

The
main Hawaiian Islands are surrounded by almost 410,000 acres of coral reefs.
These reefs contribute hundreds of millions of dollars annually to Hawaii's
economy via the visitors they attract and associated fisheries. Coral
reefs make the islands more hospitable to people by protecting our shoreline
from dangerous waves and storm surges. In addition, most of our sand comes
from the reefs that help create the white sandy beaches Hawai`i is famous for.
They also provide essential habitats for fish and other marine life on which we
depend for food.

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Hawai`i
is home to more unique species than any place of similar size on Earth.
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Hawai`i
has the highest concentration of species that are threatened with
extinction. For many of the endangered species, loss of habitat
through human activity is the primary cause of population decline.
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Ocean-related
activities are the most popular recreation activity among visitors to
Hawai`i.
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Hawai`i
comprises roughly 80 percent of the total coral reef area in U.S. water.
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More
than 25 percent of Hawaiian reef animals and reef fish are endemic (found
only in Hawai`i). This is the highest percentage of endemism for warm
water fish anywhere on earth.
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Dumping
one quart of motor oil down a storm drain contaminates 250,000 gallons of
water.
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Fourteen
billion pounds of garbage are dumped into the world's oceans every year.
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In
1997, volunteers picked up more than 69,000 cigarette butts during one
four-hour period on Hawai`i beaches..
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Thousands
of marine mammals die annually from entanglement or ingestion of
marine debris. This includes endangered green sea turtles, who take 20
years or more to reach sexual maturity.
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80%
of the junk (debris) in the water comes from what we do on land.
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People
are the sole reason for junk in the water.
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Turtles
eat plastic bags, think they're full, and die from starvation as a result.
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Dolphins,
Hawaiian seals, and sea birds become entangled in our debris and get
seriously injured or die.
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Don't
release helium balloons.
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Don't
dispose of any junk or rubbish in storm drains.
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Get
involved - one individual can make a difference!
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Interested?? - contact us:
kaimakana@gmail.com |
For inquiries
or to make a contribution, please contact us at:
Kai Makana
P.O. Box 22719
Honolulu HI 96823 |
Kai
Makana is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, established in 1997, to
provide volunteer, in-kind, and financial support for marine wildlife
conservation and education. |
For
technical support, please contact the web manager at webmaster@kaimakana.org
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