A New Dyad.

By Steffi Ohashi Foxx
August 27th, 2024

The Hawaiian island chain is full of dyads. Kū and Hina, Pō and Ao, Papa and Wākea…

Diving in Papahānaumokuākea, you are presented with a new dyad. A region so isolated from humans, yet severely impacted by our waste.

300 pound ulua slowly circle around you inches from your body while a school of Mu watch you intently with their large eyes and big lips. Omilu and uhu shine like glistening rainbows reflecting the sunlight on their colorful scales. Monk seals and white tip sharks follow you with innocent curiosity. Most of the creatures here have never seen a human.

However, all have seen its destruction.

Fishing nets the size of school busses entangle themselves on top of coral. Underneath the nets lie smothered coral slowly suffocating and dying. After carefully removing a net embedded onto coral you can see scars much like our own…bleached white outlines of the net like a skeleton.

Walking along the beaches of Kamole and Kapou can become disheartening. Plastics in every shape and color blanket the island’s empty shoreline. Seabirds, turtles, and monk seals take shelter among mountains of deteriorating plastic bottles, crates, brushes, pipes, fishing materials, and shoes.

Everyday in Papahānaumokuākea, I am amazed that the most isolated islands in the world are continuously desecrated.

I used to think that picking up nets and rubbish was futile effort. My mind was set on changing policy and culture to create a proactive solution to marine debris.

Papahānaumokuākea has taught me that there is great urgency to survey and collect all trash in our environment. Reactive solutions to marine debris are necessary and vital to our world. Our reefs do not have the time to wait for policy change to be implemented. It is imperative that we take immediate action for the continued life in Papahānaumokuākea.

While one could assume I am leaving this place full of melancholy and despair, I am leaving this place with hope. Sitting in a twin bed bunk on a turbulent ship with 80,000 pounds of marine debris, I am proud of our team. I’m impressed by everyone’s unique talents that allowed our operation to succeed. I am reminded of the smiles and laughter of our team even in the 14th consecutive day of grueling laborious work. I’m left thinking about the acres of coral reef we cleaned, finally able to breathe. The two islands (Kamole and Kapou) we cleaned entirely by hand and sheer determination. The connections made in this expedition prove unparalleled.

The future of Papahānaumokuākea is bright. Each mission PMDP embarks on, we remove thousands of pounds of marine debris. But we also leave with a deeper connection to ʻĀina. A spark to keep moving forward towards a goal of healthy reefs that will one day be truly isolated and free from the impacts of humans.

The Future is Bright

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