Hawaii FEP - Western Pacific Fishery Council

espectively (Rohmann et al. 2005). The MHI represent the younger portion of the HawaiiArchipelago, and have less well-developed fringing reefs that have not subsided as far belowsea level as those in the NWHI (Smith 1993). The potential coral reef area surrounding the MHIis estimated at 1,231 square kilometers within the 10-fathom contour (Rohmann et al. 2005).NOAA’s The State of Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United States and Pacific Freely AssociatedStates: 2005 (NOAA 2005a) concluded that the condition of coral reef ecosystems around theHawaii Archipelago ranges from fair to excellent, but many MHI reefs are threatened bycontinued population growth, overfishing, urbanization, runoff and development. Oceanoutfalls, urban growth and coastal developments (i.e., hotels, golf courses etc.) are focal pointsfor coral reef degredation. NOAA also found that coral populations in the Hawaii Archipelagocontinue to be spared from the epidemic disease outbreaks seen in many other coral reefsaround the world, and no major die-off of corals has ever been documented due to disease inHawaii. However, diseases are present and NOAA’s baseline study at 18 sites around Oahufound an average disease prevalence (number of diseased colonies/total number of colonies) of0.95 percent (range 0-4.4 percent). Diseases found include growth anamolies or “tumors”,trematode infection and general coral necroses. Similar studies in the NWHI found evidence ofcoral disease at very low levels at 68.5 percent of the sites studied. The most common wasPorites trematodiasis which was found at 57.5 percent of the sites. The overall prevalence ofdisease was estimated at 0.5 percent (range 0-7.1 percent).The following description of the impacts of tropical storms and storm related waves onHawaii’s reefs is drawn from NOAA (2005a). Breaking waves from surf generated by Pacificstorms is the single most important factor in determining the community structure of exposedreef communities throughout the MHI. The NWHI are only rarely in the path of tropical stormsand hurricanes but the impacts of large wave events resulting from extratropical storms passingacross the North Pacific each winter are thought to be significant. These extreme wave eventssubject the shallow water coral reef communities to at least one order of magnitude more energythan the typical winter waves. As such, these extreme wave events are believed to play afundamental role in forming and maintaining biogeographic (spatial and vertical) distributionsof corals, algae, and fishes in the coral reef ecosystems of the NWHI. A good understanding ofthe response of reef systems to natural stresses is an important aspect in evaluating the effects ofhuman activities because responses of coral reef ecosystems to human-induced stress aresuperimposed on natural cycles of impact and recovery.The majority of the following information is drawn from Grigg (1997) who summarized thecondition of the reefs on each island and concluded that 90 percent of Hawaii’s reefs arehealthy. However, he found increasing problems with excessive levels of fishing andenvironmental degradation associated with a growing human population, urbanization, anddevelopment (Friedlander 1996; Grigg 2002; J. Maragos, personal communication). Focalpoints for coral reef degradation in Hawaii include reefs adjacent to urban areas, coastalrecreational developments (e.g., hotels, golf courses), and ocean outfalls (Jokiel and Cox 1996in Friedlander 1996; J. Maragos personal communication).Grigg also found that a combination of natural and anthropogenic factors, including waveenergy, depth, sedimentation, turbidity, light, nutrient concentration, and other biological55