The Maui Nui Marine Resource Council will host presentations by four coral scientists and specialists on Nov. 6 at the Iao Theater.
Rhiannon Chandler-Iao, Mark Hixon, Bob Richmond and Russell Sparks will speak during the presentation “Ola Na Papa i Pulama ‘ia: A Tribute to Maui’s Living Coral Reefs.”
The evening will feature four short presentations, each by an expert on coral reefs or Hawaiian culture, said Christina Lizzi, executive director of the Maui Nui Marine Resource Council. The event is part of the council’s new “Know Your Ocean” speaker series, which kicked off in October with a presentation by Hokule’a navigator Nainoa Thompson.
Chandler-Iao, executive director of Waterkeepers Hawaiian Islands, will discuss the value of Hawaii’s coral reefs as natural and cultural resources. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in ethnic studies from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 2004 and graduated from the William S. Richardson School of Law in 2016 with certificates in both Native Hawaiian rights and environmental law. Her resume includes serving as the executive director of the nonprofit Community Work Day Program and as a member of the Maui Nui Marine Resource Council and Maui County Cultural Resources Commission.
Mark Hixon
Hixon, UH marine biology chairman, will explore the essential role of uhu (parrotfish) in Hawaii’s coral reef ecosystem. He is a Fulbright Senior Scholar, an Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellow, and a fellow of the International Coral Reef Society.
Richmond will discuss cockroach corals and the sounds of the reefs, sharing theories about how these corals are resilient and their possible role in replenishing reefs harmed by climate change. Richmond has been studying cockroach corals in Maalaea Small Boat Harbor and Olowalu. He also will bring examples of the sounds emitted by coral reefs and help the audience to understand why these sounds are a useful diagnostic tool to evaluate reef health. Richmond is chairman of the Maui Coral Recovery Team, organized by Maui Nui Marine Resource Council, and is a co-author of the Maui Coral Recovery Plan.
Sparks, an aquatic biologist with the state Division of Aquatic Resources, will discuss overly warm ocean waters and coral bleaching — how bad they are and what’s next. He will provide explanations of the 2015 bleaching event and theories of future ones.
He received his Bachelor of Science in biology from Oregon State University and then his Master of Science in marine biology from UH-Manoa in 1996. Since 1998, Russell has worked for the Division of Aquatic Resources as an education specialist and more recently as an aquatic biologist. He is currently responsible for leading the design, implementation and overall management of the Maui marine monitoring program and for working with stakeholders and communities to develop marine management programs aimed at nearshore fisheries and coral reef resources.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with the presentation starting at 6 p.m. Tickets are available for $5 at MauiOnstage.com. Free tickets are available to high school and college students by emailing info@mauireefs.org.
Bob Richmond
This event is funded in part by the county Office of Economic Development. For more information, visit mauireefs.org.
Russell Sparks
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