Hawaiʻi coral reef news: bleaching, storm damage, restoration work, marine protected areas and the science on reef and ocean health.
Most shallow reefs critically endangered as Hawaiʻi divers repair storm damage
Nearly all of the world’s shallow-water coral reefs are now critically endangered, according to the first global assessment by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Ecosystems. Scientists found 96% of 127 reef regions face an extremely high risk of collapse within 50 years, mainly because of heat stress from climate change. Without the added warming, that figure would be 24%.
In Hawaiʻi, hurricanes Lala and Lowell broke apart reefs this year. Divers with the Hawaiʻi Emergency Reef Restoration Network, the state Division of Aquatic Resources and The Nature Conservancy have been documenting the damage and reattaching broken coral off Kauaʻi, Kona and Oʻahu’s west side, including colonies six to eight feet wide that took centuries to grow.
What it means: Scientists say cutting overfishing and runoff makes reefs more resilient, so local actions like reef-safe practices and keeping pollution out of streams still matter.
