Part of Maui Nui Marine Resource Councilʻs Online “Know Your Ocean Speaker Series”

What will determine the future impacts of sewage on Hawai’i’s nearshore ecosystems and public health? Learn more at a free Zoom webinar titled “Sewage Impacts on Hawaiʻi’s Coastlines: Past, Present and Future” by Daniel Amato, Ph.D., which will include recent research and latest information on Hawaiʻi’s wastewater saga. The webinar will take place on Wednesday October 7 at 5:30 pm and is free and open to the public. It is presented by Maui Nui Marine Resource Council as part of their monthly “Know Your Ocean Speaker Series.” Advance reservations are recommended as the Zoom webinar is limited to 100 attendees.

“My talk will share reports on how injection wells and cesspools continue to pollute Hawaiʻi’s waters, with an emphasis on recent Maui studies,” says Dr. Amato. ”I will also present recent decisions from the Hawaiʻi State Legislature and the current status of their effort to phase out cesspools.”

Dr. Amato will also discuss the current situation with sewage pollution in Hawai’i, and will present community efforts and new technological developments in sewage detection that show promise for the future.

A water quality specialist, Dr. Amato’s professional work focuses on the detection and impacts of land-based pollution in the Pacific Ocean and the development of new technology to assist in detecting the DNA of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) in the water.Dr. Amato is a Marine Research Specialist at the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa, an Environmental Scientist at Element Environmental LLC, and serves as the coordinator for Surfrider-Oahu’s Blue Water Task Force.

“We are offering this webinar by Dr. Amato to share important information about sewage and its impact on Maui’s coastlines, including ocean water quality and our nearshore coral reefs,” says Amy Hodges, Programs and Operations Manager at Maui Nui Marine Resource Council. “It’s a critically important topic, at a time when our coral reefs need the benefit of clean ocean water, to survive the impacts of climate change and warming water.”

“We thank the County of Maui Mayorʻs Office of Economic Development for supporting our Know Your Ocean Speaker Series,” says Hodges.