Uploaded June 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
BYU biologists and engineers partner with ‘Āina Momona to help save Molokai’s fringing reef
On the Hawaiian island of Molokai, a fragile reef is at risk, buried by sediment that is washing down from the land, smothering corals and killing fish. For generations, the reef has fed and protected residents of Molokai, who understand and revere the connections between the land (mauka) and ocean (makai). Faced with sediment-covered beaches, invasive species and bleached and dying coral reefs, they reached out to Brigham Young University biologists to gather data and propose solutions.
Working in partnership with the native Hawaiian organization ‘Āina Momona, BYU biologists and engineers are developing new technologies to create 3D maps of Molokai’s fragile reef, and to provide baseline data for conservation efforts. In addition to completing land-based surveys of problem areas on the island, BYU engineers developed an autonomous rover to image portions of the reef and to collect GPS coordinates and water quality data.
Oahu native and BYU biology graduate student Kalai Ellis, the lead student researcher on the reef imaging project, has family ties on the island of Molokai, where his great grandmother Mary Lee was a community activist and wise kupuna (elder). He also shares a special connection with Walter Ritte, a noted Molokai activist and founder of ‘Āina Momona. As a young man, Uncle Walter was taught by Ellis’s great grandmother who, during a formative time in his life, gave him critical advice about how to preserve Molokai’s indigenous lands and culture.
Read more at magazine.byu.edu/article/mauka-to-makai/
See kaainamomona.org to learn about ‘Āina Momona and its conservation work on the island of Molokai
BYU biologists and engineers partner with ‘Āina Momona to help save Molokai’s fringing reef
On the Hawaiian island of Molokai, a fragile reef is at risk, buried by sediment that is washing down from the land, smothering corals and killing fish. For generations, the reef has fed and protected residents of Molokai, who understand and revere the connections between the land (mauka) and ocean (makai). Faced with sediment-covered beaches, invasive species and bleached and dying coral reefs, they reached out to Brigham Young University biologists to gather data and propose solutions.
Working in partnership with the native Hawaiian organization ‘Āina Momona, BYU biologists and engineers are developing new technologies to create 3D maps of Molokai’s fragile reef, and to provide baseline data for conservation efforts. In addition to completing land-based surveys of problem areas on the island, BYU engineers developed an autonomous rover to image portions of the reef and to collect GPS coordinates and water quality data.
Oahu native and BYU biology graduate student Kalai Ellis, the lead student researcher on the reef imaging project, has family ties on the island of Molokai, where his great grandmother Mary Lee was a community activist and wise kupuna (elder). He also shares a special connection with Walter Ritte, a noted Molokai activist and founder of ‘Āina Momona. As a young man, Uncle Walter was taught by Ellis’s great grandmother who, during a formative time in his life, gave him critical advice about how to preserve Molokai’s indigenous lands and culture.
Read more at magazine.byu.edu/article/mauka-to-makai/
See kaainamomona.org to learn about ‘Āina Momona and its conservation work on the island of Molokai
