What Lies Beneath: By Brittany P. Anderson
O
n a clear day in Kamuela you can see everything—from the top of Mauna Kea, across the
pasture lands, and down to the blue Pacific. Birds glide overhead, as trees bend in the winds of the upcountry, and the ocean remains a perfect shade of blue. Hidden below the ocean’s surface is an entire world complete with underwater forests, creatures, and currents. More than 50% of all species on Earth live under the ocean. Hawai‘i is the most distant from any other landmass on the planet. Due to our unique location and geography, native plants and animal species are found nowhere else on the planet, including roughly 25% of Hawai‘i’s reef fish, coral, and algae species. Heather Howard and Paul Badgley founded the Coral Reef Education Institute (CREI) to teach as many people as possible about the negative impacts humans have on our oceans and the attainable solutions for those issues. Through their education programs, Heather and Paul are bringing the trouble with Hawai‘i Island’s coral reefs to the surface. What Is Coral? “Does anyone know what coral is?” Heather asks a group of volunteers as they gather together on the sand at Kawaihae Harbor. Most in the crowd fidget nervously as they look at one another, collectively realizing they have no idea what coral is or even if it’s alive. Today’s beach cleanup is attended by an eclectic mix of residents, students, and a group of service members from the Pōhakuloa Training Area. Heather always starts with an introduction to coral. “I’ll talk about coral to anyone who will listen,” she says with a hearty laugh. Coral is an animal in the same group as sea anemones and jellyfish. They are divided into two main groups—hard corals Heather Howard and Paul Badgley are working to protect the coral reefs of Hawaiÿi.
and soft corals. A single coral animal is called a “polyp,” and a grouping of coral is called a “colony.” Hard corals take the calcium out of seawater to create rigid structures that protect their growth. Hawai‘i is home to four endemic hard coral species. These corals form vast colonies made up of millions of polyps. Soft corals bend and wave in the water currents like an underwater forest.
This reef is located outside the Honoköhau Harbor in Kailua-Kona. CREI checks in frequently to monitor progress.
