An explosion of sea urchins threatens to push coral reefs in Hawaii ‘past the point of recovery’
A new research found that the turquoise water of the HōNaunau Gulf in Hawaii, an area that is popular with Snorklers and Dives, is filled with forklines that threaten to pay coral reefs “after the recovery point.
Sea hedgehog numbers explode here because the types of fish that usually keep their residents to decrease the examination due to overfishing, according to the study, which was published last month in magazine Plos one. Another blow to the day is already suffering from damage from pollution, as well as ocean heat waves that depend on climate change and sea level rise.
I noticed Kelly J. She said, “I knew that there is a story that is being listed.”
She and her fellow researchers used data from Scuba surveys and pictures taken from the air to track the health of coral reefs.
“We have found an average of 51 hedgehogs per square meter, and it is among the highest density recorded on coral reefs anywhere in the world,” said Van Wwsk.
Echinometra Mathaei, the most abundant species in the sea in the bay of Hōnaunau. Co -coral erosion eruptions. – Kelly van Wouisk
Sea jellyfish are small marine invertebrates, which are characterized by their forkmodes that are located in the oceans around the world. It plays a useful role in preventing algae growth, which can suffocate oxygen to coral. However, they also eat coral reefs and many of them can cause harmful erosion.
In the Bay of HōNaunau, coral is already struggling for reproduction and growth due to the ocean heat and water pollution, leaving it more vulnerable to corrosion caused by seafood.
The growth rate decreased according to the study.
The growth of coral reefs is usually measured by the amount of calcium carbonate – the material that forms coral skeletons – produced for each square meter every year.
Coral reefs grow in the Bay of Hōnaunau more than four decades more than it was, according to the study. Production levels were about 15 kilograms (33 pounds) per square meter in parts of Hawaii, indicating healthy coral reefs, according to the research in the eighties.
Today, coral reefs are produced in the bay of Hōnaunau 0.5 kg only (1.1 pounds) per square meter.
To compensate for corrosion from the venues, at least 26 % of the surface of the coral reefs must be covered through living coral reefs – and even coral cover is necessary until it grows.
Reefscape of large and dead coral reefs in the bay of Hōnaunau, Hawaii. Greg Asner
Gregory Asner, an environment scientist at Arizona State University and the author of the study, said that what was happening in this part of Hawaii was a symbol of installation pressures facing coral reefs throughout the region.
“27 years ago, I worked in the Bay of Hōnaunau and other bays like him throughout Hawaii, but Hōnaunau has emerged early as a creative example of coral reefs threatened by a set of pressure,” citing warming ocean temperatures, pollution from tourism and heavy fishing.
The effects of the decrease in coral are long -term. Coral reefs are sometimes called “rainforests in the sea” as they support a lot of ocean life. It also plays a vital role in protecting the coast from storms and corrosion.
Van Waski said: “If the coral reefs are unable to keep pace with the rise in sea level, they lose their ability to reduce the energy of the wave received,” said Van Waski. “This increases the erosion and floods of coastal societies.”
Kihao Kim, a professor of environmental science at the American University, who did not participate in the study, said the results highlight the fragility of ecosystems of coral reefs under pressure.
Kim said: “Dramatic increases in any kind indicate an extraordinary situation that allowed them to multiply,” Kim said. He told CNN that this imbalance can undermine diversity and reduce the ability of coral reefs to provide the basic ecosystem services, including food security and carbon storage.
Despite the challenges, the researchers emphasize that the future of coral reefs is not sealed. Local groups in Hōnaunau reduce hunting pressure, improve water quality and support coral restoration.
“These coral reefs are necessary to protect the islands surrounding them,” said Van Wouisk. “Without taking action now, we risk allowing these coral reefs to erode the point of no return.”
For more CNN news and newsletters, create an account on Cnn.com
