project was a great opportunity to support restoration work in South Maui and train our team in new coral restoration methods to build capacity for future work on Maui.” 

MNMRC has a long history of launching projects and initiatives to address the many factors influencing reef health. Last year, they launched Reef-Friendly Landscaping education and test plots, adding to previous erosion mitigation efforts like gulch sediment removal and deer fencing for upstream ranches. The organization also monitors water quality at 41 sites in Maui and conducts regular reef monitoring dives.

By creating community-based coral restoration areas, MNMRC aims to enhance the impact of conservation work already taking place on land and in the water.  

“Whenever possible, we try to connect different efforts, so that we can make an even greater impact in one area or create a network of related projects from mauka to makai,” said MNMRC Executive Director Amy Hodges. “When we connect projects or communities together, the impact is multiplied and change can happen at a faster pace.” 

While the process is still new to Maui, there is interest in creating CBCRAs from communities in West Maui that are already doing water quality monitoring or reef-friendly landscaping, according to MNMRC. “Our goal is to accelerate conservation efforts in Maui by helping communities who want to create their own CBCRAs and to provide training so they have the skills and knowledge needed to sustain long-term reef health,” Hodges said. 

The team from Maui Nui Marine Resource Council will continue to maintain the two sites going forward and monitor restored corals for signs of growth.  

Support for community-based coral restoration provided by the County of Maui Environmental Protection & Sustainability Division.

For more information, visit mauireefs.org/cbcra.