Wednesday, August 17, 2005 Honolulu, Hawaii -- Jack's Diving Locker has received Hawaii's Living Reef Award for its ongoing efforts to protect Hawaii's coral reefs from anchor damage. Hawaii's Living Reef Award program sponsored by the State of Hawaii, NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and the Coral Reef Outreach Network was held at the Ala Moana Hotel on Wednesday, August 17, 2005. Hawaii's Living Reef program is a statewide public awareness program created and implemented through the cooperation and dedication of more than 40 state and federal agencies and non-governmental organizations.

Teri and Jeff Leicher, managing partners of Jack's Diving Locker accepted the award that recognized 20 years of investment and pioneering work on the adoption of the Day-Use Mooring buoy method of securing boats.

The Hawaii Island Day-Use Mooring Buoy project began almost 2 decades ago. As forward thinking dive charter operators, Jack's Diving Locker decided that something needed to be done to protect the island's coral reefs. Day-Use Moorings are a modified mooring pin technology that was developed in the Florida Keys by John Halas. Today's Day-Use Moorings are a combination of stainless steel pins drilled into rock and a line attached to a buoy that lies just under the surface. Jack's Diving Locker along with the Malama Kai Foundation, Sea Grant and DLNR have implemented this system statewide in an on-going endeavor to protect our fragile coral reefs. They have also written a book for the Big Island moorings and will be working on books for the outer islands.

Nominees from the Big Island in other categories were Sara Peck the University of Hawaii Sea Grant Extension Agent and the Malama Kai Foundation for their efforts in marine conservation and education projects including the popular "Reef Talks".