As part of the USGS Coral Reef Project, the USGS is trying to better understand how nearshore processes impact the deeper, scattered coral reef communities of Kahoʻolawe.
Overview
The smallest of the main eight Hawaiian Islands is Kahoʻolawe. Located between the islands of Lānaʻi and Maui, it encompasses only 117 sq km (45 sq mi). Known as the Forbidden Isle, this culturally significant island was at different times used as a penal colony, a ranch, and a forest reserve. In 1941, Kahoʻolawe Ranch leased the island to the U.S. Navy and for many years it was used as target practice training grounds. In 2003 the island was transferred back to the State of Hawaiʻi and efforts are currently underway for restoration of native vegetation and protection of cultural artifacts.
NOTE: Due to unexploded ordinance in the surrounding waters, unauthorized entry to the island and to waters within two miles of the island is prohibited (H.A.R. §13-260).
Motivation
Coral growth on Kahoʻolawe is limited to scattered coral communities at deeper depths. Due to the deforestation of the island, there is a significant problem with erosion and sediment run-off into the nearshore environment. The USGS is assisting the Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission to better understand how sediment processes impact coral reefs.
The Hawaiian island of Kahoʻolawe is just one of the USGS Coral Reef Project's study locations.
Reef Hydrodynamics and Sediment Processes
Role of Reefs in Coastal Protection
Reef Resource Assessments - Planning for the Future
Hydrogeology and Reef Health
Climate Change and Land-use Histories
Below are data releases associated with this project.
Dynamically downscaled future wave projections from SWAN model results for the main Hawaiian Islands
Projected flooding extents and depths based on 10-, 50-, 100-, and 500-year wave-energy return periods, with and without coral reefs, for the States of Hawaii and Florida, the Territories of Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands,
Physics-based numerical circulation model outputs of ocean surface circulation during the 2010-2013 summer coral-spawning seasons in Maui Nui, Hawaii, USA
Below are publications associated with this project.
The value of US coral reefs for flood risk reduction
The major coral reefs of Maui Nui, Hawai‘i—distribution, physical characteristics, oceanographic controls, and environmental threats
Rigorously valuing the role of U.S. coral reefs in coastal hazard risk reduction
Modeling fine-scale coral larval dispersal and interisland connectivity to help designate mutually-supporting coral reef marine protected areas: Insights from Maui Nui, Hawaii
The effectiveness of coral reefs for coastal hazard risk reduction and adaptation
From ridge to reef—linking erosion and changing watersheds to impacts on the coral reef ecosystems of Hawai‘i and the Pacific Ocean
The use (and misuse) of sediment traps in coral reef environments: Theory, observations, and suggested protocols
Turbidity on the shallow reef off Kaulana and Hakioawa watersheds, north coast of Kaho'olawe, Hawai'i: Measurements of turbidity and ancillary data on winds, waves, precipitation, and stream flow discharge, November 2005 to June 2008
Science-Based Strategies for Sustaining Coral Ecosystems
Below are news stories associated with this project.
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
As part of the USGS Coral Reef Project, the USGS is trying to better understand how nearshore processes impact the deeper, scattered coral reef communities of Kahoʻolawe.
Overview
Satellite view of the Hawaiian island of Kahoʻolawe, southwest of the island of Maui. The smallest of the main eight Hawaiian Islands is Kahoʻolawe. Located between the islands of Lānaʻi and Maui, it encompasses only 117 sq km (45 sq mi). Known as the Forbidden Isle, this culturally significant island was at different times used as a penal colony, a ranch, and a forest reserve. In 1941, Kahoʻolawe Ranch leased the island to the U.S. Navy and for many years it was used as target practice training grounds. In 2003 the island was transferred back to the State of Hawaiʻi and efforts are currently underway for restoration of native vegetation and protection of cultural artifacts.
NOTE: Due to unexploded ordinance in the surrounding waters, unauthorized entry to the island and to waters within two miles of the island is prohibited (H.A.R. §13-260).
Motivation
Photograph of the shallow fringing coral reef flat and adjacent land at Kaulana, Kahoʻolawe. Coral growth on Kahoʻolawe is limited to scattered coral communities at deeper depths. Due to the deforestation of the island, there is a significant problem with erosion and sediment run-off into the nearshore environment. The USGS is assisting the Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission to better understand how sediment processes impact coral reefs.
- Science
The Hawaiian island of Kahoʻolawe is just one of the USGS Coral Reef Project's study locations.
Reef Hydrodynamics and Sediment Processes
As part of the USGS Coral Reef Project, the overall objective of this research effort is to better understand how circulation and sediment processes impact coral reefs and their adjacent coastlines.Role of Reefs in Coastal Protection
We are combining ocean, engineering, ecologic, social, and economic modeling to provide a high-resolution, rigorous, spatially-explicit valuation of the coastal flood protection benefits provided by coral reefs and the cost effectiveness of reef restoration for enhancing those benefits.Reef Resource Assessments - Planning for the Future
We are mapping and assessing all of the important geologic and oceanographic factors to identify those coral reefs most at risk and those reefs that are potentially the most resilient and the most likely to recover from natural and human-driven impacts.Hydrogeology and Reef Health
As part of the USGS Coral Reef Project, we are conducting geophysical and geochemical research to address questions about coastal groundwater-to-reef flow and coral reef health, with the goal of informing management decisions related to planning and implementing activities in priority watershed-coral reef systems.Climate Change and Land-use Histories
As part of the USGS Coral Reef Project, we are developing new and unique oceanographic and environmental archives from coral skeleton records to better understand the compounding effects of land-use and environmental change on coral reef health. - Data
Below are data releases associated with this project.
Dynamically downscaled future wave projections from SWAN model results for the main Hawaiian Islands
Projected wave climate trends from WAVEWATCH3 model output were used as input for nearshore wave models (for example, SWAN) for the main Hawaiian Islands to derive data and statistical measures (mean and top 5 percent values) of wave height, wave period, and wave direction for the recent past (1996-2005) and future projections (2026-2045 and 2085-2100). Three-hourly global climate model (GCM) windProjected flooding extents and depths based on 10-, 50-, 100-, and 500-year wave-energy return periods, with and without coral reefs, for the States of Hawaii and Florida, the Territories of Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands,
This data release provides flooding extent polygons (flood masks) and depth values (flood points) based on wave-driven total water levels for 22 locations within the States of Hawaii and Florida, the Territories of Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. For each of the 22 locations there are eight associated flood maskPhysics-based numerical circulation model outputs of ocean surface circulation during the 2010-2013 summer coral-spawning seasons in Maui Nui, Hawaii, USA
Here we present surface current results from a physics-based, 3-dimensional coupled ocean-atmosphere numerical model that was generated to understand coral larval dispersal patterns in Maui Nui, Hawaii, USA. The model was used to simulate coral larval dispersal patterns from a number of existing State-managed reefs and large tracks of reefs with high coral coverage that might be good candidates fo - Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
The value of US coral reefs for flood risk reduction
Habitats, such as coral reefs, can mitigate increasing flood damages through coastal protection services. We provide a fine-scale, national valuation of the flood risk reduction benefits of coral habitats to people, property, economies and infrastructure. Across 3,100 km of US coastline, the top-most 1 m of coral reefs prevents the 100-yr flood from growing by 23% (113 km2), avoiding flooding to 5AuthorsBorja G. Reguero, Curt Storlazzi, Ann E. Gibbs, James B. Shope, Aaron Cole, Kristen A. Cumming, Mike BeckThe major coral reefs of Maui Nui, Hawai‘i—distribution, physical characteristics, oceanographic controls, and environmental threats
Coral reefs are widely recognized as critical to Hawaiʻi’s economy, food resources, and protection from damaging storm waves. Yet overfishing, land-based pollution, and climate change are threatening the health and sustainability of those reefs, and accordingly, both the Federal and State governments have called for protection and effective management. In 2000, the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force stateAuthorsMichael E. Field, Curt D. Storlazzi, Ann E. Gibbs, Nicole L. D'Antonio, Susan A. CochranRigorously valuing the role of U.S. coral reefs in coastal hazard risk reduction
The degradation of coastal habitats, particularly coral reefs, raises risks by increasing the exposure of coastal communities to flooding hazards. The protective services of these natural defenses are not assessed in the same rigorous economic terms as artificial defenses, such as seawalls, and therefore often are not considered in decision making. Here we combine engineering, ecologic, geospatialAuthorsCurt D. Storlazzi, Borja G. Reguero, Aaron Cole, Erik Lowe, James B. Shope, Ann E. Gibbs, Barry A. Nickel, Robert T. McCall, Ap R. van Dongeren, Michael W. BeckModeling fine-scale coral larval dispersal and interisland connectivity to help designate mutually-supporting coral reef marine protected areas: Insights from Maui Nui, Hawaii
Connectivity among individual marine protected areas (MPAs) is one of the most important considerations in the design of integrated MPA networks. To provide such information for managers in Hawaii, USA, a numerical circulation model was developed to determine the role of ocean currents in transporting coral larvae from natal reefs throughout the high volcanic islands of the Maui Nui island complexAuthorsCurt D. Storlazzi, Maarten van Ormondt, Yi-Leng Chen, Edwin P. L. EliasThe effectiveness of coral reefs for coastal hazard risk reduction and adaptation
The world’s coastal zones are experiencing rapid development and an increase in storms and flooding. These hazards put coastal communities at heightened risk, which may increase with habitat loss. Here we analyse globally the role and cost effectiveness of coral reefs in risk reduction. Meta-analyses reveal that coral reefs provide substantial protection against natural hazards by reducing wave enAuthorsFilippo Ferrario, Michael W. Beck, Curt D. Storlazzi, Fiorenza Micheli, Christine C. Shepard, Laura AiroldiFrom ridge to reef—linking erosion and changing watersheds to impacts on the coral reef ecosystems of Hawai‘i and the Pacific Ocean
Coral reef ecosystems are threatened by unprecedented watershed changes in the United States and worldwide. These ecosystems sustain fishing and tourism industries essential to the economic survival of many communities. Sediment, nutrients, and pollutants from watersheds are increasingly transported to coastal waters, where these contaminants damage corals. Although pollution from watersheds is onAuthorsJonathan D. Stock, Susan A. Cochran, Michael E. Field, James D. Jacobi, Gordon TribbleThe use (and misuse) of sediment traps in coral reef environments: Theory, observations, and suggested protocols
Sediment traps are commonly used as standard tools for monitoring “sedimentation” in coral reef environments. In much of the literature where sediment traps were used to measure the effects of “sedimentation” on corals, it is clear from deployment descriptions and interpretations of the resulting data that information derived from sediment traps has frequently been misinterpreted or misapplied. DeAuthorsC. D. Storlazzi, M.E. Field, Michael H. BothnerTurbidity on the shallow reef off Kaulana and Hakioawa watersheds, north coast of Kaho'olawe, Hawai'i: Measurements of turbidity and ancillary data on winds, waves, precipitation, and stream flow discharge, November 2005 to June 2008
The island of Kaho`olawe has particular cultural and religious significance for native Hawaiians. Once known as Kanaloa, the island was a center for native Hawaiian navigation. In the mid-20th century, the island was used as a bombing range by the U.S. Navy, and that practice, along with the foraging by feral goats, led to a near-complete decimation of vegetation. The loss of ground cover led to gAuthorsM. Katherine Presto, Curt D. Storlazzi, Michael E. Field, Lyman L. AbbottScience-Based Strategies for Sustaining Coral Ecosystems
Coral ecosystems and their natural capital are at risk. Greenhouse gas emissions, overfishing, and harmful land-use practices are damaging our coral reefs. Overwhelming scientific evidence indicates that the threats are serious, and if they are left unchecked, the ecological and social consequences will be significant and widespread. Although the primary stressors to coral ecosystems are known, scAuthors - News
Below are news stories associated with this project.
- Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.