Conservation of Hawaii’s Coral Reefs

The study found that around 60 percent of the presence or absence of living coral could be explained by water depth, wave power or coastal development.

A team of scientists has created the first-ever aerial map of the coral reefs surrounding the main Hawaiian Islands, in a breakthrough researchers hope will assist reef conservation in the islands and beyond.

Mapping reefs

The research was led by the Arizona State University’s (ASU) Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science (GDCS). The scientists sought to resolve several challenges with mapping coral reefs as they face unprecedented challenges.

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Ocean acidification and coral bleaching caused by the climate crisis, as well as problems like runoff from coastal development, 75 percent of the world’s coral reefs could face critical threats by 2050. But, in order to protect these reefs, it is important to know where they are. On-the-ground mapping is inherently limited in scope, while satellite images do not provide enough detail.

This is the problem GDCS researchers sought to solve with their Global Airborne Observatory. This is an airborne lab that combines two processes to create detailed maps. These techniques are laser-guided imaging spectroscopy, which is often used to map complicated landscapes like forests, and artificial intelligence.

The study found that around 60 percent of the presence or absence of living coral could be explained by water depth, wave power or coastal development.

Coral reefs: A living treasure

Corals are living animals that eat, grow and reproduce. The reef ecosystem feeds, shelters and provides habitats for fish, protects the shoreline from wave and sand erosion and creates Hawaii’s famous white sand beaches and underwater paradise.

The Hawaiian Islands have 4,10,000 acres of living reef in the main islands alone, more than the landmass of Oahu. A large percentage of coral reefs under US jurisdiction are in the NWHI. ƒ Hawaii’s living reef ecosystem, sometimes referred to as the “rainforest” of the sea, has more than 7,000 known species of marine plants and animals.

Unique species at Hawaii

Hawaii’s coral reef ecosystem, because of its isolation, has more than 1,250 unique species of marine life that can be found only on Hawaii’s reefs. Over 25% of all marine life is endemic to Hawaii and scientists are finding new species regularly.

More than 500 species of marine algae have been identified in Hawaiian coastal waters. Algae produce more oxygen than all the land plants in the world, combined. They are also an important food source for the ocean’s fish and other animals and produce compounds found in gelatin, jam and many other food products. Coralline algae create much of the sand on Hawaii’s beautiful beaches.

A Presidential Executive Order in 2000 set aside 84 million acres of ocean around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands as the Northwestern Hawaiian Island Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve, the largest conservation area ever established in the US.

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