Hawaii's coral reefs

Hawaii's coral reefs and nearshore waters are home to more than 7,000 forms of marine life, a quarter of them found nowhere else on Earth. Hawaii’s reefs contribute more than $360 million annually to the state’s economy – that’s $1 million a day.

These reefs are truly a global ocean treasure. Hawai'i has...
More unique marine species than any place of its size in the tropics
One of the last large-scale marine wilderness areas on the planet

Over 300,000 acres of nearshore coral reef
The Nature Conservancy launched its Hawai‘i Marine Program in 2002 to help preserve the Islands’ remarkable marine diversity. The Conservancy’s efforts are focused on restoring the health of our magnificent coral reefs and the unique species that depend on them for their survival.

A Resource at Risk
Despite their biological, economic, and cultural importance, Hawaii’s marine ecosystems continue to be severely degraded by human activity. With a resident population of 1.3 million and 7 million visitors arriving annually – the majority of whom engage in ocean-related activities – Hawaii’s reefs are strained beyond capacity.

The reality is that our ocean faces serious threats, most caused by humans, that have upset the delicate balance of life beneath the waves. Overfishing, the use of indiscriminate fishing practices such as lay gill nets, pollution, runoff, inappropriate recreational use, and the introduction and spread of invasive alien species all jeopardize the health of our reefs.

The good news is that reefs are resilient – if we act in time, we can restore them.

What The Conservancy Is Doing
We are working in collaboration with others to rescue Hawaii's coral reefs – our rainforests of the ocean – from further degradation. Major ongoing efforts include:

Community-based partnerships and programs
Invasive species removal

Reef Fund
Fair Catch responsible fishing campaign



Labels:
Advance Scuba training, Adventure Sports, Basic Open Water, Digital Underwater Photography, Extreme Scuba and Jason Kilgore, family travel, sharks, discount travel, Enriched Air, Hawaii Scuba Diving, Hawaiian Islands sight seeing, ITAN, Kona, NAUI, NOAA, other specialty certifications, sharks, SSI, TDI/SDI, airlines, family travel, family vacations, Hawaii reef divers, Hawaiian Islands, hotels, Jason Kilgore, Maui, scuba certification, scuba diving, scuba rental gear, Scuba Hawaii, Hawaii Travel, Caribbean Scuba, Scuba Certification, Scuba Jay

From "The Garden Island" Newspaper 2004

From "The Garden Island" Newspaper 2004.

With over a million people living in Hawaii and hundredsof thousands of tourists visiting yearly; Hawaiian huis, environmental groups, community members, and scientists alike are realizing that our marine resources are in trouble.

We need to know what our reefs look like and how abundant they are in different places around the island. Baseline surveys of our Marine Resources are imperative. What this means is that locals and scientists must examine the near shore marine coral reef as well as measure ocean health in offshore areas around each island. Baseline surveys are important to discover the health and abundance of animals on the reef, noting areas of importance and abundance, like where juvenile fish may shelter, turtle or monk seal areas, heavy coral spawning sites, other notable features as well as shoreline activity. Mapping the near shore with GPS (global positioning system), GIS (geographic information systems), as well as video and digital photo documentation can show the community what the reefs look like, provide an archive of the reef health if something was to harm it, and then let the community decide what is best for our reefs.

The state appointed stewards of Hawaii, the DLNR (Department of Land and Natural Resources) and DAR (Division of Aquatic Resources) have a severely limited budget, and their funding is constantly being cut. These men and women, local and introduced, are doing the best they can with what they have, and are working hard tohelp Hawaii protect our ocean and land.

Many local groups here on Kauai like Waipa, Limahuli Valley, Hanalei Watershed Hui, Malama Maha’ulepu, Nawiliwili Watershed Council, Save Our Seas, and Reef Check have seen that their own fish catch sizes decreasing, and less abundance of marine animals. They have already taken action and currently are monitoring and surveying local reefs, while training community members, and high school students in these techniques that support Ahupua’a, MPA (Marine Protected Area) and resource conservation projects. Currently, there are NO Marine Protected Areas on Kauai! All of the other islands have them, but we must ask ourselves why we have none here.

Marine Protected Areas have many different designations, some are Hawaiian Sustenance Fishing grounds where native Hawaiians may fish, some are Fish Replenishment and Management Areas, where fish are left by fisherman and collectors to recover and “seed” other areas as ocean currents take the young of these animals and spread them around the islands. Some MPA’s, like the tourist hot spot Hanauma Bay on Oahu, are Marine Life Conservation Districts and are completely protected areas only open to certain activities and even restrictions about fish feeding, litter, and suntan lotion apply. These areas are created by the community, for the community, and it is up to us to get together and make these Marine Protected Areas places that we all can agree on.

Efforts must be made to further educate fishermen on the successful programs already in place like the Ulua (jack trevally), Oio (bone fish), Opakapaka (pink snapper), and Ahi (yellow fin tuna) tagging programs. These programs show that many fish species move around and leave MPA reserves. Fisherman must also work with the communityto make rules and help enforce rules because our own government can not. Bottom fishing and “gill net task forces” must take action and find ways to create restrictions on themselves so that they may care for fish populations, our resources.

Mike Sakamoto, author and TV personality has proposed “a Fishing Task Force to look into a Marine License, smaller bag limits, slot limits, closed seasons on ulua and other species, an ulua enhancement program (stocking of ulua) and other enhancement programs…” as well as “Spear Fishing Task Forces” so that we the fishermen come up with size and bag limits, tournament restrictions, and night diving regulations. All of these ideas are a great way to increase and monitor populations, and the community certainly will be able to come up with more.

The management of Hawaii’s marine resources must evolve. Hawaii’s marine resources must be protected byus working together, with help from the state and federal agencies, to make sure that areas of high diversity are preserved and that future generations may have plentiful resources, we must create a bounty that will ensure the legacy of those that live on these islands

Kaaihue Brothers

We Snorkel With Turtles ? On Every Tour!! We travel the South Shore of Kauai; the islands best snorkeling year round and best whale watching (December - May)! Poipu, also known as ?Sunny Poipu? or locally as the South Side, is located only about 20 minutes from the airport in Lihue. With virtually no runoffs or streams, the visibility is exceptional and not affected by rainfall. Most of our tour is spent snorkeling with turtles, exotic fish and various sea life. We snorkel at least 2 locations and give you a guided tour through the water, pointing out eels, lobster, octopus, etc.

The surf on the south side is minimal. The large swells that hit our island in the winter months only affect the north and west shores? not the south! Therefore, if you’re planning on snorkeling on your vacation, or just want to join us for exceptional whale watching, be sure to go with Kaaihue Brothers.



Keywords:

Advance Scuba training, Adventure Sports, Basic Open Water, Digital Underwater Photography, Extreme Scuba and Jason Kilgore, family travel, sharks, discount travel, Enriched Air, Hawaii Scuba Diving, Hawaiian Islands sight seeing, ITAN, Kona, NAUI, NOAA, other specialty certifications, sharks, SSI, TDI/SDI, airlines, family travel, family vacations, Hawaii reef divers, Hawaiian Islands, hotels, Jason Kilgore, Maui, scuba certification, scuba diving, scuba rental gear, Scuba Hawaii, Hawaii Travel, Caribbean Scuba, Scuba Certification, Scuba Jay, Costa Maya Scuba Dive, Gear, Cave Diving, TDI, Water Rescue Diving, Water Rescues, PADI Technical Scuba Diving, Dive Rescue, Scuba Dive Answers, Jason Kilgore and Martial Arts, Jason Kilgore and USANA, Jason Kilgore and Karate, Jason Kilgore and Scuba Diving, Sacramento, auburn, California, Hawaii, Jason Kilgore and Sierra Foothills Karate, Sierra Foothills Karate and Scuba Diving, Jason Kilgore and Scuba Diving, snorkel and fins, vacation, Basic Open Water, Extreme Scuba and Jason Kilgore, Hawaiian Islands, PADI Divemaster SCUBA Certification, Snorkel Bob, Snorkeling/Fin, TDI/SDI, Underwater Instructors, airlines, Divemaster scuba, family vacations, Reef Relief, coral reef, reef fish, maui divers, dive shops, scuba dive shops, cave diving, ice diving, wreck diving, Shark Diving, Shark Exploration, Baja, South America, vacation, Scuba and Jason Kilgore, Naui and Jason Kilgore, How to scuba dive?, skin diving, snorkel, mask, fins, sight seeing, hotels, Jason Kilgore and Hawaiian islands, Kona, Maui, other specialty certifications, Ocean Conservancy, International Coastal Cleanup, Costa Maya Hotel, Mexico Hotels, Mexico Scuba Diving, Diving in South American Scuba, Crabs, Sea Slugs, Marine Animals, Wildlife, Florida, Southern States, Marine Life, Pacific States, Pacific Northwestern States, California