As a lifelong surfer, Bitsy Kelley, the granddaughter of the founders of what is now the Outrigger Enterprises Group, grew up with a love for the ocean and all that is in it.
That love is what motivated her to launch a new initiative called Outrigger ZONE, or OZONE, to help protect coral reefs across the Pacific.
Outrigger Resorts announced the initiative and signed an agreement with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Saturday at the Waikiki Aquarium in an advance celebration of World Oceans Day on Monday.
Besides providing education at its beachfront resorts — which are located in the Hawaiian isles and other destinations, including Fiji, Guam and Mauritius — Outrigger pledges to plant new coral equivalent to the size of a football field near its properties over the next decade.
It will work with nonprofit organizations — including the Waikiki Aquarium on Oahu, Underwater World in Guam and Reef Conservation in Mauritius — to teach guests at each of its locations about coral reefs.
Outrigger also plans to offer an educational in-room video, give guests samples of reef-safe sunscreen and host guest lectures about conservation efforts.
The video includes a kid-friendly segment with songs with the message, "Don’t step on me," while the mineral-based sunscreen is free of chemicals that could potentially harm coral.
Much of Outrigger’s program was inspired by an existing program at the Castaway Island Resort in Fiji. That resort works with the nonprofit Mamanuca Environment Society to educate guests while also offering them the opportunity to replant coral in the ocean.
As Outrigger’s vice president of corporate communications, Kelley, 52, has seen the gradual deterioration of the isles’ reefs firsthand.
"Surfing, you sit out there in the ocean, you feel the waves, and you also get to know every single piece of coral underneath you," said Kelley, who surfs by Diamond Head. "I know every single coral piece outside of my backyard because I have snorkeled, swam and surfed there my entire life. That coral reef is my backyard."
She can rattle off statistics, including that 60 percent of coral reefs around the globe are under threat due to overfishing, climate change and land-based pollution.
Reefs serve as a significant food source for half a billion people worldwide, while also providing billions of dollars of income through tourism and recreation, according to NOAA.
Kelley said it makes sense for the more than 67-year-old kamaaina company founded by her grandparents, Roy and Estelle Kelley, to take an active role in coral reef conservation.
Outrigger, also a sponsor of the Polynesian Voyaging Society’s worldwide voyage, has always identified its brand with the ocean.
"We’re not the scientists, but we can be a great portal helping all these nonprofit groups doing this wonderful work and help them with their education and outreach," she said. "Every single day, in our hotel rooms, we have thousands of visitors who would love to learn."
Eco-tourism is also on the rise, she noted, and guests are seeking opportunities to participate hands-on in conservation efforts.
Kelley, a grandmother of two girls, ages 1 and 5, is looking forward to a family trip to Fiji next month herself to personally participate in such efforts.
"I would love to be able to plant a piece of coral with my granddaughter and go back in 20 years to show her how big our piece of coral is," she said. "It’s all about leaving a legacy. If we can make OZONE a legacy to pass down through the generations, then I’ve done my job as a mother and grandmother."
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ON THE NET
outrigger.com/ozone
