January Meeting of Maui Nui Marine Resource Council to Feature Guest Presentation on Auwahi Forest by Dr. Arthur Medeiros

MAʻALAEA, MAUI, HI — The January meeting of the nonprofit Maui Nui Marine Resource Council will feature a guest presentation by research biologist Dr. Arthur Medeiros about the Auwahi Forest Restoration Project.

The meeting and presentation will take place on Wednesday, January 3 from 5 pm to 7 pm at Pacific Whale Foundationʻs classrooms at the Maʻalaea Harbor Shops, 300 Maʻalaea Road, Wailuku. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

“The Auwahi leeward forest was previously known to be among the most diverse of Hawaiian ecosystems,” reports www.auwahi.org, the website of the Auwahi Forest Restoration Project. “Currently, Auwahi is among the world’s most endangered tropical dry forests with 9 species listed as Endangered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and 7 listed as endangered with IUCN Red List status.”

Born and raised in Hawaiʻi, Dr. Medeiros is a research biologist with U.S. Geological Survey and has over 30 years of field experience studying Hawaiian ecosystems. He works with private and public landowners and the public to develop community- and science-based forest restoration projects, including Auwahi dryland forest.

“As part of our work to prevent sediment run-off that threatens Mauiʻs coral reefs, we support the efforts to restore the dryland forests of Maui,” says Robin Newbold, co-founder and Chair of Maui Nui Marine Resource Council. “Forests and trees play an important role in preventing soil from becoming runoff that washes into the ocean during rainstorms.”

Maui Nui Marine Resource Council is celebrating 10 years of working to restore coral reefs, clean coastal water and abundant native fish to Mauiʻs nearshore areas. The January meeting will include updates on their projects including

– A study of the DNA of corals off Olowalu to evaluate the coralsʻ reactions to environmental stressors
– Ongoing ocean water quality testing at 36 sites along South and West Mauiʻs shorelines
– Efforts to prevent sediment run-off, including best practices guidelines for construction sites

To learn more, visit www.mauireefs.org.