The wonder of community science, also called citizen science is that anyone can do it. Yes, even you. Below we list projects with relevance to Maui Nui. Some are truly local efforts. Others are efforts where participation will include Hawai’i in science on a global scale.
Hawaiian Islands (State Wide)
Pollinators in Paradise – Tracking sightings of pollinators in the Hawaiian Islands, with a special interest in the endangered, endemic yellow-faced bees. https://www.facebook.com/Pollinators-in-Paradise-646022402466698/ and iNaturalist project here: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?project_id=28730
Hawaii Association for Marine Education and Research – Contribute your manta ray sighting – new or old – from anywhere in the Hawaiian Islands with the manta ray sighting form: https://www.hamerinhawaii.org/manta-ray-sighting-form/
Hawaii Hawksbills – Contribute your sightings – new or old – of Hawaiian hawksbill turtles and add to the growing catalog of individual hawksbill turtles in Hawai’i and help scientists understand lifespan, migration patterns and more. https://www.hihawksbills.org/
North Pacific Hagfish Trap Project – Report any findings of the cone-shaped hagfish traps you find on the beaches of Hawaii to help understand sources and eventually reduce their occurrence. https://hawaii.surfrider.org/hagfish/ (Locally supported by Hawaii Surfrider Foundation)
Island of Maui
Kanaha Pond State Wildlife Sanctuary – An iNaturalist project that aggregates citizen scientist’s observations of wildlife in the sanctuary. https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/kanaha-pond-state-wildlife-sanctuary
Eyes of the Reef Hawai’i – A community reporting network for coral disease and bleaching; marine invasive species; crown-of-thorns seastars, fish diseases, and other things of concern about the marine environment. This is your chance to help contribute to the long-term protection of our local reefs. https://eorhawaii.org
SHARKastics.org – Join the monthly Kaehu Beach cleanup (ongoing since 2012!!) or the semi-annual cleanups (since 2019) at Makamaka’ole to collect data on marine debris or contribute your data from a personal beach cleanup. https://www.sharkastics.org/events.html