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Evaluating Coral Reef Recovery to Improve Reef Resilience Planning Along the West Coast of Hawai‘i Island

Report

Hawaii

Publication date: August 31, 2018

File format: PDF

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This report assessed the condition of previously-surveyed reef areas two years after the 2015 mass bleaching event to assess the performance of the 2015 reef resilience rankings at predicting resistance to bleaching. While the approach did not perform entirely as expected for predicting resistance, it produced valuable results that can contribute to improved management of reefs on West Hawai‘i.

Subject Tags

  • Climate resilience
  • Reefs
  • Climate adaptation

Introduction

This report evaluates coral reef recovery and resilience along the west coast of Hawai‘i Island following the severe 2015 mass coral bleaching event. Surveys conducted between 2015 and 2017 assess changes in coral cover, disease prevalence, fish biomass, and benthic composition across 20 reef locations. Results show that coral cover stabilized after initial declines, disease prevalence decreased, and reef condition improved in some areas, although fish biomass declined from earlier peaks. The study uses ecological indicators such as coral recruitment, bleaching resistance, herbivorous fish biomass, macroalgae cover, and rugosity to reassess resilience rankings and evaluate their predictive performance. Findings suggest that resilience rankings perform best at identifying sites at the extremes but are less effective for distinguishing among mid-ranked sites. The report highlights the importance of long-term monitoring and reducing local stressors to support reef recovery and resilience-based management.

Suggested Citation

Minton, D., Conklin, E., Couch, C., Amimoto, R., Carr, R., Lynch, H., Most, R., Rose, J., Walsh, C., & Wiggins, C. 2018. Evaluating Coral Reef Recovery to Improve Reef Resilience Planning Along the West Coast of Hawai‘i Island. The Nature Conservancy. Honolulu, HI. 34 pp.

TNC Authors

  • Eric Conklin
    Marine Science Director, Hawai‘i and Palmyra
    The Nature Conservancy
    Email: econklin@tnc.org

  • Ryan Carr
    Marine Monitoring Manager, Hawai‘i
    The Nature Conservancy
    Email: rcarr@tnc.org

  • Harry Lynch
    Marine Field Operations Manager
    The Nature Conservancy
    Email: hlynch@tnc.org

  • Julia Rose
    Coral Restoration Program Manager
    The Nature Conservancy
    Email: julia.rose@tnc.org

TNC Authors

  • Cecile Walsh
    Marine Conservation Project Manager
    The Nature Conservancy
    Email: cecile.walsh@tnc.org