Coral reefs are crucial to marine life and necessary to protect the shoreline from erosion. The nearshore reefs surrounding Maui are degrading quickly from pollution running off the land. The ocean environment is being affected by human activities on land, while increased recreational use is affecting coastal waters.
With just one major commercial harbor and two small boat harbors, it is critical that those harbors be well maintained. None of the harbors on Maui is in the right condition to handle the traffic they receive.