KILAUEA Kilauea Point Natural History Association, which provides support to the Kauai National Wildlife Refuge Complex, has teamed up with Kristen Kelly of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources, Marine Wildlife Program, to present a talk on ocean debris in celebration of World Oceans Day 2019.
KILAUEA — Kilauea Point Natural History Association, which provides support to the Kauai National Wildlife Refuge Complex, has teamed up with Kristen Kelly of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources, Marine Wildlife Program, to present a talk on ocean debris in celebration of World Oceans Day 2019.
The talk will focus on marine debris in the uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and its impacts on wildlife in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument at a free event Friday from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Princeville Community Association clubhouse.
“The problem of plastic pollution in the environment is a global one. In Hawaii, we feel the impacts all along our beaches and shorelines,” said a press release.
“From ghost nets and ropes that entangle wildlife, to plastic bits that find their way into the bodies of our ocean-dependent animals, to the littered beaches where we all love to spend time, it is becoming impossible to ignore this environmental crisis.”
“The plastic we create is not going away any time soon, and neither are the problems it creates,” the release continued.
Educational efforts and laws to reduce single-use plastic items are vital steps to solving this immense challenge. The work of local nonprofits like Surfrider Foundation, as well as governmental efforts, are critical to getting the pollution out of wildlife’s way.
Kelly’s talk will include stunning images of the remote island and marine debris cleanup efforts taking place where the mess it out of sight and out of mind for most of us. She will focus on innovative solutions and legislation needed to combat human wastefulness.
