May 22, 2020 (Big Island Video News)—The Kohala Center says reef-friendly sunscreen initiatives have had a positive effect on water quality, but continued efforts are needed to save coral reefs.
May 21, 2020 (Big Island Now)—The Kohala Center on Thursday reported that oxybenzone levels have dropped dramatically at Hawai‘i Island’s Kahalu‘u Bay.
Thanks to tens of thousands of visitors who responded positively to The Kohala Center’s ongoing “Reef-Friendly Sun Protection” campaign, oxybenzone levels have dropped 93% or more at water sampling sites in the bay between the start of the campaign in April 2018 and November 2019.
May 9, 2020 (Big Island Video News)—The public is being asked to voluntarily refrain from swimming in the bay, particularly from May 10-16 to enhance upcoming spawning of cauliflower coral.
May 7, 2020 (KITV Island News)—Kahalu‘u Bay on Hawai‘i Island is one of the most popular and heavily visited snorkeling locations in all of Hawai‘i. Hundreds of thousands of people come to view colorful fish and dazzling coral colonies every year, and like in many other over-used locations, the aquatic life in the bay is struggling to survive.
March/April 2020 (Ke Ola Magazine)—As we celebrate the 50th Earth Day, we are faced with environmental problems that are larger than ever—sea level rise, coral bleaching, extinctions, extreme weather. What can we possibly do in the face of these super-sized challenges? One approach is to get super-local.
March 1, 2020 (Maui Now)—About 50 residents/farmers gathered for the inaugural Ho‘opili Nā Mahiʻai (Farmers Gathering) at the Lanikeha Community Center on Molokaʻi earlier this month.
February 8, 2020 (Hawaii Tribune-Herald)—Kamehameha Schools and The Kohala Center announced Mana ‘Olena as the winner of the Mahi‘ai Match-Up business plan competition at a Farm-to-Table Celebration on Friday night. Mana ‘Olena will receive a $10,000 cash prize donated by Ulupono Initiative, waived rent for five years on KS land in Hilo, and wrap-around business support services from The Kohala Center.
September 30, 2019 (Pacific Business News)—Hawaii Tourism Authority will fund 34 programs throughout the state that work to protect the environment in 2020. The funding, which was announced last week, is provided through the Transient Accommodations Tax as part of HTA’s Aloha Aina program.
September 24, 2019 (USA Today)—At the edge of an ancient lava flow where jagged black rocks meet the Pacific, small off-the-grid homes overlook the calm blue waters of Papa Bay on Hawaii’s Big Island — no tourists or hotels in sight. Here, one of the islands’ most abundant and vibrant coral reefs thrives just below the surface.
August 24, 2019 (Hawaii Tribune-Herald)—Coral bleaching is already occurring in West Hawaii waters, and things are likely to get worse as Hawaii’s reefs enter a major bleaching event within the next two months — if not sooner.