Maui coral reveals link between land use and reef health
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Scientists studying a coral core from Olowalu reef in Maui, Hawaii, connected the reef’s growth to land-based activities over a 253-year period.
Researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa, the U.S. Geological Survey, and Hawaii Sea Grant College Program examined a six-foot-long coral core collected in 2013 to understand how environmental changes affected the reef. They found the reef’s growth rate closely mirrored land use, increasing before the 1970s and then declining.
The team analyzed trace elements in the coral’s skeleton, identifying jumps of 17 to 55% in barium, phosphorus, and iron coinciding with the peak of sugarcane production in the mid-1900s. This revealed a connection between historical sugarcane farming, water quality, and the reef’s health, something previously unproven. The Olowalu reef is known internationally for its health and its role in seeding reefs on neighboring islands.
This research provides a historical baseline for managing Maui’s coastal resources, especially as the region faces increasing threats from climate change, wildfires, and erosion. Several groups, including government agencies and nonprofits like The Nature Conservancy, are already working to improve reef health by addressing sedimentation, replanting native species, and incorporating traditional ecological knowledge with scientific data to guide their efforts.
