“Coral reefs represent some of the worlds most spectacular beauty spots, but they are also the foundation of marine life: without them many of the seas most exquisite species will not survive.” ~ Sheherazade Goldsmith “The oceans deserve our respect and care, but you have to know something before you can care about it.” ~ Sylvia Earle

1. CORAL REEFS
MAUI COUNTY COUNCIL
HAWAII STATE LEGISLATURE
SCIENCE-BASED DECISION-MAKING
THE DELPHIAN CONUNDRUM
MAUI COUNTY COUNCIL
Sunscreen ban is postponed - Council wants attorneys to sign of on measure frst
On Nov. 13, the bill passed out of the Infrastructure and Environmental
Management Committee that Cochran chairs. Two experts on coral reefs and
toxicology said that the chemicals can lower reef tolerance to bleaching and
interrupt the development of marine life. They said tests along Maui’s shores
have revealed more than enough oxybenzone and octinoxate to prove toxic to
reefs.
Multiple council members said Monday they thought the scientifc
evidence was strong, but they wanted to make the bill as legally sound as
possible.
“I’m in support of this bill. I’m in support of making sure these coral reefs
prosper,” said Council Member Don Guzman, who is also an attorney. “I
would feel more comfortable if we take the time to really present the
evidence, build the right foundation and move forward with it just like we
did with the styrene bill.”
[Emphasis Supplied]
Source: The Maui News. By Colleen Uechi. December 5, 2017, accessed December 6,
2017 http://www.mauinews.com/news/local-news/2017/12/sunscreen-ban-is-postponed/
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2. Council Seeks to Strengthen Sunscreen Ban Bill Before Final Vote
“With this current sunscreen bill, in my opinion, the exposure is too great
to be legally defensible at this time. When you’re looking at banning the
use of a certain product, and you’re looking at banning it island-wide–not
only at, say locations adjacent to the beach–you know, that’s problematic.
When you’re looking at also banning the sale island-wide, no matter where
the people are going to be using the product, that’s problematic,” said
Thompson.1
[Emphasis Supplied]
Source: MauiNow. By Wendy Osher. December 5, 2017, accessed December 6, 2017
http://mauinow.com/2017/12/05/council-seeks-to-strengthen-sunscreen-ban-bill-before-fnal-vote/
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HAWAII STATE LEGISLAURE
29th Legislature, 2018
SB 1150 SD2 HD3
Relating To Preserving Coral Reefs
Introduced 1/25/2017
http://capitol.hawaii.gov/Archives/measure_indiv_Archives.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=1150&year=2017
The purpose of this measure is to protect coral reefs and marine life in Hawaii's marine
life conservation districts by:
(1) Prohibiting the use or application of non-prescription sunscreen, sunblock,
or cosmetics containing oxybenzone or other chemicals harmful to coral reefs in
marine life conservation districts and prohibits the sale of such sunscreen,
sunblock, or cosmetics by concessionaires serving marine conservation districts
and nature preserves;
(2) Requiring commercial use permittees operating in marine life conservation
districts to inform their customers of the prohibition; and
1 Richelle M. Thomson. Deputy Corporation Counsel

3. (3) Allowing the Department of Land and Natural Resources to adopt rules
prohibiting the use of sunscreen, sunblock, or cosmetics containing oxybenzone
in any area as needed to conserve marine resources.
Introducers
Senator J. Kalani English
Senator Stanley Chang
Senator Will Espero
Senator Breene Harimoto
Senator Clarence Nishihara
Senator Karl Rhoads
Senator Gil Riviere
Senator Gilbert S.C. Keith-Agaran
Senator Maile S.L. Shimabukuro
Senator Brickwood Galuteria
Senator Lorraine R. Inouye
Senator Laura H. Thielen
Senator Glenn Wakai
Measure Status: 4/28/2017 Senate Conference Committee meeting to reconvene on 04-28-17
5:45PM in conference room 309. (No decision) The 2017 Legislature Adjourned on Thursday
May 4, 2017. The 2018 Regular Session will convene on Wednesday, January 17, 2018.
___________________________________________________
MORE FROM THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY
THE REEF RESILIENCE NETWORK and THE NATURE CONSERVANCY
Bleaching is a stress response that occurs when the coral-zooxanthellae relationship
breaks down and the zooxanthellae are expelled from the coral host or when pigments
within the algae are degraded.
What Causes Bleaching?
Coral bleaching is a response to stress and can be caused by a number of factors .
Sources of stress that can lead to coral bleaching include:
➢ Elevated or reduced water temperatures
➢ High solar irradiance
(photosynthetically available radiation
(PAR) and ultraviolet light)
➢ Disease
➢ Pollution
➢ Changes in salinity (e.g., salinity shock
from heavy rains or foods)
➢ Sedimentation from activities such as
dredging
➢ Exposure to air (e.g., due to low tide)
➢ Changes in water chemistry (e.g., ocean
acidifcation)

4. These sources of stress can contribute to localized bleaching events (tens to hundreds
of meters), but mass coral bleaching events occur at regional scales, often extending
over tens to hundreds of kilometers.
The primary cause of mass bleaching is elevated water temperature combined
with solar irradiance.
[Emphasis Supplied]
Source: The Reef Resilience Network. Coral Reef Module – Bleaching. Accessed
December 6, 2017 http://www.reefresilience.org/coral-reefs/stressors/bleaching/
_______________________
CORAL REEF ATLAS – UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII HILO
Due to isolation and high levels of endemism, the health and function of coral reefs in
Hawai`i is inherently susceptible to harmful environmental stressors. Nearshore
marine ecosystems in Hawai`i are currently threatened by global climate change
as well as local stressors, such as resource exploitation and land based pollution,
driven by a rapidly expanding human population.
Bleaching is identifed as pale or white tissue and can afect an entire colony or
portions of a colony. This condition does not result in tissue loss, just loss of
pigmentation. The loss of pigmentation is caused by expulsion of the endosymbiotic
dinofagellates resulting in the white ‘bleached’ appearance. Bleaching is attributed
to increased water temperature, however it can be caused by a number of
stressors including UV radiation and sedimentation. Bleaching is considered a
generalized response to stressful conditions, however it is a strong indicator of coral
health because it results in a lack of energy acquisition and can severely reduce the
functional capacity of afected corals. Bleaching has been widely observed afecting
several coral species throughout the Hawaiian Archipelago.
[Emphasis Supplied]
Source: University of Hawaii Hilo, Marine Science Department. Accessed December 6,
2017 http://coralhealth.uhh.hawaii.edu/ http://coralhealth.uhh.hawaii.edu/coral-health
_____________________

5. HAWAII INSTITUTE OF MARINE BIOLOGY - GATES LAB
Dr. Ruth Gates, Principal Investigator
Hawaii's "economy is so fundamentally tied to the corals," says Ruth Gates, a research
professor at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, who adds bleaching has afected as
much as 60 percent of the state's coral since last fall.
The news isn't entirely bleak, as experts like The Nature Conservatory say reefs are in
fact pretty resilient and bleaching needn't always be a death sentence. "What's been
astonishing is that 90 percent of the coral here recovered," Gates told CNBC. Some of
the bleached corals have even managed to reproduce already, she adds, attributing the
recovery to the "pretty good health" the corals were in.
That said, the idea of a second bleaching event—coming so quickly on the heels of the
frst—is "really not going to be great for corals here," Gates says.
Tourism and fshing activity are in and of themselves a threat to coral reefs,
according to the United Nations Environment Program, but cites climate-related
bleaching as the largest single cause of a 27 percent loss of coral reefs since 2000.
Threatening to spread coral bleaching are "unusually warm" and rising
temperatures in the north and equatorial Pacifc and western Atlantic oceans,
according to the NOAA.
Additionally, bleached corals in polluted waters are at a higher risk of disease and
death, adds the Hawaii Institute's Gates, who says it's become a point of discussion
among the public and business community in Hawaii since last year.
[Emphasis Supplied]
Source: Gates Lab, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology. Hawaii's bleaching problem:
How warming waters threaten coral. By David Montalvo. CNBC. July 18, 2015,
accessed December 6, 2017 https://www.cnbc.com/2015/07/18/hawaiis-coral-threatened-by-
bleaching.html
______________________

6. CORAL REEF FORENSICS PARTICIPANTS FIND DISTURBING TRENDS
AT OLOWALU
It is often referred to as the "Mother Reef," as currents carry coral larvae to other
West Maui reefs and parts of Lanai and Molokai.
“The demise of Olowalu Reef would thus impact those reefs as well,” Hodges2
advised.
Craig A. Downs, Ph.D., executive director of the Haereticus Environmental Laboratory,
Global Coral Repository, recently substantiated the observations of the community
training.
He said, "Olowalu has always been a fantastic site to snorkel, had high coral species,
urchin and general biodiversity, as well as really good coral coverage and rugosity."
“On April 30, 2015,” Downs continued, “we checked out this site, potentially to collect
some Tripneustes, and that was when we discovered the sedimentation impact. The
sea foor shoreline and out on the reef, the sediment was thick, greyish-black and
highly sulfdic. You could tell that the sediment event was fairly recent, because
sediment was on coral tissue/skeleton; and when you waved it of the skeleton,
the tissue was black."
The reason for the relatively recent onslaught of land-based sediment, according
to Newbold3
, is questionable and undetermined.
However, she was able to describe the potentially catastrophic incident in laymen's
terms: “As the sediment settles, it smothers the coral polyps, preventing them
from breathing or feeding. Sediment also prevents coral larvae (keiki) from
settling.”
“One of many reasons Olowalu reef is so special is the old, large, beautiful coral heads
- some thought to be 500 years old. Without new recruits, the reef will eventually die -
just as a town with only old people will eventually be a ghost town. The young larvae
need a hard surface to settle; when there is only sediment, they can't settle.”
2 Amy Hodges, Maui Nui Marine Resource Council (MNMRC) Program and Operations
Coordinator
3 MNMRC Chair Dr. Robin Newbold

7. Capt. Rich Brunner of Atlantis Submarines, a member of MNMRC, joined the forensics
training at Olowalu on May 9.
He commented about the experience: “As a professional mariner and recreational
ocean user with a degree in marine science, I found the forensics training as very
enlightening... Seeing impacts of sedimentation from land sources and negative
impacts it has on the reef; with no reef, there is no habitat fsh.”
Kelly Montenero, Trilogy Excursions' marine conservation and education director,
considered the training illuminating.
She warned, “I especially enjoyed getting to know others in the reef user community
and learn about coral health indicators specifc to here in Hawaii. However, it was an
eye-opener to go out to the reef during our training and fnd that this area lauded as
pristine is not as healthy as we had thought. We found more sediment than is ideal,
and fewer keiki corals recruited to the reef. This is a wake-up call to anyone on
Maui that benefts from our coral reefs - it's past time to make marine
conservation a priority in order to prevent further degradation.”
The results of the training, however, weren't all bad.
Francois Seneca, who worked with Dr. Richmond at the training as an assistant, is
optimistic.
“Sometimes as scientists we are so deeply involved in our work that we can forget
what the big picture is - why we are doing things. Participating in the Coral Reef
Forensics Community Training at Olowalu was one of those reminders for me. Being
able to guide people to read the signs that tell us the reef is in trouble was incredibly
rewarding! Meeting and interacting with the local community was hugely motivating,”
he said.
“People's enthusiasm reassured me that the reef at Olowalu could be saved,” Seneca
added. “That it isn't too late! Now more than ever, I want to make sure my research
will provide some of the tools needed to tackle the sedimentation issue afecting
the corals around Maui.”

8. Dr. Richmond4
is positive as well: “Addressing local sources of stress to our coral
reefs, especially land-based sources of pollution and sedimentation from within
our watersheds, is essential if we are to leave a legacy of vital coral reefs for
future generations. Having such a diverse group of engaged stakeholders, from fshers
to developers, focus together on identifying both problems and solutions gives me
hope that we can turn things around. We simply can't aford to fail.”
John Parks, owner of Marine Management Solutions, facilitated the Saturday exercise
last month.
“This community training is illustrative of a general shift underway now in how natural
resources are managed. People are returning to the traditional Hawaiian model of
decentralized resource management, where local families and knowledgeable leaders
have more involvement and infuence over the management and fate of the natural
resources found within their own community and ahupua'a,” he said.
[Emphasis Supplied]
Source: Coral Reef Forensics participants fnd disturbing trends at Olowalu. By Louise
Rockett. Lahaina News. June 4, 2015, accessed December 6, 2017
http://www.lahainanews.com/page/content.detail/id/531596/Coral-Reef-Forensics-participants-fnd-
disturbing-trends-at-Olowalu.html?nav=19
_______________________
THE CAPTAIN'S LOG
TRILOGY EXPEDITIONS
The 2016 Worldwide Coral Bleaching Event: Update from Maui
By Kelly Montenero. Trilogy Expeditions.
February 6, 2016, accessed December 6, 2017
http://blog.sailtrilogy.com/blog/coral-bleaching-2016-the-update-from-maui
If you’ve put a mask on your face and taken a quick look around in the
waters around Maui in the last 4 months, you’ve surely noticed the event
that all of the world is talking about: the world’s third, and worst, global
coral bleaching event.
4 Maui Coral Reef Recovery Team Chair Dr. Bob Richmond of the University of Hawaii
Kewalo Marine Laboratory

9. The strengthening 2015/ 2016 El Niño season, in conjunction with ocean
warming due to climate change, led to record high ocean water temperatures
in the Pacifc, which had a very easily observed efect on our coral reef:
many colonies of coral became snow white, or “bleached”. Coral gets its
color, and food, from photosynthetic plant-like single celled organisms that
live inside the coral animal’s tissue. These organisms, called zooxanthellae,
use energy from the sun to photosynthesize, and they share some of the
sugar they create with their coral hosts, like a renter pays a landlord.
But when the coral animal gets stressed due to high water temperatures, the
symbiotic zooxathellae are expelled into the water column, leaving only the
clear coral tissue and the white skeleton of the coral behind. If the coral
remains stressed for too long and the zooxanthellae can’t return to it’s
tissue, the coral will likely starve or become diseased. In some cases,
macroalgae grows over the bleached but still living coral, sufocating it from
water fow, sunlight and oxygen.
The current coral bleaching event is expected to have impacted 38% of the
world’s coral reefs by the end of this year. A group called XL Catlin Seaview,
including Google, the University of Queensland, and the namesake insurance
group interested in the efects of climate change, made it their mission to
scientifcally record the world’s coral reefs and reveal them to all in high-
resolution, 360-degree panoramic vision. This group traveled out to Maui to
document the bleaching event, as well as locations on Oahu and in the
South Pacifc. The images communicate the state of decline of our reefs, and
the devastating efects of climate change.
On Maui, we have been glad to note that water temperatures are slowly
dropping back down. In early February, the ocean temperature of the north
shore was 77.9 degrees F- much lower than the 87 degrees F that we
observed in late summer. However, average water temperature in February
is 75 degrees F, and as the trend of global ocean warming is predicted to
continue, our corals are not out of the woods yet.
Unfortunately, NOAA is predicting that bleaching will continue in the
Southern Hemisphere’s late summer of February-May 2016. If temperatures
and environmental stressors reduce, there is a chance that the bleached
coral can recover before the algae takes over- this is why herbivorous fsh
like parrotfsh are so important!

10. It is important to realize that El Niño weather patterns are a regular
occurrence that raise water temperature, but when this is paired with rising
baseline sea temperatures (as the oceans have absorbed over 90% of the
heating from climate change), it results in mass bleaching events.
So what can you do to help? Healthy reefs are more resilient to warming
and have a better chance of recovery. We can help our reefs become more
resilient by creating low stress conditions for them, including reducing
overfshing, sedimentation, pollution and anchor damage pressures. On the
larger scale, we can all do our part to think blue and reduce our carbon
emission footprint. Everyone can make this efort in their own way, whether
it means investing in solar panels, using biofuels, riding your bike to work,
voting for legislation that increases conservation, or buying local products to
decrease the energy cost in transporting your goods. Get involved, make
your voice heard, and we can still make a diference to ensure that coral
still surrounds Maui for generations to come.
_______________________________________________________________
Olowalu and Coral Gardens – Maui Snorkeling
By Maui Magic