In West Hawai‘i, UH Sea Grant has developed several novel ongoing marine education programs. These include: ReefTalk; ReefTeach; the Miloli‘i Marine Resource Monitoring Program, and; Aloha Kai. For the past nine years ReefTalk has provided lectures on scientific research and issues of relevance relating to marine life and coastal resources.

Approximately 500 persons attend these talks annually, and each lecture is televised six times on local stations. Highly valued and well attended by the public, one-half of the funding for this project is provided by public donations. The Miloli‘i Program, initiated in April 2001, trains residents of one of the few remaining traditional Hawaiian fishing villages to understand the importance of monitoring their marine resources. Youth, ages 11 through 18, are learning to collect and record data on fish and invertebrates harvested by traditional fishing and resource management means.

ReefTeach began in November 2000. It is an ongoing volunteer program to reduce coral trampling at intensely used, highly popular, shallow snorkeling areas. ReefTeachers are adults and primary and secondary school students. Data collection and statistical analysis document a significant difference in behavior of beach and reef users, such as snorkelers, who have and have not received the ReefTeach presentation.Those receiving training exhibit behavior minimizing and mitigating coral reef damage. ReefTeach expanded to include Girl Scouts in 2002.