Hui Nehu — Hawaiʻi marine conservation nonprofit
Protecting Hawaiʻi’s Ocean,
From the Ground Up
Mālama ʼAīna. Mālama Wai. Mālama Kai.
Care for the Land. Care for the Water. Care for the Sea.
Hui Nehu Mission Statement
To protect, restore, and perpetuate native forage fish populations and their ecosystems through the integration of Native Hawaiian traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and contemporary marine science.
Hawaiʻi’s reefs are dying and the window to act is closing fast.
84% of the world’s coral reefs bleached this year. The nehu (enchrasicholina purpurea) — Hawaiʻi’s tiny endemic anchovy — is the foundation of this entire food web. When it disappears, the whole system collapses.
enter Hawaiʻi’s ocean every single day — originating from 88,000 cesspools statewide. This does not include injection wells and existing septic systems. Most people have no idea.
Active Conservation, Revitalization & Restoration Programs
Habitat, Loko Iʻa Revitalization & Restoration, and Fishing Ko'a
Restoring estuarine habitats and traditional fishponds; ocean reforestation through Native fishery hatcheries and limu nurseries.
Nā Kiaʻi Kai Community Science
Training local volunteers in fish surveys, limu monitoring, and water quality testing to produce publication-quality datasets.
Why We’re Different
Hui Nehu is the first community-led, whole-system marine conservation organization in Hawaiʻi, with the expressed mission to revitalize its forage fish, as well as nearshore and fisheries populations. Our daily goal is to collaborate. We don’t just restore coral — we restore the entire food web. Our model is the ahupuaʻa made operational.