Status of coral reefs in the Hawaiian archipelago
Gulko D, Maragos J, Friedlander A, Hunter C, Brainard R. Status of coral reefs in the Hawaiian archipelago. Pages 155-182
Human impacts on Hawaiian coral reefs may have started the the construction of fish ponds atop reef flats throughout the MHI. Wide-scale degradation of reefs began some 100 to 200 years ago with the expansion of Western influence on the islands. Livestock grazing and agriculture were the primary land uses on the islands of O‘ahu, Maui, Moloka‘i, and Lana‘i, contributing to erosion and sedimention on fringing reefs. Dredging and filling of nearshore reefs for residential, commercial, and military expansion increased in the last century, resulting in further loss of reef habitat. Stream channelization and increased paving of land reduced sediment erosion but increased runoff. Despite these changes in coastal land use, the consensus of many ecologists is that nearshore reefs off the MHI, with a few exceptions, remain in relatively good condition.
- Type
- Book Chapter
- Authors
- Gulko, David; Maragos, James; Friedlander, Alan; Hunter, Cynthia; Brainard, Russel
- Units
- KAHO , KALA , PACN
- Keywords
- Alien Species, Climate Change, Conservation, Coral Reefs, Hawaii, Hawaiian Archipelago, Kauai, marine aquaculture, Marine Debris, marine protected areas (MPAs), Maui, monk seal, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI), Oahu, ornamental fish collection, Sea Turtle, subsistence fishing