Encore this Sunday – Free community event on coral genetics at Maui Ocean Center’s Sphere

This Sunday, Pilikahakai Foundation’s Cultures and Coastlines Speaker Series presents a hana hou (encore) event at Maui Ocean Center’s Sphere – Using Coral Genetics to Empower Local Stewardship of Maui Reefs. The community is invited to a free, family friendly event exploring how science and culture can work together to protect Hawai‘i’s reefs.

Building on the recent speaker series earlier this month, the encore program again features Ka‘ikuliumaikalani (Kaiku) Kaholoa‘a, a Native Hawaiian from Molokaʻi  and Ph.D. student at Stanford. Kaiku’s research bridges coral genetics and indigenous knowledge, identifying heat-tolerant “super reefs” and mentoring the next generation of stewards across Maui Nui.

Presented by Pilikahakai Foundation in partnership with Maui Ocean Center, Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute, ʻĀina Momona, Ocean Conservancy, and other local organizations, the series fosters collaborative solutions to protect Maui’s natural and cultural resources for generations to come.

Event details:

• Date: Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025
• Time: 5:30 to 7 p.m.
• Location: The Sphere at the Maui Ocean Center, The Aquarium of Hawai‘i (192 Māʻalaea Rd.)
• Admission: Free with registration
• Register here

In line with Pilikahakai Foundation’s mission to blend culture, science and community action, the organization will also host additional events in October. Stay tuned for more details on these gatherings, which will further highlight Pilikahakai’s work to protect Hawai‘i’s natural and cultural resources, including:

• Reef-Friendly Landscaping Summit — Oct. 11 at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa
• Indigenous Peoples’ Day Beach Cleanup — Oct. 12 at 10 a.m. at Kahului Harbor
• Cultures and Coastlines Speaker Series featuring the Ocean Conservancy on “Centering Communities in Conservation and Research” — Oct. 12 at 5:30 p.m. at the Maui Ocean Center