By Alyssa Manche
I always feel at home when I travel to Hawaii. The warm breeze on my face makes me forget about all my troubles, and the sun somehow seems brighter and fuller than anywhere else in the world. My mouth stretches into an unsuspecting smile every time I land, the island finally letting me close my eyes and just breathe in. I’ve always felt a comfort in the wildlife and the nature that I see around me whenever I visit Hawaii. Whether it’s the beautiful turtles I see while I’m snorkeling off the coast of Poipu in Kauai, or the glistening water as it stretches for miles before me as I kayak in the open ocean, I think about my consequence of seeing it all unfold before me. What impact do I have on this beautiful island that has given me so much? Hawaii has always been one of the largest tourist destinations for American citizens, which can be largely attributed to the inviting atmosphere of a tropical island getaway filled with beautiful nature and wildlife, along with the warm island sun. While tourists are beneficial for the local economy of the Hawaiian islands, and make up the largest source of income for the state of Hawaii, they pose a threat to the very wildlife that attracts millions of Americans to flock to the islands each year. Hawaii is home to over 80% of all the coral reefs in the United States, and is also home to one of the largest concentrations of coral reefs in the entire world. However, the booming tourism industry, while providing the livelihood for many Hawaiian residents, poses a threat to the treasured coral reefs of the island. The coral reefs in themselves bring in nearly $800 million dollars alone to the Hawaiian economy, showing just how important they are. However, this very importance is what is damaging the reefs themselves—all of the human activity from tourism is causing extra shock to the coral reefs along the coast of Hawaii’s beautiful islands, which causes them to die. This seems to be a vicious cycle which is only doomed to repeat itself. While the reefs bring in money, they only are damaged more. And when these reefs become so damaged that visitors no longer are encouraged to see them, not only will the economy lose, but so will the reefs. Not only that, but 88,000 cesspools contribute to nearly 53 million gallons of sewage being pumped into Hawaii’s oceans every day. This causes health damages to both the coral reefs and people who are on the island. This has been directly linked to coral bleaching and high pathogen levels, which have been killing off the reefs. Rain and floods carrying sediment from mountainsides also contribute to the struggling coral reef ecosystem. The increased sedimentation from the mountains has caused fish to die off, and corals to begin their harmful bleaching process. As I reflect back upon the wonderful experiences that I cherish from my times in Hawaii, I am left thinking about all these things that seem to happen underneath my eye, that threaten to take away the beautiful islands that millions hope to experience. The only way that we can hope to preserve the islands for both coral reefs and human beings is to engage in meaningful conservation efforts. The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Aquatic Resources has implemented new policies that work with citizens on a local basis to address coral bleaching. Working directly with fisheries, community members, and residents, the government has implemented education programs to best address these issues. The first step to fixing these problems is to educate. Without education, there can be no solutions. Already, public participation has skyrocketed, as events, training, and workshops have been organized and participated in by the public, who don’t want to see the beauty of their islands vanish. While there is still a long road ahead, I hope that one day, all those who wish to feel the liberation of visiting Hawaii will be able to do so like I once did and enjoy the sheer natural beauty of the island because conservation efforts were successful. Looking for more ways to help? Check out these resources below: https://coralreef.noaa.gov/aboutcrcp/news/featuredstories/sep20/HI_Coral_Reef_Strategy.html https://coral.org/en/where-we-work/hawaiian-islands/
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