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Boardof Directors

PRESIDENT, CO-FOUNDER

DANIEL DEMARTINI, PHD

SECRETARY SWEETIE NELSON

TREASURER STAN KIMURA

AT LARGE DUANE DESOTO

AT LARGE SYKE KOLEALANI RAZON-OLDS

AT LARGE RANDY KOSAKI

AT LARGE

MARK HIXON

AT LARGE

JACK KITTINGER

AT LARGE

MICHELLE VAN TASSEL

Board Members &Founders

CO-FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

ALIKA PELEHOLANI GARCIA

CO-FOUNDER & TRAINING ASSISTANT

KAPONO KALUHIOKALANI

ANOTEFROMOUR CHIEFOFOPERATIONS

Looking back on my first day with Kuleana Coral five years ago, it’s hard to imagine how much both the organization and lf would grow. What began as a small team with big idea evolved into a more established organization with deep roots and greater responsibility. What drew me in then, and what keeps me here now, is the shared belief that caring for our coral reefs starts with caring for people

Throughout my time with KCR, I’ve been privileged to witness both our successes and failures, and no year has tested us like quite like 2025 Stepping into a leadership role during such a period of uncertainty often felt overwhelming, but what grounded me and kept me moving forward was the unwavering support of our team and the communities we serve

Reflecting on this year I’m reminded of one of the reefs most formidable inhabitants- the manō. Throughout their lifetimes teeth are often broken, but constantly regenerated. New teeth are continuously growing in rows that move forward with seven rows of replacement teeth and up to 30,000 in a lifetime.

I’ve realized within our team and alongside our partners behind each effort in every community stands many rows of leaders coming into their own, standing shoulder to shoulder, willing to step up to lead us Our mission is bigger than any one person, it is carried forward together I’m grateful to contribute to this organization and to stand alongside so many leaders committed to this work

BlakeNowack

Blake Nowack Chief Operating Officer

1,931 Large Rescued Colonies (LRC) Coral Fragments

7,117

121Photomosaics generated

9,048 Total Outplants Over seven football fields of imagery!

47,352 Sq Meters of Reef Imaged

4,476 Training Hours Scuba Tanks

4,011 Engaged Participants across 39 Outreach Events

11,433 Followers & Fans

470K Impressions 1,706 Total Hours Underwater 2,385

C U M U L A T I V E I M P A C T C U M U L A T I V E I M P A C T

FROM CAPACITY TO CONTINUITY

Accomplishments & Progress

In 2025, we continued our work caring for Hawaiʻi’s coral reefs with a deep sense of responsibility to place and to the people who depend on it.

We expanded our restoration efforts beyond Oʻahu, supporting community-led work in South Maui and focusing on what is needed to restore, protect, and monitor reefs in ways that strengthen coastal communities for the long term.

We showed up with care and

Our work on the water requires focus, preparation, and consistency, and we met these challenges by holding ourselves to high standards of safety, professionalism, and stewardship.

At the heart of our work are relationships By investing in people through hands-on restoration, workforce training, and education, we strengthened connections between communities, reefs, and future stewards

This is how we build reef resilience: together, over time, with trust,

CBCRA

A NEW CHAPTER FOR COMMUNITY-BASED CORAL RESTORATION ON OʻAHU’S LEEWARD COAST.

In April 2025, we reached a milestone years in the making: launching another Community-Based Coral Restoration Area in West Oʻahu Along the way, we deepened our understanding of the CBCRA model how it can evolve, adapt, and meaningfully engage new communities. In partnership with Mālama Learning Center and Leeward Kai Canoe Club, we are now planting coral in the nearshore waters of Nānākuli, complementing our partners’ long-term muliwai restoration efforts Community participation is embedded at every stage of the process. Following our spring launch, we completed a second successful coral planting in October

MULIWAI

an estuary, a brackish transition zone where freshwater streams meet the sea, creating vital, productive ecosystems

REMOVING INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES

PLANTING NATIVE PLANTS

FISHING FOR INVASIVE FISH SPECIES

LEEWARD KAI CANOE CLUB

Safely transporting corals between the shore and restoration site, while perpetuating Hawaiian voyaging traditions

KCR TENT

Fragmenting Station where community members can prepare rescued corals for outplanting

M A U K A T O M A K A I V I E W O F N Ā N Ā K U L I M U L I W A I

Another significant undertaking this year was the establishment of our first CBCRA outside of O’ahu in partnership with Maui Nui Marine Resource Council. Building upon their longstanding commitment to the restoration and monitoring of Maui’s reefs, we provided technical assistance, dive training, and in water support to establish their first two coral restoration sites in south Maui. The goal of these sites was to build inter-organizational capacity and to test attachment methods in another area to inform future restoration work.

NEW CBCRA:

In an effort to continue capacity building and directly empowering communities to manage their reefs, we also launched COAST 2.0. This program hired two Maui based technicians with the goal of employing local experts to apply their place based knowledge for more effective, island-specific restoration. These technicians will support the existing CBCRA sites on Maui while also leading community engagement in West Maui to lay the groundwork for future restoration efforts.

UPDATES FROM OUR FIRSTCBCRA first

Building on the success of our pilot CBCRA, restoration efforts continued at Pōkaʻi Bay and led to the completion of our second site in the spring With support from the Hawaiʻi Fish Habitat Partnership, we ’ ve hosted four community events to date alongside Nā Kama Kai and Kingdom Pathways, resulting in the planting of 562 large rescued coral colonies and 765 fragments.

This site prioritized fish habitat, with a focus on finger coral (P compressa), which provides essential shelter for juvenile fish We implemented species-specific propagation techniques while strengthening our capacity to conduct fish surveys and better document restoration outcomes

PŌKA’I BAY PŌKA’I BAY

The depth of community involvement made this work especially meaningful particularly the many keiki who joined us, reinforcing our shared responsibility to care for the next generation of life, both on land and in the sea.

PŌKA’I BAY

Restoration efforts focus on fish habitat guided by the moʻolelo (stories) of historically abundant finger coral. 562 large rescued colonies and 765 fragments have been outplanted.

HĀNI’O

(KO OLINA)

KCR's pilot sites of 231 colonies and 2,627 fragments outplanted, this area represents a portion of the traditional fishery Hāni'o, established by 'Ai'ai and his son, Puniaiki Ongoing collaborative projects continue into 2026 with the Honokaihale 'Ohana Council and Ho'ōla Hāni'o.

NĀNĀKULI

Our newest CBCRA location builds upon restoration efforts led by our partners upstream 110 large rescued colonies have been outplanted so far. Stay tuned for events in the spring and summer!

AHUA REEF

Historically called Ahua reef, 474 colonies & 105 fragments have been planted across 3 sites (AIRPORT, KE’EHI)

MAUNALUA BAY

Supporting a collaborative project called Restore with Resilience, over 2,000 thermally resilient fragments have been outplanted. Stay tuned for events in 2026!

EDUCATION & OUTREACH

Kuleana Coral Restoration continues to value the importance of community education, prioritizing three pillars of outreach: classroom visits, community events, and supporting our partners Through these three pillars, we reached over 4,000 individuals with coral restoration and conservation messaging in 2025 - a 30% increase from the previous year!

Guided by pilina and collective action, we continue to participate in annual events alongside multiple partners, such as: Hoʻākea Mauka to Makai and Pilina Kanaloa: Ocean Day at the Capitol. These events enable us to reach new audiences and broaden our partnership network as we connect with other ʻāina stewardship groups

In 2025, our team leaned into a community education approach that’s oftenoverlooked:simplysupportingour partnersthroughservice,workdays,and hostingoureducationbooth.

WealsocontinuedtotakepartinNā KamaKaioceanclinics,Ho’ōlaHāniʻo work days, Haʻawi Aloha summer camps, Hana Pūkoʻa events with Mālama Maunalua and PULS. At the same time, we nurtured new and budding partners including Patagonia, and the East O’ahu community by participating in their hosted familyfriendlycommunityevents

Honors the legacy of Hawaiian voyaging Local waʻa and mālama ʻāina organizations join forces to offer hands-on learning experiences that perpetuate the core values and perspectives of traditional navigation. Ko Olina Thanksgiving Outreach distributes 4,000 meals to individuals & families across West O‘ahu.

Ko Olina’s Children’s Festival is a family-friendly event featuring entertainment, cultural activities, & educational booths for keiki while 100% of proceeds benefit Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women & Children.

RESTORE WITH RESILIENCE HANA PŪKO’A

Hands-on community workdays engage volunteers in coral restoration strengthening reef resilience while deepening community connection to Maunalua Bay.

Annual Ocean Awareness Day held at the Hawaiʻi State Capitol bringing together conservation organizations, community members, and lawmakers to push for stronger ocean-focused policies.

PULS (Pop-up Labs for STEM) is a mobile science program focused on enhancing STEM education across O‘ahu by bringing hands-on environmental and marine science lessons directly to students.

THE GREAT REEF CENSUS EXPANDS TO HAWAI’I

In 2025, our team helped launch the Great Reef Census Hawai‘i a first-ofits-kind citizen-science initiative empowering communities to take part in coral reef monitoring.

The program debuted on World Oceans Day at Aulani Resort, where divers, students, and families joined KCR and the Citizens of the Reef team to kick off this archipelago-wide effort The initiative follows a two-stage process: first, volunteers collect underwater images during reef surveys, and then community members analyze those images online

To support both stages, Kuleana staff have been traveling across O‘ahu, visiting schools and marine conservation groups to train participants in survey techniques and the web-based analysis platform So far, volunteers have collected more than 3,500 reef images across O‘ahu, Maui, Kaua‘i, and Moloka‘i, with image analysis now underway

Together, these efforts are building a connected network of local ocean stewards and shared community resources dedicated to understanding and caring for Hawai‘i’s reefs.

“By combining people-power, AI and science, we create practical conservation programs that are scaling to communities around the world.”

VIRTUAL REEFALITY

ThisyearwecollaboratedwithTomHallof MarineLabsVRtobuildaccessiblemodern ocean education through Virtual Reefality, animmersivesensoryexperienceofHawaiʻi reefs curated through 360° media, 3D animation, bioacoustics, and cultural knowledge

In October, our team debuted the first Virtual Reefality experience, “Whispers of the Reef, at the Nā Kama Kai Ocean Clinic in Pōkaʻi Bay. This gave the youth the opportunity to experience the ocean creatures that inhabit Hawaiian waters, complete with close interactions and the soundstheymake.

Mahalo to Tom Hall for volunteering his expertise to bring Virtual Reefality to life and to the Smile Wave Foundation for providing the Quest 3 headsets, Insta360 cameras, and underwater microphones to collect audio at our sites We plan to continue developing these experiences in 2026 to reach new audiences and share our work with this immersive technology Together,we’rehelpingthenextgeneration connect with and care for coral reefs in Hawaiʻi,bothaboveandbelowthesurface

Through our partnership with SHEBA Hope Grows, members of our team traveled to Indonesia to train with one of the world’s most successful coral restoration operations Seeing acres upon acres of healthyrestoredreefinareasthathadbeenreduced torubbleinspiredatangiblesenseofhopeandstrong drivetobringthisscaleofrestorationtoHawai’i.

We had the rare opportunity to take you all on this journey with us by being featured in the documentary film: ReefBuilders. Being highlighted alongside other other communities engaged in similar projects amplified KCR’s work beyond Hawaiʻi, helping bring ourcommunity-centeredapproachtoreefrestoration to a global audience. Its release sparked new conversations, strengthened partnerships, and increased visibility for the values that guide our work. Reef Builders helped turn awareness into action, reinforcingtheimportanceofinvestinginpeopleasa pathwaytoresilientreefs

We were also honored to be chosen as the beneficiary for the Amazon Prime Stream it Forward fundraising campaign with $1 donated to our organization per hour streamed. Thanks to all of you, we raised $50,000 to support our mission and goal of piloting Reef Stars as a restoration tool in Hawai’i. While our team deeply appreciates this contribution to our work, but honestly, what means just as much is the awareness this partnership created it showed people all over the world that community-led restoration is possible, and it matters

REEF STARS

Supported by SHEBA® Hope Grows™

As a stepping stone toward a larger-scale project, KCR launched a one-year pilot to evaluate the suitability of Reef Stars in Hawaiian waters, with a small number installed across two locations. Six-month findings were shared with the broader restoration community at the 4th Hawaiʻi Coral Restoration Symposium and now after one full

PAVEMENT

OURPILOTAIMED TODEMONSTRATE THREEOBJECTIVES:

SOUNDATTACHMENT COMPATIBILITYWITH HAWAIIANCORALSPECIES

ACCELERATEDGROWTHRATES

RUBBLE

These findings demonstrate the promising potential Reef Stars hold as a tool for certain applications here in Hawai’i Phase two will involve scaling up the pilot to include a larger network of 30 connected Reef Stars This will allow us to investigate their potential for rubble stabilization as well as impacts on the reef fish community

TRAINING PROGRAM DIVE&BOAT

Thisyearmarkedthesuccessfulcompletion of the NOAA Underserved Community Grant, which funded three impactful years oftheCOASTProgram Overthattime,the program has created meaningful pathways into marine science and diving for dozens of community members across Hawai‘i

The 2025 cohort continued this legacy, with all eight students graduating with Rescue Diver and Coral Restoration training. Beyond technical skills, they excelled in community engagement building strong connections with one another, with Kuleana Coral Restoration, and with the broader conservation community. Watching their growth has reaffirmed the transformative power of providing access, mentorship, and realworldexperienceinoceanstewardship.

While this chapter of COAST comes to a close, its impact will continue to ripple outward We are proud to have secured fundingforCOAST20,whichbuildsonthe foundation of the original program and extendsitsreach

This new grant allows us to continue the O‘ahu-based program for one additional year and to expand our training network to Maui, where two newly hired partners began their journey in October Their first week of training was intense and inspiring, encompassing DAN Diving First Aid, Rescue Diver,andAAUSScientificDivercoursework

This expansion represents more than just geographic growth it reflects the strengthening of a statewide network of divers, mentors, and restoration practitionerswhoshareadeepcommitment tocaringforHawai‘i’sreefs.ThroughCOAST andnowCOAST2.0,wecontinuetoinvestin people as the foundation of coral restoration, ensuring that knowledge, opportunity, and aloha for the ocean are carriedforwardtothenextgeneration.

“Forme,COASThas providedsuchwonderful knowledge,skills,and relationshipsthathavereally helpedtogroundmyidentity &pathasaconservationist overthenextfewyears. Beyondthetrainingand certificationswereceived, theexposuretoon-thegroundactionthatKCRis doingaswellassomany otherpeopleinthe conservationfieldhavebeen soimpactfulinhelpingmeto understandhowweareall interconnectedthroughthe workthatwedo.

KCRʻsCOASTprogramhas openedsomanydoorsboth personally&professionally. I'vegainedawholecohort andstaffoffriendswho supportoneanotherand createthiscommunitythat motivatesbydoing.”

KAWAI HONG, COAST GRADUATE

TRAINING& RESTORATION HUB

atThis year marked a major step forward in Kuleana Coral Restoration’s commitment to workforce development, professional training, and reciprocal learning partnerships Through the generous support of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation and Holomua Marine Initiative, we expanded opportunities for both our partners and our staff to grow as divers, leaders, and mentors within the marine conservation field.

The AAUS Scientific Diver and Open Water Diver trainings offered to our community partners strengthened collaboration and reciprocity between organizations These shared experiences in the water deepened our collective capacity for safe, skilled, and effective restoration diving It is a tremendous privilege to share dive knowledge with our partners and witness their growth as they advance their own diving skills and careers while bettering the community around them through reef restoration and ocean stewardship.

We are also tremendously grateful to Ko Olina for their continued support in providing access to The Makaiwa Cove a safe and reliable site that has become central to our training operations. Their generosity has allowed us to conduct numerous successful dive trainings and to house neighbor island students who traveled interisland to participate This partnership embodies the spirit of aloha and shared responsibility that makes our collective work possible

Internally, we celebrated remarkable growth among our staff. Kiana advanced through NAUI MasterDiverandNAUIDivemastercertifications this year, assisting in every training offered to partners and the community. Already a skilled and hardworking diver, Kiana’s move into a leadership and mentoring role allows her to passonthesesametraits discipline,focus,and care toeverydiverwholearnsfromher.

We also recognize Kapono, who brings calm and grounded wisdom shaped by his experience as a firefighter His unique perspective infuses each class with patience, safety awareness, and confidence qualities that make him an exceptional instructor As he continues his path toward becoming an AAUS Scientific Diving Instructor, his ability to blend technical expertise with mentorship will further strengthenourtrainingcapacitystatewide

Together, these milestones reflect the heart of KCR’s approach to professional development: fostering technical excellence while nurturing leadership, humility, and community in every diver we train.

MAPPING& MONITORIING

2025 marked a year of steady growth and expanded capacity for Kuleana Coral Restoration’s Monitoring Team Building on the foundation of 2024, the team completed 40 photomosaic surveys, capturing over 9,200 square meters of reef the equivalent of more than 22 basketball courts Each photomosaic serves as a living digital archive, allowing us to track coral survivorship and growth over time across all active restoration and emergency response sites, including Ko Olina, Kewalo Basin, Pōka‘ī Bay, Nānākuli, and the Airport Reef Runway.

O OLINA/HĀNI’O—

BEYOND MEASURING CORAL GROWTH, WE’RE EXPLORING WAYS TO MONITOR THE ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM.

Our program broadened its scope to capture how restored reefs function as full ecosystems. In 2025 we piloted fish and invertebrate surveys at Pōka‘ī Bay and plan to expand these efforts to track the return of key species like surgeonfish, urchins, and sea stars Temperature loggers were installed at select sites to monitor environmental conditions influencing coral resilience, and new research will focus on understanding the coral spawning calendar of local Hawaiian species documenting the successful reproduction of our outplanted corals

Using TagLab and other analysis tools, we monitored nearly 1,000 individual coral colonies, documenting the continued success of our Large Rescued Colonies and Reef Star outplants Two legacy Ko Olina sites reached five consecutive years of monitoring, among the longest continuous coral restoration datasets in Hawaiʻi

Survivorship by Species

Mature colonies especially Rice Coral (Montipora capitata) and Lobe Coral (Porites lobata) showed strong survivorship and measurable tissue growth, demonstrating that sustained, science-based restoration works

Meanwhile, our partnership with Dr Lisa Munger at the University of Hawai‘i advanced the use of reef bioacoustics, recording underwater soundscapes to reveal the acoustic signatures of reefs through different stages of recovery. Baseline recordings at Pōka‘i Bay established an acoustic benchmark to track how this newly restored reef community evolves over time.

Throughout 2026, KCR will continue expanding its monitoring program, refining automated image-analysis workflows and integrating ecological and environmental datasets. These advancements together with our growing technical capacity and partnerships will strengthen KCR’s ability to understand, restore, and protect Hawai‘i’s coral reefs for generations to come.

Looking Ahead

Kuleana Coral Restoration has reached a pivotal moment in our evolution, transitioning from building foundational capacity to delivering coral restoration at meaningful scale Years of investing in people, training, safety, partnerships, and proven restoration methods havepositionedustomovebeyondpiloteffortsandinto larger,moreecologicallysignificantprojects

With strong teams, trusted community relationships, and refined tools and techniques, we are now able to restorereefsmoreefficientlywhilemaintainingthecare, accountability,andplace-basedapproachthatdefine our work This shift reflects not a departure from our values,buttheresultofthem demonstratingthatwhen capacity is built with intention and community at the forefront,scalablereefrestorationbecomespossible

Pending permitting considerations, our team is developing strategies to leverage Reef Star networks as well as providing in-water support for the Rapid Resilient Reefs for Coastal Defense (R3D) “Reefense” program This first of it’s kind coastal protection project aims to develop a hybrid living and artificial reef that dissipates wave energy and protects the shoreline, while also providing habitat for corals, fishes, and other marine life

2025 ACCOMPLISHMENTSCOAST Cohort 3

Expanding CBCRA Network, 1 Inter-island st

Dive Training for Team and Partners

Diversifying funding sources

2026 CURRENT FOCUS

Reef Star Network Pilot R3D Project Support

Volunteer Dive Program Development

Community engagement for Makua CBCRA

2026 GOALSCOAST Cohort 4 Kauai CBCRA

Support partners with capacity building efforts Expand community engagement efforts in east O’ahu

BEYOND 2026

Statewide scalable impact Network of CBCRAs

Ecosystem-level restoration

ALIKA GARCIA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

“2025 wasn’t only about what we did in the water it was about what we built around it: trust, training, partnerships, and a community network strong enough to carry the work long-term. We faced real constraints and setbacks, but we kept moving forward with discipline and purpose. As we enter 2026, we’re stepping beyond pilot-scale efforts into coordinated restoration and protection at scale because these reefs are community resources, and lasting change is built by communities who refuse to let their place decline. We look forward to growing local leadership so the future is built by us, not for us.”