Humpback whales swim by the vessel after a suction-cup tag was delpoyed during a research survey. Photo: Lizzy BeatoVolunteers search for humpback whales from shore during the 2025 February Whale Count on Oʻahu. Photo: Lizzy BeatoResource protection staff use a chalk drawing of a life-sized subadult humpback whale to reinact the entanglement with the gear they collected after cutting the animal free. Photo: Lizzy BeatoNatural Resource Protection Assistant Maria Harvey demonstrates how to throw a grapple to attach a telemetry buoy during an entanglement response training. Photo: Lizzy BeatoStudents conduct a biodiversity survey in the fishpond that fronts the Kīhei sanctuary site during a field trip with their school. Photo: Lizzy BeatoStudents test water quality at a brackish pond at the sanctuary site during a class field trip. Photo: Lizzy BeatoStudents testing water samples to learn about the quality of water in the ecosystem. Photo: Lizzy BeatoSanctuary staff attend a science career event to teach students about careers with NOAA. Photo: Lizzy BeatoSanctuary Education Specialist Patty Miller attends a marine science career night at Maui Ocean Center to engage with students about careers with NOAA. Photo: Lizzy BeatoThe research team ends a successful day on the water with a beautiful sunset over Maʻalaea Bay in Maui. Photo: Lizzy BeatoA beachgoer admires a basking green sea turtle on the beach fronting the Kīhei sanctuary site. Photo: Lizzy BeatoLong days on the sanctuaryʻs research vessel Koholā result in lots of great data and beautiful sunset views! Photo: Lizzy BeatoResearch Ecologist Dr. Marc Lammers scans the water searching for humpback whales. Photo: Lizzy BeatoResearch intern Alex Holm holds snotbot, our breath collection drone, prior to launching to collect samples from humpback whales. Photo: Lizzy BeatoOur "snot bot" drone is set up with sterilized petri dishes, designed to fly through the exhalation of a humpback whale in order to collect snot samples for analysis! Photo: Lizzy BeatoSanctuary volunteers feeling festive as they engage with members of the public at a sanctuary outreach booth during a holiday event at the Maui Ocean Center. Photo: Lizzy BeatoA student learns about water quality testing and the impacts of nitrates on the marine ecosytem during a class visit to the sanctuary. Photo: Lizzy BeatoOur Kīhei visitor center is staffed by our amazing volunteer docents, who help to make our visitor experience engaging, educational, and fun! Photo: Lizzy BeatoNational Resource Specialist Ed Lyman records data using a tablet during health and risk assessment surveys on humpback whales in Maui Nui. Photo: Lizzy BeatoSanctuary volunteers engage with guests at the Maui Ocean Center at the sancutary's outreach station. Photo: Lizzy BeatoSanctuary volunteers staff an outreach station at the Maui Ocean Center in Ma'alaea Harbor, teaching people about whales and the national marine sanctuary system. Photo: Linda JensonSanctuary volunteer Gloria Snyder presents our public lecture, the 45-ton talk in Maui. Photo: Lizzy BeatoTurtle patrol docents engage with beachgoers at sunset as sea turtles approach the beach to bask in Maui. Photo: Lizzy BeatoNOAA Holling's interns helping at a HIHWNMS outreach table during an event at Lahainaluna High School. Photo: Lizzy BeatoChildren race to complete marine life puzzles at a HIHWNMS outreach table. While completing this puzzle, outreach volunteers and staff teach the participants about the animal's anatomy to help them solve the puzzle! Photo: Lizzy BeatoNOAA Holling's interns helping at a HIHWNMS outreach table during an event at Lahainaluna High School. Photo: Lizzy BeatoA child coloring a turtle craft at the HIHWNMS outreach station at a community event in Lahaina, HI. Photo: Lizzy BeatoChildren race to complete marine life puzzles at a HIHWNMS outreach table. While completing this puzzle, outreach volunteers and staff teach the participants about the animal's anatomy to help them solve the puzzle! Photo: Lizzy BeatoA child colors some marine wildlife crafts while wearing their newly created shark hat at the HIHWNMS outreach booth. Photo: Lizzy BeatoHIHWNMS outreach station at a community event in Lahaina, HI. Photo: Lizzy BeatoHumpback whale craft celebrating World Ocean Month 2024 at a community event in Lahaina, HI. Photo: Lizzy BeatoWorld Ocean Month whale craft on display outside of the HIHWNMS visitor center in Kihei, HI. Photo: Lizzy BeatoHIHWNMS volunteers Jeep and Linda helping with an outreach table at the Maui Ocean Center to celebrate World Ocean Day, 2024. Photo: Lizzy BeatoThird grade students dissecting an albatross bolus, an aggregation of items that the albatross is not able to digest, and instead, throws back up. Items that are commonly found in the albatross boluses from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands include squid beaks, fishing line, and pieces of plastic. Photo: Lizzy BeatoStudents build edible corals in a lesson at HIHWNMS. In this lesson, students learn about coral anatomy and about zooxanthellae, a symbiotic algae that creates food for the corals using photosynthesis. Photo: Lizzy BeatoTwo of our HIHWNMS volunteers, Kathleen and Grenn showing off their crafts as they help with an outreach station on World Oceans Day 2024. Photo: Lizzy BeatoThe visitor center for the HIHWNMS in Kihei, HI is open! Photo: Lizzy BeatoView of the humpback whale statue that welcomes visitors to the HIHWNMS visitor center in Kihei, HI. Photo: Lizzy BeatoView of the local hawaiian fishpond located steps from the HIHWNMS visitor center in Kihei, HI. Photo: Lizzy BeatoView of the local hawaiian fishpond located steps from the HIHWNMS visitor center in Kihei, HI. Photo: Lizzy BeatoView of the HIHWNMS visitor center's back deck that faces the shoreline in Kihei, HI. Photo: Lizzy BeatoKids crafts and puzzle area in the HIHWNMS visitor's center in Kihei, HI. Photo: Lizzy BeatoThe HIHWNMS's inflatable humpback whale set up for an outdoor event in Oahu, HI. Photo: Paul WongHIHWNMS volunteer teaches children about humpback whale anatomy while inside the sanctuary's inflatable humpback whale. Photo: Paul WongView from the UAS (uncrewed aerial system) as it is about to drop a suction cup tag onto an entangled whale's back. Photo: Zadra. Permit #24359Eden Zang and Maura Schonwald remove an acoustic monitoring device from one of our Maui sites to collect recorded data and complete routine maintenance on the recorder. Photo: Jason MooreThe HIHWNMS vessel, Kohola, conducting research in sanctuary waters with a group of humpback whales nearby. Photo: Jason Moore. Permit #24359View from the sanctuary's UAS (uncrewed aerial system) as it drops a suction cup tag onto an entangled humpback whale. Photo: Ed Lyman. Permit #24359An endangered Hawaiian monk seal rests on the beach adjacent to the HIHWNMS site in Kihei, HI. Photo: Lizzy BeatoAn endangered Hawaiian monk seal rests on the beach adjacent to the HIHWNMS site in Kihei, HI. Photo: Lizzy BeatoAn endangered Hawaiian monk seal rests on the beach adjacent to the HIHWNMS site in Kihei, HI. Photo: Lizzy BeatoResearchers Dr. Adam Pack and Dr. Marc Lammers posing on HINMS r/v Kohola with the stars of "Wild Krats", Chris Kratt and Martin Kratt, as well as cameraman Nick Shaw after they filmed an episode featuring the research conducted at HIHWNMS. Photo: Julia Zeh
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