A new study using a centuries-old coral sample from Olowalu Reef found that land-use changes — including sugarcane agriculture — contributed to declining coral growth beginning in the late 1960s. Researchers say understanding these historical impacts can guide future reef and watershed management decisions.
- Scientists analyzed a 253-year-old coral core from Olowalu Reef to track how West Maui land-use changes affected reef health over time.
- Chemical markers tied to sediment and nutrient runoff increased throughout the record, with the sharpest changes linked to 20th-century sugarcane expansion.
- Coral calcification (growth) began declining around the late 1960s, coinciding with the peak of sugarcane agriculture across West Maui.
- Olowalu is one of Hawaii’s largest continuous reef systems and a key source of coral larvae for reefs throughout Maui Nui, making its health regionally significant.
- Researchers say the findings can inform ongoing watershed restoration and sediment-retention efforts already underway across the islands.
Source: Maui Now
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