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Free presentation to explore the impact of sea level rise upon West Maui’s shorelines

By Staff | Oct 15, 2020

Erosion was significant in Kahana in 2016 and Napili Bay (pictured) in July 2019. PHOTO BY TARA OWENS.

WEST MAUI — On Wednesday, Oct. 21, from 5 to 6 p.m., join the West Maui Ridge to Reef Initiative partners online for a free presentation, “The Climate Crisis is at Our Shores: How Rising Seas Are Compelling Action in West Maui,” presented by Tara Owens of the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program.

Coastal erosion is a continuing and worsening problem, with 85 percent of Maui shorelines experiencing long-term erosion.

Sea level rise is a primary factor in the changing size and shape of Hawaii’s shorelines. UH research examining 100 years of data indicates that Maui is losing beaches to erosion faster than Oahu and Kauai due to locally higher rates of sea level rise.

Further, West Maui has had the highest percentage of beach loss of any region. In the coming decades, Hawaii shorelines will continue to move inland to further impair infrastructure, property and ecosystems.

In this presentation, Owens will discuss the shoreline trends along with the many research, policy and mitigation initiatives that are underway, or being considered, to manage these conditions.

This event is part of the October-long, all-virtual “Ridge to Reef Rendez-VIEW,” which will include additional evening Zoom presentations on a variety of topics, a month of featuring the Ridge to Reef partners and their work on social media, and the opportunity to win great prizes via an online scavenger hunt and trivia contest.

For more information, and to register for this presentation and the other events, visit www.WestMauiKumuwai.org/R2RR2020 or www.facebook.com/WestMauiKumuwai, e-mail WestMauiKumuwai@gmail.com or call (808) 283-1631.