Maui’s Coral Reefs: 7 Ways to Help

Coral Reefs Need You

It is no secret that coral reefs are vanishing at an alarming rate. Worldwide coral reefs only cover 0.015 percent of the ocean floor. That is roughly the size of France! Yet, despite claiming this minuscule swath of seafloor, coral reefs support an amazing 25 percent of all marine life in the ocean.

Imagine 2 billion people relying on the landmass of France for survival! Indeed, coral reefs provide critical economic resources, and food for animals. Coral reefs also protect coastlines from catastrophic weather events!

There are various predictions for when we will see the final collapse of coral reefs worldwide. National Geographic predicts most coral reefs will collapse by the year 2100 and warns this demise may even happen earlier if carbon emissions do not massively reduce in the short term. With rising ocean temperatures due to climate change, sea-level rise, and the snail’s pace of geopolitics, it is up to dedicated individuals to preserve what remains of these rainforests of the sea.

Current Health of Maui’s Corals

For the sake of scope, let’s focus on the current state of Maui’s coral reefs. Then, we will highlight conservation efforts for the coral reef ecosystem and what we can do as individuals to combat our reefs’ rapid changes. According to ancient Hawaiian lore, the history of all life evolved from the coral polyp. Tiny coral polyps are the base organisms of an entire coral reef system, meaning Hawaiians have always recognized how vital corals are to the health of life on the planet.

Today, Hawaiian coral reefs are subject to a variety of stressors. In particular, coral reefs in Lahaina, Maui are declining due to many significant events: bleaching from rising ocean temperatures, sedimentation from land and coastline development, algae overgrowth from agricultural and waste runoff, overfishing, and massive tourism. As a result, the Department of Land and Natural Resources estimates that Maui lost a quarter of its coral reefs between 1999 and 2006.

Popular Maui diving and snorkeling sites such as Airport Beach in Kaanapali saw a shocking 33 percent decrease in coral coverage from 1995 to 2012. The coral reefs of West Maui’s famous Honolua Bay dropped a staggering 76 percent between 1995 and 2012!

Maalaea Bay in central Maui was the first example of a total coral reef collapse. The bay transformed from a healthy, diverse coral reef ecosystem to a degraded underwater desert in just a few decades. Fast forward ten years, and we now see more coral reefs decline.

What will it take to save this valuable resource with a growing island population? In 2002, coastal Hawaiian coral reefs were valued at almost $10 billion, with an average annual total of $364 million (Cesar and Beukering, 2004). This outdated amount is undoubtedly much higher now, particularly for Maui! Almost 85 percent of this annual $364 million is attributed to tourism. But when the reefs go away, so will all fishing and surfing activities. The loss of revenue on this scale will be catastrophic for the Maui economy, not to mention the permanent damage to the best Maui surf spots.

Ocean Conservation in Hawaii

The prognosis for Hawaii and the rest of the world seems bleak; however, people are fighting against the human impact on the marine environment.