By Alicia Srinivas | Associate Program Manager
"A`ohe hua o ka mai`a i ka la ho’okaahi — When a task is done together, no task is too big.”
University of Hawaii – Hilo (UHH) students and alumni test water quality in Puako, Hawaii for the Department of Health
The Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL) and partners are excited to announce the launch of the Hawaii Wai Ola citizen science program. Hawaii Wai Ola is a collaborative group (called a Hui in Hawaiian) comprised of ten organizations, which aims to improve Hawaii Island’s coastal water quality through science, communication and collaboration to accelerate positive change. Hawaii Wai Ola’s diverse set of members includes:
Hawaii Wai Ola is harnessing the power of citizen science to provide a more comprehensive and timely understanding of Hawaii’s water quality, and thus, quality of life.
Citizen science groups are becoming increasingly prevalent across Hawaii, as government and community groups recognize their many benefits. Citizen scientists provide a cost-effective solution for increasing the amount of high-quality rigorous data that researchers are able to collect. Citizen science also increases public awareness and empowers people to make a difference for their island community.
Researchers collect samples to test water quality.
CORAL has been proudly leading its own citizen science program on Hawaii Island. In 2017, CORAL began training citizen scientists in Puako to conduct monthly water quality sampling of six sites along the South Kohala shore, as part of a broader plan to monitor the Puako reef before, during, and after the transition away from cesspools to cleaner alternatives (learn more about our Clean Water for Reefs Puako project here). Our citizen science group collects data on metrics like temperature, bacteria (e.g. Enterococcus) and nutrients; information which is critical to understanding ocean health for the benefit of Hawaii’s residents, visitors and ecosystems.
Now, thanks to the establishment of the Hawaii Wai Ola, much-needed water quality monitoring is now expanding across Hawaii Island. Data collected will be provided to the Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH), filling critical gaps in their database. Data will also be made publicly available on the Hawaii Wai Ola website, which we encourage you to explore.
If you’re based in Hawaii, please consider joining the new citizen science team on Hawaii Island or our monthly volunteer program in Maui!
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