The public is invited to learn about a unique study conducted at Molokini during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a free webinar on September 28 at 5:30 PM HT. Researchers involved in the study will share their findings which compare Molokini during the pandemic vs past and present times. This presentation is part of Maui Nui Marine Resource Councilʻs monthly Know Your Ocean Speaker Series, sponsored by the County of Maui. Registration is free but is required in advance of the webinar. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fBY0v5QCQ_eqwAMVfYAGWg

Molokini Marine Preserve is normally visited by approximately 1,000 tourists every day. During COVID-19 when tourism was switched off and there were no tour boats and no snorkelers at Molokini, researchers had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to understand how human activity affects how wildlife uses the reserve, and found that animal life there was thriving with no boats or visitors around.