Earth Day is an annual event, celebrated worldwide to support environmental protection. There are a variety of opportunities to do outreach and education during this important campaign. Over the years, we've been fortunate to partner with the Waikīkī Aquarium to provide our messaging to eager event goers.
This April, employees Jason Beaman, Morgan Miller, and Jamie Jameson were instrumental in reaching out to 3,000 community members on Oʻahu at the Waikīkī Aquarium's annual "Mauka to Makai" or "mountain to ocean" Earth Day event. Our educational booth included hands-on activities for the youngsters and trivia for the older children. We also provided recruitment information for those seeking a career with NOAA.
At the outreach event, we aimed to foster sustainable use of our marine resources. That meant talking to families about recommended catch sizes for specific fish species in Hawaiʻi, respectful viewing distances of our protected marine species, and proper disposal of waste to minimize marine debris. These topics were not only mentioned during Earth Day but everyday as part of our mission and priorities. We take pride in our accomplishments as we collaborate with partners to improve conservation; develop programmatic environmental impact statement to support responsible management of offshore aquaculture; and restore marine and coastal habitats.