Quality assured sampling by engaged citizen scientists supports state agency coastal water quality monitoring programs

Pacific island coral reef ecosystems are particularly threatened by anthropogenic stresses we can manage in the context of global threats we cannot control. State agencies are challenged to sample coastal waters at the spatial and temporal resolution needed to make decisions about improving watershed management. The acquisition of environmental data by committed non-profit organizations and trained community members represents a major opportunity to support agency monitoring programs and to complement field campaigns in the study of watershed dynamics. When data collection protocols match state agency protocols and these are supported by sufficient documentation there is an opportunity to create regulatory-quality data that can inform management. We describe the formation of the first volunteer group in Hawaii to establish a quality assured water quality sampling program to match the Hawaii Department of Health’s protocols. Hui O Ka Wai Ola, a partnership between three non-profit organizations on Maui, Hawaii, has trained 40 volunteers to use methods that directly match the state program. The group has taken over 900 discrete samples at 48 sites, providing the most comprehensive picture of water quality in Maui to date, motivating community activism and catalyzing large-scale restoration efforts in the adjoining watersheds. Results highlight coastal areas that have poor water quality, delineate a baseline from which to compare future restoration projects, and emphasize parts of the sampling protocol that might be improved for more reliable data.