HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	31
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

 

requesting the university of hawaii to work with the national oceanic and atmospheric administration and department of education to create a coral reef advisory team of youth.

 

 

 

     WHEREAS, coral reefs are some of the most diverse ecosystems in the world; and

 

     WHEREAS, about twenty-five percent of the ocean's fish depend on healthy coral reefs; and

 

     WHEREAS, coral reefs protect coastlines from storms and erosion, provide a source of food and new medicines, and offer opportunities for recreation; and

 

     WHEREAS, Hawaii's coral reefs account for about eighty-five percent of all coral reefs in the United States; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Northwestern Hawaiian Island coral reefs, which are part of the Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Monument, provide an example of the diversity of life associated with shallow-water reef ecosystems, supporting more than seven thousand species of fishes, invertebrates, plants, sea turtles, birds, and marine mammals; and

 

     WHEREAS, unfortunately, climate change is threatening coral reefs worldwide, primarily through increased temperature stress, which causes coral bleaching, where corals lose the algal symbionts living within their cells; and

 

     WHEREAS, corals are able to recover from bleaching events if conditions improve before they die, though it can take many years for the ecosystems to fully heal; and

 

     WHEREAS, providing educational initiatives where students can learn about coral reefs, including the science and best practices related to preservation and restoration, will help to engage students about an important ecosystem that is critical to life in Hawaii; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2022, that the University of Hawaii is requested to work with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Department of Education to create a Coral Reef Advisory Team of Youth; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that through the Coral Reef Advisory Team of Youth, the University of Hawaii is requested to engage students in the science and background of coral reefs, including ways of saving and preserving coral reefs; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the University of Hawaii is requested to consider using the Partnerships for Reform through Investigative Science and Math Program's curricula related to coral reefs; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Education, President of the University of Hawaii, and Superintendent of Education.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

University of Hawaii; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Department of Education; Coral Reef Advisory Team of Youth