HONOLULU – The Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH) has announced that the coastal waters around Lahaina are safe for ocean recreation following a series of comprehensive monitoring activities. The DOH, along with state agencies and community partners, conducted various tests to ensure the safety of the area.
Deputy Director for Environmental Health Kathleen Ho stated, "These results provide the community with reassurance that the coastal waters around Lahaina are safe for ocean recreation with no significant human health impacts as a result of the wildfires." The tests included efforts by the University of Hawaiʻi, the Surfrider Foundation, and the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR).
UH principal investigator Dr. Andrea Kealoha highlighted the importance of their monitoring efforts, saying, “Our work has provided important data for understanding marine environment impacts.” The study focused on monitoring nutrients, metals, carbonate chemistry, microbial communities, and coral stress metabolites.
DLNR Deputy Directory Ryan Kanakaʻole emphasized the significance of collaboration in response to the wildfires, stating, “While collected for our dredging study, DOH’s ability to use these data to contribute to human health assessment demonstrates the importance of multi-agency collaboration in response to the wildfires.”
Surfrider Foundation’s Maui Fire Response Coordinator, Hanna Lilley, expressed satisfaction with their post-fire coastal water quality monitoring efforts, saying, “Surfrider is pleased that our post-fire coastal water quality monitoring efforts from the January 10 wet weather day were able to contribute to confirming the safety of these waters for ocean recreation.”
The data collected from these monitoring activities will be part of DOH’s Comprehensive Environmental Monitoring and Sampling Program, which aims to monitor and collaborate on environmental data related to wildfire recovery. The ongoing efforts to ensure the coastal waters around Lahaina remain safe for ocean recreation reflect a positive step towards environmental recovery from the Maui wildfires.