The owners of sailboat Hulakai successfully extricated it from the coral reef where it ran aground yesterday. However, there is extensive damage to the coral colonies in the boat’s paths as it foundered on the reef. Its broken mast and sail are still on the shallow reef this morning. The mast rests on live coral (plate and pillar coral), and if great care is not taken to remove it from entanglement, damage to these live coral colonies would be great.… Read more “Survey of Coral Damages by Hulakai's Grounding”
archives
Paintings and aerial photos
The image above shows silting caused by winter waves or leeching from newly formed land. Coral reefs in those areas are still mostly barren from porites or other hard coral.… Read more “archives”
Status of Kawaihae Reef inner harbor 9.4.2016
Kawaihae Reef inner harbor condition as seen in May 2014. The August 17, 2015, flash flood in this area covered the entire inner harbor reef with silt. A major global bleaching event had just begun for the Kawaihae Reef when the runoff smothered it. Normally, corals in the protected harbor were very healthy and dense, in contrast to those outside the break wall.… Read more “Status of Kawaihae Reef inner harbor 9.4.2016”