Maunalua Bay
Maunalua Bay is a coastal region found in the Southeast of the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu. The bay consists of 8 miles of shoreline and 6.5 square miles of ocean, and stretches between the Diamond Head (Leahi) and Koko Head (Kawaihoa) mountains.
Feeding into the bay are the ten watersheds of the Maunalua region. Because these watersheds are relatively close to the shore, water from storm events reaches the ocean in short time periods. Since the 1950s, changes in land use in the region have exacerbated this. Stream channelization and use of impervious surfaces have altered the natural flow of water and increased the input of pollutants and sediment into Maunalua Bay. As a result, Maunalua Bay has seen a degradation of coral reef habitat and an explosion of invasive algae.
Although community efforts in the form of coral reef restoration, invasive algae removal, and seagrass planting have been made to improve the health of the bay, the root of the problem has not yet been addressed. A watershed-level approach which couples downstream restoration with improved upstream management is therefore necessary to more effectively conserve Maunalua Bay now and for the future
Maunalua Bay is a coastal region found in the Southeast of the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu. The bay consists of 8 miles of shoreline and 6.5 square miles of ocean, and stretches between the Diamond Head (Leahi) and Koko Head (Kawaihoa) mountains.
Feeding into the bay are the ten watersheds of the Maunalua region. Because these watersheds are relatively close to the shore, water from storm events reaches the ocean in short time periods. Since the 1950s, changes in land use in the region have exacerbated this. Stream channelization and use of impervious surfaces have altered the natural flow of water and increased the input of pollutants and sediment into Maunalua Bay. As a result, Maunalua Bay has seen a degradation of coral reef habitat and an explosion of invasive algae.
Although community efforts in the form of coral reef restoration, invasive algae removal, and seagrass planting have been made to improve the health of the bay, the root of the problem has not yet been addressed. A watershed-level approach which couples downstream restoration with improved upstream management is therefore necessary to more effectively conserve Maunalua Bay now and for the future