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A28 SCIENCE
Tuesday 24 sepTember 2019
Hawaii coral show signs of stress amid record-setting heat

By CALEB JONES versity's Center for Global
Associated Press Discovery and Conserva-
CAPTAIN COOK, Hawaii tion Science, after a dive in
(AP) — At the edge of an the bay earlier this month.
ancient lava flow where Asner told The Associated
jagged black rocks meet Press that sensors showed
the Pacific, small off-the- the bay was about 3.5 de-
grid homes overlook the grees Fahrenheit above
calm blue waters of Papa what is normal for this time
Bay on Hawaii's Big Island of year.
— no tourists or hotels in He uses advanced imag-
sight. Here, one of the is- ing technology mounted
lands' most abundant and to aircrafts, satellite data,
vibrant coral reefs thrives underwater sensors and in-
just below the surface. formation from the public
Yet even this remote shore- to give state and federal
line far from the impacts of researchers like Gove the
chemical sunscreen, tram- information they need.
pling feet and industrial "What's really important
wastewater is showing ear- here is that we're taking
ly signs of what's expected these (underwater) mea-
to be a catastrophic sea- surements, connecting
son for coral in Hawaii. them to our aircraft data
Just four years after a ma- and then connecting them
jor marine heat wave killed again to the satellite data,"
nearly half of this coastline's In this Sept. 11, 2019 photo, a green sea turtle swims near coral in a bay on the west coast of the Asner said. "That lets us
coral, federal research- Big Island near Captain Cook, Hawaii. Associated Press scale up to see the big pic-
ers are predicting another ture to get the truth about
round of hot water will peratures are below only es, offer snorkeling and div- of human-made climate what's going on here."
cause some of the worst those seen in 2015. ing spots, and help form change. Beyond this event, Scientists will use the infor-
coral bleaching the region Forecasters expect high waves that draw surfers oceanic temperatures mation to research, among
has ever experienced. temperatures in the north from around the world. will continue to rise in the other things, why some cor-
"In 2015, we hit tempera- Pacific will continue to Ocean temperatures are coming years, Gove said. al species are more resilient
tures that we've never re- pump heat into Hawaii's not uniformly warm across "There's no question that to thermal stress. Some of
corded ever in Hawaii," waters well into October. the state, Gove noted. Lo- global climate change is the latest research sug-
said Jamison Gove, an "Temperatures have been cal wind patterns, currents contributing to what we're gests slowly exposing coral
oceanographer with the warm for quite a long time," and even features on land experiencing," he said. to heat in labs can condi-
National Oceanic and At- Gove said. "It's not just how can create hot spots in the For coral, hot water means tion them to withstand hot-
mospheric Administration. hot it is — it's how long water. stress, and prolonged stress ter water in the future.
"What is really important — those ocean temperatures "You have things like two gi- kills these creatures and "After the heat wave ends,
or alarming, probably more stay warm." ant volcanoes on the Big Is- can leave reefs in sham- we will have a good map
appropriately — about this Coral reefs are vital around land blocking the predomi- bles. with which to plan restora-
event is that we've been the world as they not only nant trade winds," making Bleaching occurs when tion efforts," Asner said.
tracking above where we provide a habitat for fish the island's west coast, stressed corals release al- Meanwhile, Hawaii resi-
were at this time in 2015." — the base of the marine where Papa Bay sits, one gae that provide them dents like Cindi Punihaole
Researchers using high- food chain — but food of the hottest parts of the with vital nutrients. That al- Kennedy are pitching in by
tech equipment to monitor and medicine for humans. state, Gove said. He said gae also gives the coral its volunteering to educate
Hawaii's reefs are seeing They also create an essen- he expects "severe" coral color, so when it's expelled, tourists. Punihaole Kennedy
early signs of bleaching in tial shoreline barrier that bleaching in those places. the coral turns white. is director of the Kahalu'u
Papa Bay and elsewhere breaks apart large ocean "This is widespread, 100% Gove said researchers Bay Education Center, a
caused by a marine heat swells and protects densely bleaching of most corals," have a technological ad- nonprofit created to help
wave that has sent tem- populated shorelines from Gove said. And many of vantage for monitoring protect Kahalu'u Bay, a
peratures soaring to record storm surges during hurri- those corals are still recov- and gleaning insights into popular snorkeling spot
highs for months. June, canes. ering from the 2015 bleach- this year's bleaching, data near the Big Island's tourist
July and parts of August In Hawaii, reefs are also a ing event, meaning they that could help save reefs center of Kailua-Kona.
all experienced the hot- major part of the econo- are more susceptible to in the future. The bay and surround-
test ocean temperatures my: Tourism thrives largely thermal stress. "We're trying to track this ing beach park welcome
ever recorded around the because of coral reefs that According to NOAA, the event in real time via sat- more than 400,000 visitors a
Hawaiian Islands. So far in help create and protect heat wave's causes include ellite, which is the first time year, she said.
September, oceanic tem- iconic white sand beach- a persistent low-pressure that's ever been done," "We share with them what
weather pattern between Gove said. to do and what not to do
Hawaii and Alaska that In remote Papa Bay, most as they enter the bay," she
has weakened winds that of the corals have recov- said. "For instance, avoid
otherwise might mix and ered from the 2015 bleach- stepping on the corals or
cool surface waters across ing event, but scientists feeding the fish."
much of the North Pacific. worry they won't fare as The area suffered bleach-
What's causing that is un- well this time. ing and coral death in 2015.
clear: It might reflect the "Nearly every species that "It was devastating for us
atmosphere's usual chaot- we monitor has at least to not be able to do any-
ic motion, or it could be re- some bleaching," said thing," Punihaole Kennedy
lated to the warming of the ecologist Greg Asner, di- said. "We just watched the
oceans and other effects rector of Arizona State Uni- corals die."q