wildlife inventory and issues affecting kawaihae coral reef
After another powerful flash flood on March 14th, 2026, the bay in Pelekane Bay no longer exists; it has turned into land. I visited again today and confirmed that the ridge of the baymouth bar, or the new beach, now sits above the high-tide line.… Read more “Pelekane Bay Became Land”
We visited Pelekane Bay six days after the heavy rain event on March 14, 2026, part of the Kona Low Storm of 2026. It now has a new beach—a baymouth bar, to be exact—that formed at the mouth of the bay shortly after the floodwaters carried sediment and sand there.… Read more “New beach at Pelekane Bay”
Water temperature 83.8F 10:30 local time.
The coral reef appears unaffected by the surface sediment as seen on October 06, 2022 ( see here). This is consistent with the previous observations of runoffs except for the August 17, 2015 flash flood that covered the entire inner harbor reef with silt.… Read more “post runoffs (10/5 -10/6/2022)survey”