Civil Beat Staff

Marina Starleaf Riker

Marina Starleaf Riker is a reporter covering Maui for Civil Beat.

She grew up in Haiku and graduated from University of Hawaii Manoa in 2015. While in college, she got her start in journalism working as an intern for Civil Beat. In the years that followed, she wrote about the Hawaii Legislature for the Associated Press and covered local government for newspapers in Bend, Oregon and Victoria, Texas.

Most recently, Marina worked on the San Antonio Express-News’ projects team, where she produced investigations that ranged from examining officials’ lack of communication during Texas’ deadly winter freeze to identifying the city’s most prolific evictors, including landlords who profited from taxpayer-funded programs. She has extensive experience reporting on affordable housing, disaster recovery and health care equity.

You can get in touch with Marina by emailing mriker@civilbeat.org or follow her on Twitter at @marinastarleaf.

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Investors Sue Maui Yacht Owner For More Than $2M After Honolua Bay Grounding Courtesy: DLNR/2023

Investors Sue Maui Yacht Owner For More Than $2M After Honolua Bay Grounding

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The lawsuit accuses Jim Jones of taking the Nakoa on a personal outing that violated the sales agreement.

Salvaging Shipwrecks Is A Tough Business. Just Ask The Company That Towed The Maui Yacht Marina Riker/Civil Beat/2023

Salvaging Shipwrecks Is A Tough Business. Just Ask The Company That Towed The Maui Yacht

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The crashed vessel in Honolua and a wave of groundings during last week's storms put a focus on just how hard it is to haul away grounded boats.

The Wrecked Luxury Yacht Caused ‘Significant Damage’ In Honolua Bay Courtesy: DLNR/2023

The Wrecked Luxury Yacht Caused ‘Significant Damage’ In Honolua Bay

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DLNR says it will hold the owner responsible for the costs of the environmental toll.

The Yacht Was Finally Freed From Honolua Bay — Then It Sank Off Maui Courtesy: DLNR/2023

The Yacht Was Finally Freed From Honolua Bay — Then It Sank Off Maui

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State officials say they will "aggressively pursue" recouping the nearly $500,000 cost of removing the vessel and any damage to the reef.

Maui Yacht Owner: ‘I Didn’t Know What I Was Getting Into’ Courtesy: DLNR/2023

Maui Yacht Owner: ‘I Didn’t Know What I Was Getting Into’

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Jim Jones says he wants to make things right, but former employees and Maui residents say he shouldn't have a boat.

Maui County Sat On $8 Million That Could Have Helped Struggling Homeowners Marina Riker/Civil Beat/2022

Maui County Sat On $8 Million That Could Have Helped Struggling Homeowners

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Housing advocates worry about the bandwidth of local government to get the program going before it's too late.

Yacht Fuel Spill In Maui’s Honolua Bay Prompts Calls For Reform Courtesy: DLNR/2023

Yacht Fuel Spill In Maui’s Honolua Bay Prompts Calls For Reform

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The grounding of the 94-foot luxury vessel has sparked calls to change the way commercial activity is handled in sensitive coastal waters.

Tagging Whales Tells Researchers ‘The Story Of The Whole Ocean’ Marina Riker/Civil Beat/2023/NOAA Permit No. 19655

Tagging Whales Tells Researchers ‘The Story Of The Whole Ocean’

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In the waters off Maui, scientists are gathering data on whales to learn how each piece fits in a delicate marine ecosystem.

Military Contracts Honolulu Company To Clean Up Haleakala Fuel Spill Gaylord Paul Garcia/Maui County/2023

Military Contracts Honolulu Company To Clean Up Haleakala Fuel Spill

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The military is still in the process of working to clean up 700 gallons of diesel spilled at the summit last month.