Maui Nui Marine Resource Council Announces New Coral Reef Conservation Displays at Kahului, Airport

Just in time for the holiday rush and the winter peak travel season, the nonprofit Maui Nui Marine Resource Council has introduced new coral reef conservation displays in the Kahului, Maui Airport. The displays, installed along the bottom edge of twelve 90” wide windows in the Southwest concourse, feature eye-catching photography of Maui’s local coral reefs and beaches with easy to grasp messages relating to coral reef conservation. Among the messages are reminders to protect Maui’s coral reefs by standing only on sand, never on coral, and to choose sunscreens that are free of reef-harming oxybenzone and octinoxate.

The displays are made possible through support from the County of Maui Mayor’s Office of Economic Development and Maui Visitors Bureau, along with Pacific Media Group/Hawaii Airport Advertising, with photos donated by Drew Sulock Creations and DavidFleetham.com. Graphic design was provided by Geoff Moore of Silver Moon Maui Art & Design, located in Haiku. Printing and installation was provided by Tony Johnson of Phat Digital Design of Kahului.

“The overall messaging on these signs is that Maui’s community cares about our local coral reefs and wants to educate our visitors so everyone can actively help to protect our reefs while snorkeling, diving, swimming or exploring our reefs,” says Robin Newbold, co-founder and Chair of Maui Nui Marine Resource Council. “Based on our experiences with talking with visitors, we believe that visitors want to do the right thing to protect our coral reefs; they sometimes just need some education about what the ‘right thing’ means.”

Maui Nui Marine Resource Council has created a resource page for snorkelers with helpful advice about protecting the reefs and identifying fish and corals. To access the page, please visit www.mauireefs.org/snorkel.

The airport displays are part of a visitor education project by Maui Nui MarineResource Council that includes public service ads on local radio stations about safer-for-the-reef sunscreen choices recorded by local waterman Archie Kalepa; paid and public service announcement ads on local radio stations about ways individuals can prevent ocean water pollution by reducing their use of herbicides and pesticides; print ads in local publications about avoiding sunscreens with reef-harming chemicals; social media announcements about protecting Maui’s reefs; printed rack cards about coral reef protection for the tourism industry and more.

Maui Nui Marine Resource Council is seeking donations from local businesses and individuals to expand these campaigns in 2020. To donate, please visit www.mauireefs.org.

About Maui Nui Marine Resource Council
Maui Nui Marine Resource Council is a community-based nonprofit organization celebrating 12 years of working for healthy coral reefs, clean ocean water and abundant native fish throughout Maui County. Our work includes co-managing the Hui O Ka Wai Ola Ocean Water Quality Monitoring Program at 41 sites in South and West Maui, efforts to reduce pollution in Ma‘alaea Bay (through erosion-control efforts in the Pohakea watershed and using oysters to filter sediment and pollutants from ocean water), coral reef research, visitor education programs and more. Learn more at www.mauireefs.org.