Hanna Puentes, Project Coordinator
Hanna Puentes is the Project Coordinator for Hawaiʻi Wai Ola, overseeing community-based coastal water quality monitoring across Hawaiʻi Island. She leads program operations including sampling coordination, equipment management, volunteer and technician training, fundraising, community outreach, contract coordination, and long-term strategic planning to support partnerships across Hawaiʻi County and State. Hanna previously worked in fisheries monitoring with the Hawaiʻi commercial longline fleet through NOAA’s observer program, supporting protection of state and federally protected species, and later managed long-term groundwater monitoring for the U.S. Department of Defense across more than 400 wells on Formerly Used Defense Sites, tracking the spread of carcinogenic contaminants toward municipal drinking water sources. Based on Hawaiʻi Island, she is committed to strengthening community-driven efforts to mālama coastal waters.
L Young, Regional CoordINATOR
L serves as the Regional Coordinator for Hilo and South Kohala, working closely with volunteers to execute sampling across both regions monthly. L brings prior experience in coastal stewardship through her volunteer work with Surfrider Foundation and joined Hawaiʻi Wai Ola to continue long-term monitoring of coastal water quality. She is committed to strengthening community engagement and supporting efforts to protect Hawaiʻi Island’s coastal ecosystems.
kathleen clark- The Kohala Center, Regional coordinator
Kathleen Clark is the Coastal Stewardship Manager at The Kohala Center and the Regional Coordinator in Kona for Hawaiʻi Wai Ola. In her role at The Kohala Center she helps care for Kahaluʻu Bay, a treasured community gathering place. She supports the community-led ReefTeach program, which is present daily at Kahaluʻu to educate visitors about respectful engagement with the bay, conduct ecological monitoring and restoration, provide outreach to learners of all ages, and operate a parking program that funds ongoing conservation efforts. Kathleen has held this role since 2016 and now holds a Master’s degree in Conservation Science. She lives and works in the ahupuaʻa of Kahaluʻu, where she and her father are growing native plants and food crops on their farm.
mālama kai foundation, fiscal sponsor
Mālama Kai Foundation serves as fiscal sponsor for Hawaiʻi Wai Ola, supporting public fundraising and providing financial management and administrative oversight. The organization helps secure funding, manage program budgets, and ensure compliance with grant and contracting requirements, strengthening the long-term sustainability of community-based coastal water quality monitoring efforts.
Makalapua Exchange, QA/qc officer & data analyst
Makalapua Exchange provides quality assurance and quality control oversight and leads data analyses. This role ensures monitoring activities align with established protocols and that resulting data are scientifically sound, clearly interpreted, and effectively communicated through the development of data products that inform community planning and coastal management efforts.
mirko simunovic, volunteer
Mirko Simunovic has been a volunteer working on the Hilo-side water testing since 2024. He is passionate about data transparency and keeping our communities involved and informed in public and environmental health. He has a PhD in Astrophysics and 10+ years of experience as a researcher and working in quantitative fields. He is also a member of the Technical Advisory Group, where he assists with analytical approaches and data interpretation.
Rebecca Hinsch, volunteer
Rebecca H. is a volunteer with Hawai’i Wai Ola, collecting and logging water quality data from South Kohala sites. Her work background includes managing sampling efforts as part of environmental cleanup at a Superfund site. She has a strong commitment to environmental stewardship and evidence-based community conservation practices. She is thankful for the opportunity to work with Hawai’i Wai Ola to help mālama the beautiful waters of Hawai’i Island.
gordon macduff, volunteer
Gordon is a retired educator (marine and environmental science). His master’s research focused on water quality, more specifically, bacterial contamination along Southern California beaches during a period of prolonged closure. He now lives on the Big Island and is grateful for Hawai’i Wai Ola and the opportunity to contribute to the science.
Sara Persselin, volunteer
Sara loves all things ocean, so was drawn to help monitor water quality at the beaches she loves to swim and snorkel at. Her background includes working as a research fisheries biologist in Kodiak, Alaska and teaching marine biology to elementary and middle school kids. She is always looking for ways to be involved with studying and caring for the marine environment, so Hawai’i Wai Ola is a natural fit.
Nikki Yamat, volunteer
Nikki Yamat is a one of the newest volunteers with Hawaiʻi Wai Ola, providing support in island-wide water quality testing to safeguard our coastal ecosystems. Her passion ignited during a transformative surf lesson with Moniz Family Surf in Waikīkī, where the moana's embrace called her to mālama wai with unwavering commitment. Nikki fiercely champions the vitality of Hawaiʻi’s moana—our islands' lifeblood—ensuring its health for generations to come. E mālama i ke kai, a mālama ke kai iā ʻoe.
