Note: In the difficult months following the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires that devastated Lahaina, education was disrupted significantly. But amid the struggles, students and educators persevered — and the learning and classwork resumed.

At Lahainaluna High School this past school year, teacher Jarrett Chapin tasked his English/Language Arts sophomores to research topics related to local problems and to write speeches, project proposals and op-eds about their issues.

Today, we present abridged versions of three of those pieces. All reflect the diligence, learning and critical thinking being done by Lahaina’s youth even as they, and their community, strive for recovery amid ongoing challenges.

A huge crack runs from the foundation to the roof of Kahana Beach Resort, a resort that can be seen from “S-turns Beach” in West Maui. While the resort seems to be crumbling from the outside, many are remarking about the disappearance of the beach at the Kahana Sunset condos nearby. These are signs of change and erosion. The beautiful coral reefs that once decorated the shoreline surrounding Maui’s west coast are dying from a variety of human toxins and the rising temperatures created by industrial pollution. These causes directly impact the ecosystem below the sea, causing coastal erosion.

The buzz about coral reefs has been getting louder, and surfing and marine organizations are bringing attention to the harm threatening our coral reefs. It’s time for us to act and protect these vital ecosystems. Coral reefs are not just a beautiful sight; they’re a crucial part of the ocean’s ecosystem. The reefs provide a balanced habitat for most marine species. They protect coastlines from erosion and support the lives of millions of people around the world. Sadly, we’ve learned the hard way that brushing past this issue has created severe consequences.

The current condition of our reefs is a clear call for help and a reminder of the immediate attention needed. We need to take responsibility and work together to preserve these precious ecosystems for future generations.

The crumbling building in Kahana didn’t just happen because time is taking its course; our reefs are dying. The reefs have become so thin that they are no longer protecting our coastline. To slow down coastal erosion, we would need to replenish and protect the coral reefs. The reason why buildings on the shoreline are crumbling and beaches are disappearing is because our reefs are weak and no longer capable of protecting the fast-receding shorelines.

Actions need to be taken to prevent further, and possibly irreversible, damage to our reefs. According to NOAA: “Hawaii’s coral reefs have experienced recent bleaching events, with the 2014 and 2015 event having unprecedented amounts of bleaching. In these events, up to 50% of the reef died in some locations, due to the temperature effects from climate change.” We can’t stop climate change overnight, but the community can take steps to slow it down. We can act by prioritizing environmental protection, reducing our energy consumption, and reducing the use of plastics. We can also participate in beach cleanups.

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Protecting the reef has a bigger effect on the land than most think. Environmental activist Layla Razek states that “Coral reefs are hotbeds of biodiversity.” The reefs act as shelter and nourishing areas for a diversity of marine species: they make up less than 1% of the ocean floor but support more than 25% of marine species. They are key to our survival. People who depend on food from the ocean to sustain themselves would be impacted tremendously. Killing the reef means there are going to be many more negative impacts happening to the ocean, land and people.

We should be reducing our carbon footprint. Reducing the overuse of gas and energy would decrease climate change tremendously and help reverse the harm occurring to our coral reefs. Moreover, it would be helpful to apply sustainable tourism practices, such as informing tourists about the devastating problems affecting the reefs. With more information, tourists can change some of their behaviors and the harm they cause the reef, however unintentionally.

People may argue that further regulating tourism will result in economic harm. But a main reason why Hawaii gets so many visitors is because of the indescribable beauty of the ocean. What’s an island without beaches? During the pandemic, Hawaii effectively shut down and as a result, says Tianna Morimoto at the The Kahalu‘u Bay Education Center, “Reefs in Hawaii began to heal from the lack of human disturbance and chemicals in the water.”

Steps toward healing the reef could be to reduce the toxic sunscreen chemicals we and tourists are guilty of using, decreasing the pollution of plastics, and avoid touching and taking coral from its home. Promoting ideas for more effective solutions is vital in helping our reefs regenerate and eventually getting them back to a healthy, stable condition.

Without a healthy reef system, homes, hotels and condos will sink into our oceans. Raising awareness of this issue is only the first step toward change. Informing our visitors about the unintended consequences of their actions will reduce some of the negative effects on our reefs.

Cora Gruber was a sophomore last year at Lahainaluna High School.