by The turquoise water of the Hōnaunau bay in Hawaii, an area that is popular with snorkeling and divers, is from spiky creatures that threaten to push the coral reef “beyond the point of recovery”, as new research has found.
According to the study, which was published in the Journal Plos One last month, the Seeigel numbers will explode here when the fish species usually keep their population groups in chess due to overfishing. It is another blow against a reef that is already operated by pollution and climate change, and the increase in sea levels.
Kelly J. van Wesisik, researcher at the North Carolina State University Center for Geospatial Analytics and Study author, initially noticed unusually high sea urchins when snorkeling. “I knew that a story was to tell,” she said.
You and your colleagues use Scuba surveys and pictures from the air to pursue the health of the reef.
“We found an average of 51 Bengel per square meter, which is one of the highest density on coral reefs all over the world,” said Van Woesik.
Echinometra Mathaei, the most frequently found seaside bay in the Hōnaunau bay. The souls erode the reef. – Kelly van Wesensik
Seeneigel are small marine invertebrates, characterized by their spiky bodies and in oceans all over the world. They play a useful role in preventing algae -over -growing that can suffocate oxygen in corals. However, they also eat the reef and too many of them can cause harmful erosion.
In the Hōnaunau bay, the coral is already fighting due to octopus heat and water pollution, which causes it even more susceptible to the erosion caused by sea urchins.
The growth rate has dropped according to the study.
The reef growth is typically measured on the amount of calcium carbonate – the substance that forms coral skeletons – produces per square meter per year.
According to the study, the reef in the Bay of Hōnaunau is growing 30 times slower than four decades ago. In parts of Hawaii, the production levels were around 15 kilograms per square meter per square meter and, according to research, signal a healthy reef in the 1980s.
Today the reef in the Hōnaunau bay produces only 1.5 kg per square meter.
In order to compensate for the erosion from the Undines, at least 26% of the reef surface must be covered by living corals – and even more coral cover is required so that it grows.
Reefscape of living and dead large corals in Hōnaunau Bay, Hawaii. – Greg Asner
Gregory Asner, an ecologist at Arizona State University and the study author, said what happened in this part of Hawaii is a symbol of the increasing pressure of the reefs in the entire region.
“I have been working in Hōnaunau Bay and other bays all over Hawaii for 27 years, but Hōnaunau was early as an iconic example of a reef that is characterized by a combination of pressure,” he said, referring to the warming of sea temperatures, dirt through tourism and strong fishing.
The effects of the coral decline are far -reaching. Coral reefs are sometimes referred to as “rainforests of the sea” because they support so much ocean life. They also play an important role in protecting the coast against storm surges and erosion.
“If the reef cannot keep up with the increase in sea level, it loses its ability to limit incoming wave energy,” said van Wesensik. “This increases the erosion and flooding risk for coastal communities.”
Kiho Kim, professor of environmental sciences at the American University, who was not involved in the study, said the results underline the fragility of riff ecosystems under stress.
“Dramatic increases in any species indicate an unusual illness that has made it possible for them to multiply,” said Kim. This imbalance can undermine the variety and reduce the ability of the reef to provide essential ecosystem services such as nutritional safety and carbon storage, he told CNN.
Despite the challenges, the researchers emphasize that the future of the reef is not sealed. Local groups in Hōnaunau are working on reducing the catch pressure, improving water quality and supporting coral recovery.
“These reefs are important to protect the islands that surround them,” said van Wesisik. “Without measures taken, we risk that these reefs exceed the point without return.”
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