A University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa study found 25 agricultural, industrial, and pharmaceutical contaminants accumulating in Maui coral tissues, reducing their ability to withstand environmental stressors. Sites with the most human impact also showed the steepest coral cover losses after the 2016 bleaching event.
- Researchers tested 380 corals across 16 sites off west and south Maui, finding contaminants from human activity in coral tissues at every impacted location.
- Contaminated corals showed reduced energy and nutrient reserves, making them less able to survive warming or acidifying ocean conditions.
- Historical data linked the most chemically impacted sites to the worst coral die-offs during the 2016 bleaching event.
- Scientists suggest monitoring coral tissue chemistry could become a standard tool for tracking human impact on nearshore marine ecosystems.
- Degraded reefs can reduce the coastal appeal and water-quality perception that draw visitors to Maui’s west and south shores.
Source: Maui Now
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