Hawaii

The Maui Fires Are Messing With Hawaii’s Prized Coral Reefs

Published

1 year ago

August 18, 2023

The Maui Fires Are Messing With Hawaii’s Prized Coral Reefs

Devastating wildfires that have killed more than 100 people have also created dangerous conditions for fragile wildlife and natural ecosystems off Maui’s shores. Scientists and officials are worried that coral reefs near Maui are going to be hurt in the aftermath of these fires.

Is The Great Barrier Reef Healing?

Widespread fires often create excessive soil erosion. This releases sediments including dirt and ash into nearby waterways that feed into the ocean. When there’s too much sediment in the ocean, it disturbs fragile water ecosystems like coral reefs. This occurs when the extra sediment causes algae blooms in the water, the Guardian reported. Out-of-control algal blooms can smother the reef, according to the National Ocean Service.

“It is going to heavily damage the coral reefs,” Luiz Rocha, an ichthyology curator at the California Academy of Sciences, told The Guardian. “They depend on clear water to survive.”

Hawaii’s coral could also be exposed to other hazards. Boats were docked near Lahaina, a town in West Maui that was especially devastated. Some of the damaged boats have leaked oil into the water, the Garden Island Newspaper reported. Officials are also worried about toxic materials inside of burned homes that have joined the sediment runoff into the ocean.

“We don’t know what was in those houses, and a lot of times when things burn and when they mix together, they can form other things that can be dangerous,” U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Strike Team Lieutenant Trent Brown, told the Garden Island.

The Coast Guard and several organizations have placed “containment booms” near storm drain outflows. These booms create a floating barrier in the water to stop contaminants from moving around.

Officials and conservationists have every reason to be worried about the future of Hawaii’s coral reefs. Those reefs hold cultural and historical significance to Hawaiian natives. These reefs also house many of the region’s fish species. Olowalu Reef, which is near Maui, is home to one of the largest manta ray populations in the U.S. But their numbers have been declining, which makes protecting that reef especially urgent, according to conservation nonprofit Mission Blue.

Sadly, these coral reefs have already faced a number of climate change dangers before this month’s fires. Hotter-than-average ocean temperatures have caused bleaching events for Hawaii’s coral several times in the last 20 years. When coral is bleached, it means that it is stressed which causes it to expel the algae responsible for their color. Some bleached coral does eventually recover, but it’s weaker which makes it more susceptible to other forms of damage, like disease.

Want more climate and environment stories? Check out Earther’s guides to decarbonizing your home, divesting from fossil fuels, packing a disaster go bag, and overcoming climate dread. And don’t miss our coverage of the latest IPCC climate report, the future of carbon dioxide removal, and the invasive plants you should rip to shreds.

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Hawaii

Visitors warned after toddler nearly runs off 400-foot cliff near Hawaii volcano

Published

2 hours ago

December 27, 2024

Press Room

Visitors warned after toddler nearly runs off 400-foot cliff near Hawaii volcano

The National Park Service is warning parents to keep their children close after a toddler ran toward the edge of a 400-foot-tall cliff at Hawaii National Park on Christmas.

The young boy was at the park with his family to view the eruption of the Kilauea volcano. They were in a closed area at Kilauea Overlook when he wandered away from his family before the “near miss.” His mother, screaming, managed to grab him just about a foot away from a fatal fall.

“Park rangers remind visitors to stay on trail, stay out of closed areas and to keep their children close, especially when watching Kīlauea from viewpoints along Crater Rim Trail. Those who ignore the warnings, walk past closure signs, lose track of loved ones, and sneak into closed areas to get a closer look do so at great risk,” the agency warned.

People watch as an eruption takes place on the summit of the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii on Monday. The volcanic eruption, which started on Monday, is now in its second pause. But, park officials are issuing a warning to visitors after an almost disastrous incident occurred near the volcano ((Janice Wei/NPS via AP))

Rangers noted that dangers escalate during volcanic eruptions, as people flock to view the spectacle of lava flowing out of the Earth’s crust. The Park Service urged drivers to slow, and watch out for pedestrians, Hawaiian geese, and switch to low beams when other cars and pedestrians are present.

The eruption, which started on December 23, is now in its second pause, according to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. But, it could still restart at any time.

Furthermore, emissions of toxic gas remain high, including particulate matter called tephra. Billions of minuscule pieces of tephra, which include all fragments of rock ejected into the air by an erupting volcano, can be carried on winds for thousands of miles and can cause respiratory issues. Volcanoes also produce dangerous gases, like carbon dioxide and hydrogen chloride.

Tephra has blanketed the closed portion of Crater Rim Drive downwind of the lava.

Lava fountains erupt in Kīlauea crater as seen from Kūpinaʻi Pali in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Monday. Hazards increase for parkgoers during volcanic eruptions (NPS)

“The hazards that coincide with an eruption are dangerous, and we have safety measures in place including closed areas, barriers, closure signs, and traffic management,” Park Superintendent Rhonda Loh said in a statement.

“Your safety is our utmost concern, but we rely on everyone to recreate responsibility. National parks showcase nature’s splendor but they are not playgrounds,” she said.

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Hawaii

Hawaii Supreme Court rejects county council candidate’s election lawsuit

Published

10 hours ago

December 27, 2024

Press Room

Hawaii Supreme Court rejects county council candidate’s election lawsuit

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The state Supreme Court has rejected a lawsuit by Maui County Council candidate Kelly King to overturn the general election results.

King lost her race last month to incumbent Tom Cook by 97 votes.

She argued the county rejected too many ballots because of missing or invalid signatures, and that voters weren’t offered enough help to fix the problems.

In Maui County, there were nearly 1,100 deficient ballots compared to the national average. King says Maui County’s rejection rate was nearly double the state average in 2022.

But the high court ruled Tuesday that the County Clerk’s Office followed state law and all administrative rules to cure the deficient ballots.

View the full decision here.

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Hawaii

Unticketed passenger removed from Delta flight bound for Hawaii

Published

18 hours ago

December 26, 2024

Press Room

Unticketed passenger removed from Delta flight bound for Hawaii

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Authorities are investigating how a passenger without a ticket got onto a Delta Airlines flight bound for Honolulu Christmas Eve.

According to Delta Airlines, the traveler boarded flight 487 from Seattle to Honolulu, on an Airbus A321neo aircraft.

The traveler has not been identified, but the airlines confirmed the person was discovered during the taxi out at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Tuesday.

The flight returned to the gate, where the person was removed and arrested. The Transportation Security Administration conducted additional security checks, including customer rescreening.

The flight was delayed 2 hours and 15 minutes and continued on to Honolulu, the airline said.

Delta Airlines said in a statement: “As there are no matters more important than safety and security, Delta people followed procedures to have an unticketed passenger removed from the flight and then apprehended. We apologize to our customers for the delay in their travels and thank them for their patience and cooperation.”

Delta said early indications are the unticketed passenger boarded the flight at the gate without presenting a boarding pass.

TSA says the passenger made it through the standard screening, and did not possess any prohibited items.

The investigation is ongoing.

This happened on the same day that a body was discovered in the wheel well of a United Airlines flight that arrived in Kahului from Chicago.

That incident also remains under investigation.

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