Ecology of the Coral Reefs in the Hawaiian Islands
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This is an 8 page paper discussing the ecology of the Hawaiian coral reefs. The Hawaiian Islands stretch for over 2,300 kilometers and also contain what are considered unique coral reefs because they are geologically younger than many other coral reefs, have no barrier reefs among the windward islands, and are also less diverse than many other coral reef ecosystems in the Pacific. Despite this however, the Hawaiian coral reefs ecology, divided into four zones based on the depth and distance from the shore, does have a diverse assortment of corals, plant life, invertebrates and fishes among larger species which live among the reefs. The ecology of the coral reefs in Hawaii is divided up into the reef flat zone (0-2 m from shore) which is most affected by terrestrial run-off and heavy wave impact; the reef bench zone (2-10 m) which has the largest diversity of coral, fish, invertebrate and plant species, the reef slope zone (10-30 m) in which finger coral is the dominant coral species; and the rubble zone (30-40 m) which is primarily coral fragments, rock and sand which provides a habitat for lobe and finger corals as well as sea cucumbers and an assortment of fish. Coral reefs in Hawaii provide a vast amount of revenue for the area at well over $250 million annually in the areas of commercial and recreational fishing and tourism. Like many of the coral reefs around the world however, the coral reefs in Hawaii are being damaged by a combination of natural and manmade events. Industrial, nutrient and fresh-water run-off kills the coral closest to the shore and allows for the spread of coral-killing algae after which recovery of the reef takes a great deal of time. In addition, increase in global water temperatures has led to coral bleaching which in some areas the reefs show little sign of recovery. Includes one page abstract. Bibliography lists 6 sources.
Filename: TJHwcor1.rtf

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