On Saturday, July 31, 2021, Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea (Hawaiian Restoration Day) Nā Maka Onaona (NMO) partners with various organizations to create a crew of all native Hawaiian scientist departing Kāneʻohe, Oʻahu for Papahānaumokuākea. NMO will be continuing our intertidal fisheries management studies and Dr. Haunani Kāne and her team will be conducting their study on sea level rise. The research crew will be visiting Mokumanamana, Nīhoa and Lalo (French Frigate Shoals).
Every huakaʻi is special in its own way and this one is no different. Nā Maka Onaona spent a lot of years across our paeʻāina working with communities, agencies, and students exploring our intertidal zone and ʻopihi fishery so we can find ways to support a healthy and productive fishery that will continually feed our people for generations to come. This year we get to support the work of Dr. Haunani Kāne and her team while continuing our work with their support as well. Though our entire lead team will not be on this huakaʻi, we are very proud to include on this access team 3 youth that have spent years in our programs and supporting our research. Another important share is that the boat will stop on Kauaʻi to pick up 4 of our team and top up on provisions. Currently, these huakaʻi have been staged out of Oʻahu but Kauai's traditional role served to be the staging area as well as the final support mechanism for trips to Papahānaumokuākea (North Western Hawaiian Islands). This stop is important on so many levels to re-engage and include Kauaʻi in these expeditions and huakaʻi to Papahānaumokuākea as this was an obvious and important step historically in venturing into this region of Pō (the realm of our ancestors). For more information check out the OHA press release. Mahalo to OHA, UH SeaGrant, ASU, and the many organizations and individuals for supporting this critical work for our Lāhui (Hawaiian nation).