BAY HEALTH MONITORING PROGRAM, 2013-PRESENT
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I. Periodic Snorkeling
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II. Education about Corals
- Take a stand on the sand! Coral is alive. Avoid standing on or touching coral while snorkeling. If you need a break, find a sand area on which to stand
- Check out our two outdoor Reef Etiquette education signs, one at each end of the beach for more information on protecting our coral reef
III. Water Quality (WQ) Monitoring Program
- 2013 – Volunteers trained to assess turbidity as a measure of sediment in our bay
- 2015 – Measurements of nutrient pollutants e.g. Nitrogen, Nitrates/Nitrites, and Phosphorous added to program
- 2017 – Expanded Water Quality monitoring program is now a Maui county-wide program with trained volunteers
- This program (Hui O Ka Wai Ola) is being done in coordination with the Department of Health, Clean Water Branch under leadership of James Strickland
IV. Sunscreen Pollution: Awareness & Action
- New scientific studies show that many common sunscreen components are harmful to corals, other reef life and most recently show evidence of human health impacts
- Of particular concern are sunscreens containing Oxybenzone and Octinoxate
CONUNDRUM: How can you protect your skin without damaging the coral and reef fish?
1. Stay out of the sun from 10 am – 2 pm
2. Wear UV protective swim shirts, other protective swimwear
3. Read the labels to avoid products with Oxybenzone and Octinoxate
4. Check out these brand name products: All Good, Badger, Raw Elements and Stream2Sea
for sunscreens without these ingredients
5. Apply these sunscreens at least 15-30 minutes prior to entering the water so that it penetrates deep into your skin
1. Stay out of the sun from 10 am – 2 pm
2. Wear UV protective swim shirts, other protective swimwear
3. Read the labels to avoid products with Oxybenzone and Octinoxate
4. Check out these brand name products: All Good, Badger, Raw Elements and Stream2Sea
for sunscreens without these ingredients
5. Apply these sunscreens at least 15-30 minutes prior to entering the water so that it penetrates deep into your skin
NBBF ACTIONS ON SUNSCREEN POLLUTION:
- The resorts and water activity businesses at Napili Beach have taken an active role in educating guests about this concern, and sell only sunscreen products and swim wear that reduce the threat to our reef life in Napili Bay, while protecting humans from harmful UV radiation damage to their skin
- We supported legislative efforts at the State level to ban sales of these products in Maui/Hawaii
Mahalo to Dr. Craig Downs (Haereticus Environmental Laboratory) for sharing many scientific resources