The good Cornellians can do: Cynthia Kubas ’78
ReefTeachers like Cynthia Kubas '78 help educate newcomers to Kahalu‘u Bay, Hawai‘i—introducing them to the marine life they may encounter and sharing simple strategies to conserve the reef ecosystem. They offer free reef-safe sunscreen and give a quick tour of where it’s safe to stand and where swimmers should float to avoid damaging the live coral.
Nearly half a million people visit Kahalu‘u Bay each year, to swim among the many species of fish and marine creatures who make their home in the reef there. Over time, visitors have damaged the fragile corals by standing, stepping on, or touching the reef, or by using harmful chemical sunscreens.
“The most meaningful part of helping to educate our visitors is seeing parents and their children really take an interest in preserving the coral and our native turtles and fish,” Cynthia says. “I know our work makes a difference, as the improvement in the health of the coral has been significant of late. Our marine biologists tell us that after spawning, the reef is coming back to health.”
Cynthia’s neighbor, Wendy Hobson-Rohrer ’91, MD ’95, first introduced her to ReefTeach, and, she says, “I immediately knew it was something I wanted to be part of.”
Cynthia also serves on the board of the Kona Hospital Auxiliary, as a volunteer with the Medical Reserve Corps of Hawai‘i, and as a trumpet player with the West Hawai‘i County Band and the Chamber Orchestra of Kona.
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