Hoʻokena Coral Rescue and Restoration

Restoring the Reefs for the Future of Hoʻokena

As the team continued restoration efforts along the West Hawai‘i coastline, a repeat stop has been Ho‘okena Bay. Known for its sandy beach, pods of dolphins, and historic fishing community, Ho‘okena is a precious and important gathering place for the South Kona community. The loss of coral reefs along this coastline has contributed to the changes in fish stocks and local fishing practices. Corals provide habitat for many other species, so a shift in this environment is detrimental to vital resources of fishing communities.

‘Āko‘ako‘a works to protect and improve our reefs, so our restoration efforts not only contribute to rebuilding coral cover, but also to rebuild fish stocks of the Ho‘okena coastline and other sites. Fusing Hawaiian culture, education, science, and government generates a solution that benefits communities of coral and people across West Hawai‘i. Our Cultural Advisory Board forms the foundation of our program, so key advisors like Damien Kenison are the voice for our restoration sites and help us to carry out restoration based on the needs of each community.

In April, the field team returned to Ho‘okena on our “Kai Surveyor” vessel to perform a coral rescue and relocation operation as well as to relocate corals back to the land-based nursery for the Future Reef Bank. Corals of opportunity were collected and reattached to previously degraded relocation sites, so they can regrow over once barren substrate and create new reef. Corals need to be reattached because leaving them broken and loose on the seafloor allows them to roll around in wave surge, which damages their tissue and limits their access to sunlight.

To carry out the reattachment work, we make a cement mixture onboard the vessel and transport it out to each restoration site. As the dive team works below to collect and reattach corals, the topside team works in parallel to mix cement. Similar to each organism playing a role on the reef to create a thriving ecosystem, each member of the ʻĀkoʻakoʻa team works together to ensure a successful mission.