DLNR: Emergency coral rescue underway
May 19, 2021,
by
Eldin Ganic
In an effort to salvage highly valuable corals severely damaged in Honolulu Harbor’s channel, the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) has taken emergency action to recover as many living pieces as possible.
The damage took place two weeks ago and was caused by a dredging platform’s anchor and cable dragging over numerous coral colonies, said DLNR.
An emergency restoration is necessary to prevent additional damage. Freshly broken corals and reef substrate are susceptible to being moved around by surf and currents. This can cause further damage when corals roll and collide with other corals and substrate, according to DLNR.