Know Your Ocean: Trash Debris Monitoring Reveals Insights into Marine Debris Origins and the Local Community’s Impact on Maui’s Beaches.

September 13, 2023

From December 2022 to January 2023, the Maui Nui Marine Resource Council conducted extensive monitoring and debris removal in six Maui streams and gulches: Ukumehame, Kahana, Kanaio, Kaua‘ula, Wailuku, and an unnamed gulch at Cove Beach Park. The study aimed to establish baseline data for coastal debris sources, assess compliance with the 2022 single-use plastic ban, and raise community awareness about local marine debris. A total of 4,428 trash items were cataloged and removed during 117 surveys, with Kanaio Gulch having the highest trash count. Plastics were the most common type of debris. The study highlights the complex relationship between human activity and marine debris and provides insights into seasonal trends and the importance of community clean-up efforts.

Maui Nui Marine Resource Council invites you to an important FREE Zoom Webinar on Wednesday, October. 4 at 5:30 PM. Find out more about the effort to understand where Maui’s marine debris is coming from and how efforts to reduce it are working… or not. Register here: https://bit.ly/Trash2MarineDebris

Meet the Speaker
You’ll meet Tiara Stark, who, growing up on Maui within a Polynesian family, developed a profound admiration for the natural ecosystems of Hawaiʻi, which inspired her to pursue a career in marine conservation. After completing her postgraduate degree, Tiara returned to her island home of Maui to actively contribute to community conservation endeavors. These included part-time positions as a Research Coordinator with MNMRC and as Senior Team Lead with MNMRC’s partnership program Hui O Ka Wai Ola. Tiara is currently Project Manager for The Nature Conservancy’s Maui Marine Program where she leads and supports a range of research and monitoring projects, as well as community-led conservation initiatives all aimed at the shared objective of safeguarding, managing, and revitalizing marine ecosystems for future generations. Tiara’s dedication to marine conservation is also evident in her personal interests, which include snorkeling, scuba diving, and sustainable fishing.