Threats & Progress

 Ending Recreational Damage

Reefs in tourism sites show damage from trampling, repetitive anchoring, and boat groundings.

Photo credit: CORAL staff

Improving Business Practices: CORAL is working with the state government, partner organizations, and the ocean tourism communities of Hawaii to build community partnerships and establish sustainable coral reef tourism through education and good environmental practices.

Elevating Education: The goal of the CORAL Reef Leadership Network is to educate marine recreation providers and tourists about healthy ways to enjoy coral reefs.

Educating People About Coral

Fish feeding by tourists leads to aggressive behavior in fish that can result in people being bitten.

Photo credit: Liz Foote

Raising Awareness: CORAL and its conservation partners, like the Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources, launched the very successful Take a Bite out of Fish Feeding campaign to educate the local community, businesses, and visitors about the dangers of feeding fish.

Enhancing Understanding: The Respecting Coral Reefs sign program allows local community members and businesses to sponsor the installation of signage that educates visitors about Hawaii’s coral reefs and reef etiquette.

Curbing Pollution and Sedimentation

Rising population and increased pollution cause run-off that deposits life-threatening sediment and other pollutants on reefs.

Photo credit: Mark Erdmann

Promoting Action: CORAL is co-sponsoring the production and publication of a booklet titled Making a Difference: An Action Guide to Marine Conservation in Hawai‘i—What to Do and Who to Call Concerning Ocean Issues, which provides guidelines for all stakeholders about how to protect and preserve Hawaii’s ocean ecosystem.