09/15/23-USGS WATER QUALITY EQUIPMENT DEPLOYED FOR LAHAINA FIRE

JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR DAWN CHANG CHAIRPERSON FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 15, 2023 USGS WATER QUALITY EQUIPMENT DEPLOYED FOR LAHAINA FIRE  To view video please click on photo (LAHAINA, MAUI) – Three sophisticated sampling instruments are now gathering information from the ocean waters just off the coast of this fire-ravaged west Maui community. The devices, on loan from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), will collect data over time. Russell Sparks, an aquatic biologist with the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR), explained, “The devices allow pollutants and toxins like heavy metals and pharmaceuticals to slowly slip inside a membrane and accumulate over time. This mimics what a living creature like coral or fish would absorb. When the samples are analyzed, we’ll have a much better idea of what the reefs are being exposed to as a result of  of this fire.” DAR, in partnership with the West Maui Ridge-to-Reef Watershed Initiative, placed devices in 15 to 20 feet of water last week. The initial samples will create a baseline and then DAR and the watershed initiative will work with the USGS over the next year or two to continue the process. The trio of sampling devices, including passive chemical samplers
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