Coral reef health in Hawaiʻi is under threat from climate change, sediment runoff, and damage caused by boat anchors and powerful waves. This new video highlights our work with Kuleana Coral Restoration, an organization dedicated to restoring Hawaiʻi’s coral reefs and educating the next generation of coral restoration practitioners. To support their work, NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Habitat Conservation is investing about $1 million through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act.
Kuleana Coral Restoration was founded in 2019 by a group of fishermen, surfers, and ocean advocates on a mission to restore the degraded coral reefs of Hawai’i. Co-founder Alika Peleholani Garcia also wants to use restoration work to reconnect Native Hawaiians to their oldest ancestor—the coral polyp.
Join us as we meet a group of community members taking part in Kuleana's COAST program. The NOAA-funded program trains people how to dive and restore coral, incorporating both Native Hawaiian values and western scientific practices. For some participants—who have faced challenges gaining employment in the marine science field—COAST offers the opportunity of a lifetime.
