MOLLY LEON STUDIOS
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PONO is a project-in-progress that examines the juxtaposition between Kauai's pristine natural beauty and the ecological struggles brought on by synthetic pollution and climate change. The project also aims to honor those who work to protect and restore balance to the island's roots and reefs.
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Hanalei Bay: "A Paradisiacal War Zone" ||
If I hadn't been accompanied by one of Kauai's dedicated marine biologists, I never would have known, by simply standing in Hanalei Bay, that I was wading through a war zone. It was a silent kind of war - at least, that was how it seemed on the surface. But with large amounts of consumer waste, in addition to the 992,000,000 watts of electromagnetic radiation pulsing through the reefs each second, it became more apparent that the battle taking place below sea level was far from a quiet one. For more than a decade, the U.S military has been using sonar testing on Kauai, in order to replace nuclear warfare. Kauai's waters have become increasingly polluted both from manmade waste and electromagnetic dumping. -
Terry Lilley - Reef Guardian and Marine Biologist ||
The negative impact of the radioactivity on Kauai's wildlife has been largely underestimated, but a willing handful are determined to educate the community, as well as restore and protect the land.
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A Reef Guardians research boat heading out into Hanalei Bay to look for whales. ||
It was peak whale-watching season, but sightings of the creatures were at a minimum. "When its overcast, microwaves reflect off of the clouds, causing the auditory canals of marine mammals to rupture. It's been deterring the whales from breaching." - T. Lilley.
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Terry Lilley wading through the Hanalei canal. ||
The canal has become more shallow with recent issues of erosion and climate change. The rising of the canal floor has made it particularly difficult for certain species of marine life to inhabit and breed in the channels over the last few years.
