2011 Papahānaumokuākea Intertidal Monitoring Cruise Survey Team Reflections: Brian Villiarimo – Nā Mamo O Mūʻolea

Growing up in Hāna, my dad, uncles and tūtū-man taught us to fish, plant and harvest by the moon phases. We had a taro patch and vegetable garden and fished to feed our family -- all within our ahupuaʻa. Today, as a board member of the community group Nā Mamo O Mūʻolea, we are working to restore and manage this very same ahupua'a while educating our youth about caring for the land and sea.

ʻOpihi (limpets) are one of the main resources we would like to see an increase in abundance so that we can continue to harvest sustainably and enjoy this species for generations to come. We have been working with Papahānaumokuākea, The Nature Conservancy, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology and all the other members of the ʻOpihi Partnership, to understand the ʻopihi and the intertidal areas they live in, so that we can manage them better in our ahupuaʻa.

This research and monitoring cruise has provided me with an opportunity to work with the Monument to protect and restore these amazing kūpuna islands. Being at La Pérouse Pinnacles, Mokumanamana, and Nihoa Islands gave me a glimpse of the future we can have someday in the main Hawaiian Islands. Seeing those places makes me glad that their cultural and natural treasures are protected. In turn, I feel honored and excited that our community work in Hāna is connected to the Monument through the ʻOpihi Partnership, providing all of us a constructive way to approach resource management.

As a member of the research team, I have personally taken a step forward in learning about natural resource management. This experience has helped me become more comfortable with science and how it can serve our needs at a community level. I've also appreciated the opportunity to share my culture and knowledge about limu, reef fish, and other marine life with the rest of the survey team.

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