One million sea urchins have now been deployed through the Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources’ work in partnership with NOAA to restore corals after the M/V Cape Flattery grounded on an Oʻahu reef.
Oceanic whitetip sharks, once abundant across the globe, are now listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. However, a forthcoming recovery plan is designed to help bring this species back from the brink.
For the fiscal year 2025, 59 proposals were received from 19 states and 3 Tribes. The total amount of federal funding requested was $6,775,267. These proposals met the minimum requirements and will be considered for funding.
Threats to coral are increasing and the involvement of the local community is imperative. With funding through NOAA’s underserved community grants, Kuleana Coral Restoration graduated their first cohort of local and Native Hawaiian ocean conservationists.