Coral reefs across the globe are already feeling the strain from the changing temperatures, tourism, and overfishing, and now one Hawaiian reef can add one more stressor to its list — a grounded luxury yacht that has caused extensive damage off the coast of Maui.
What happened?
At the end of February, a 94-foot, 120-ton luxury yacht called Nakoa ran aground on Maui, causing damage to over 19,400 square feet of the area's coral reef — just over the size of four basketball courts.
The Nakoa was stuck on the reef for two weeks before it was pulled free when it sank 800 feet underwater and caused more damage to the reef as it was towed back to Honolulu.
When divers from the Hawai'i State Division of Aquatic Resources initially assessed the damage, they found that 19 coral colonies were damaged by the Nakoa's first grounding. But after the yacht was dragged along the sea bed, it left 101 impacted coral colonies and 2,099 square feet of damaged live rock in its wake.
Why is the grounded yacht concerning?
Coral reefs are in rapid decline around the world because of warming temperatures, shipping, and tourism.
When the ocean gets too warm, coral becomes stressed and expels the algae that live inside it, giving it its bleached appearance. If the coral stays stressed for too long, it will not allow the algae to return. Without the algae, the coral dies.
Stay hydrated and refreshed this holiday season — without any sugar or harmful additives Nuun’s zero-sugar hydration tablets are a perfect, guilt-free way to enhance your water throughout the day. You’ll get five essential electrolytes for everyday hydration — with zero grams of sugar. Plus, Nuun tablets are certified vegan and gluten-free, and they’re the perfect size to keep in your car, purse, or anywhere you'll want a healthy, restorative drink. Learn more → |
In Hawaii, mass bleaching events wiped out large areas of coral reefs in 2014 and 2015, in some cases causing up to 50% of the coral to die out.
Passing boats and trampling scuba divers can also damage the reefs. Overtourism leads to more littering, disturbance of local wildlife, and pollution from sunscreen.
Researchers have warned that the world's coral reefs could vanish by 2050 unless we strengthen our efforts to protect them.
That's bad news for marine biodiversity. Coral reefs are home to a quarter of all fish species in the world's oceans and also help to shelter the coast from storms. In Hawaii alone, an estimated 7,000 species of plants and animals live on 410,000 acres of coral reef — 1,250 of which can only be found on Hawaii's shoreline.
There's a reason dermatologists personally use this daily moisturizing sunscreen more than any other brand Dermatologists see and understand skin at a much deeper level than the rest of us, and they know that the perfect SPF both protects and corrects your skin. That's why they trust, recommend, and personally use EltaMD more than any other brand. EltaMD's clinically tested formulas are designed with dermatologists to meet the needs of any skin type or condition. They're also designed for consistent daily wear to build long-term resilience with a moisturizing, lightweight, non-comedogenic texture — plus hyaluronic acid to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Learn more → |
What's being done about the damaged coral reef?
The Hawai'i State Division of Aquatic Resources is working with the Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute to repair as much of the reef as possible.
Divers from the Maui Ocean Center Marine have already recovered more than 100 pieces of dislodged coral and will continue to look for more. The marine institute lab will grow out these coral fragments to be used in future reef restoration projects. Once conditions in the ocean improve, the retrieved pieces will then be reattached to the reef.
The yacht's owner will be held liable for the costs of salvaging the damaged rock and coral. The owner has been denied insurance coverage for the removal and has hired a bankruptcy attorney.
Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
