From North to South: A Month Full of Cross Coastline Restoration

A Month Full of Cross Coastline Restoration

Throughout the month of May, the ‘Āko‘ako‘a field team worked to continue restoring sites stretching over 70 miles of West Hawaiʻi coastline. Māhukona, Hōnaunau, and Ho‘okena were the focus of the recent fieldwork and where corals that had been rescued over the past year were returned after being rehabilitated and grown in the nursery. The ‘Āko‘ako‘a nursery is like a coral hospital, where vulnerable corals are temporarily relocated to recover in the best possible living conditions before returning back to their homes and growing back on the reefs. Corals brought back to the nursery are tagged and identified based on their location of origin so that they can be returned and reattached in their home reef.

Over 75 coral colonies were returned and reattached in May. Species that were rescued, rehabilitated, and reattached included Porites lutea, Porites lobata, Montipora capitata, and Montipora patula. These species are all commonly found in Hawai‘i and can be seen across the reefs of West Hawai‘i’s most popular diving and snorkeling locations. They are important reef building species, which provide homes for marine life, coastline protection from storm surges, and oxygen which supports marine and terrestrial life.

Not only did the field team work to reattach numerous colonies, many more were rescued and brought back to the nursery. The corals in the nursery are large and are thus of spawning size, meaning after being rehabilitated, they will likely give birth in June and July. Because corals spawn based on size and not on age, rescuing large colonies gives them a better chance at producing larvae in the nursery.

The work of the ‘Āko‘ako‘a field team would not be possible without the constant support and guidance of the cultural advisory board members from each of these sites. During each one of these restoration days, their encouragement, help, and direction from the shoreline is key to our overall success. It is so special to witness the progress and transformation of these restoration sites after months of continuous work, as we work alongside our Kupuna to restore our reefs for future generations.