Maui coral core reveals how land use shaped reef health

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 22 Oct, 18:15 · Archive

A 253-year-old coral sample from Maui's Olowalu reef shows the reef's growth mirrored land-use changes from 1760 to 2013.

A 253-year-old coral sample from Maui's Olowalu reef has revealed how land-use changes shaped the reef's health over more than two centuries. Scientists examined the core, collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in 2013, studying the period from 1760 to 2013, which spans the precolonial era, the rise and fall of the sugar-plantation economy, and Maui's development as a tourist destination.

The research found that the reef's growth, or lack thereof, closely mirrored what was happening on land. Most significantly, the scientists pinpointed that the reef's growth rate began a steep decline in the late 1960s when the plantation economy boomed. Study co-author Andrea Kealoha said: 'There's been several studies showing a connection between historical sugarcane production and poor water quality. But nobody has been able to connect that to the decline of reef health.'

The findings were published in the September issue of the journal 'Coral Reefs'. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the study offers the 'first long-term baseline for understanding ridge-to-reef connectivity on Maui'. Sam Kekuewa of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program led the research team, which included scientists from the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa and the U.S. Geological Survey. The in-depth analysis began in 2024, after initial work by the federal agency.

How it is being reported

• Maui Coral Reef Holds Secrets Of The Past — And The FutureScientists have studied a two-century-old coral core from Maui's Olowalu reef, revealing how land use has impacted reef health.Clickorlando · 22 Oct, 17:38
• Maui Coral Reef Holds Secrets Of The Past — And The FutureScientists have studied a two-century-old coral core from Maui's Olowalu reef, revealing how land use has impacted reef health.News4Jax · 22 Oct, 17:38

In this story: Olowalu · Maui · Hawaii Sea Grant College Program · University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa · U.S. Geological Survey · Andrea Kealoha · Sam Kekuewa

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