Fisheries management, Habitat management
Malama Waiaʻelepī Caring for the Hawaiian Anchialine Ponds of Waiaʻelepī, Hawaiʻi
This project on Hawaiʻi Islandʻs Kona coast will support community efforts to restore and protect the Waiaʻelepī anchialine pool system. Anchialine pools (wai ʻōpae) are isolated coastal pools with a subsurface connection to both freshwater and seawater and are some of Hawaiʻiʻs most threated aquatic ecosystems. A unique biological community of native shrimp and other invertebrates inhabit anchialine pools. These habitats are threatened by encroaching invasive vegetation, sea level rise, and introduction of non-native fish. The conservation of remaining anchialine pools is critical to the continued improvement of these habitats across the region.
