Mālama Maunalua: Restoring Native Marine Ecosystems

This experience at Mālama Maunalua was one to remember. We went out to the Maunalua Bay, an area that our volunteering session's leader Alex holds dear to his heart, to clean up the bay's invasive algae known as gracilaria salicornia. This species, referred to as "gorilla ogo," outcompetes native species to Hawaiʻi by blocking sunlight, removing access to nutrients, and taking up space in the bay and reefs for them. Thus, our volunteering session, formed by roughly fifteen of us volunteers, was extremely needed.

We began by gaining our equipment – gloves and water shoes – to then head out to the designated plot of land for restoration. Researchers in the Mālama Maunalua organization marked 100 square feet of land to measure our progress, and after being informed about which species are indigenous, we were ready to begin.

I even met friends from Los Angeles and Arizona respectively who were also in Hawaiʻi for the summer, and so we connected and bonded over our internship experiences here on the island! I loved learning about how one of them scuba dives to document coral diseases and the other is volunteering in her spare time as she continues to explore the job market. I felt at home while working to restore the environment while also making social connections with people!

After about two hours of algae removal, we utilized the power of a team to line up at the backline of the square plot and walk forward to fully clear the plot. An interesting statistic is that 5% of the invasive species can be in that area, but no more than that before planting native species due to the rapid spread and resource accumulation of the invasives. I believe we hit the marker needed, so I am excited and proud of the group!

As the session concluded, we ended up speaking with Alex about issues that the native community faces as they pertain to environmental aspects, such as rising sea level, clean water usage, and invasive species. Learning about how native birds and vegetation are going extinct due to ice caps on the tops of mountains melting and due to other climate events of the same severity, this experience was a wake-up call to the group. We realized the dire need for future advocacy as it pertains to climate change restoration, and we felt empowered to act on those changes.

As we move forward with our time here, we will continue to explore, learn, and advocate with these lessons in mind: acting out of respect and in the best interest of the ʻāina and community.