These images of before and after coral bleaching were captured in the film Chasing Coral by The Ocean Agency — XL Catlin Seaview Survey — Richard Vevers and Christophe Bailhache. -- The Ocean Agency photo

A free screening of the award-winning film “Chasing Coral” will be held at the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary in Kihei at 6 p.m. Thursday. It will be followed by a panel discussion and question-and-answer session at 7:40 p.m. with a team of researchers from Scripps Institution of Oceanography who study Maui’s coral reefs.

“Chasing Coral” won the U.S. Documentary Audience Award at this year’s Sundance. It was shot in Australia and Hawaii. The team from Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego includes Emily Kelly, Maya deVries and Maurizio Martinelli. Their laboratories at Scripps have been studying Maui’s reefs for decades, and while the three scientists are on Maui to conduct field research, they are seeking to share their work with the community.

In addition to the “Chasing Coral” panel, they are also presenting their work in the form of Science Cafes at Kohola Brewery in Lahaina at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and Aug. 2, and will be on hand conducting outreach at the Maui Ocean Center’s “Night at the Reef — Spectacular Corals” event on Monday.

The screening is being co-sponsored by Project S.E.A.-Link and the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, with support from the Atherton Family Foundation. For more information, contact Liz Foote at 283-1631 or Lfoote@hawaii.rr.com.