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What We Are All About

Mission: 

Mechanical engineer students from the University of Hawaii at Manoa has teamed up with NOAA to help conserve and rehabilitate the coral reefs around the island of Ohau. 

The purpose of the Coral Reef Nursery project is to first modify and install an in-water coral reef nursery for a sand bottom surface and design, manufacture, and install a second coral nursery for a hard bottom surface. Both structures will be used towards coral restoration and rehabilitation. The first structure will be installed at Reef Runway, Sand Island by December 2017 and the second structure will be installed at the Atlantis Waikiki by May 2018. Both underwater structures will be created through the standard engineering design process and shall adhere to the requirements and constraints defined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Why: 

Why is Coral so Important?

Coral is Responsible for the health of the marine ecosystem and the state's economy. 

  • Tourism

  • Supports fisheries

  • Shoreline protection

  • Prevents erosion

  • Serves as a habitat for marine life

  • Nature’s water filtration / controls CO2 in the ocean

Problem: 

  • Coral reefs have been damaged by direct environmental and man influenced events which include:

    • Coral bleaching

    • Coral disease

    • Vessel groundings

  • The damaged coral population directly impacts the marine ecosystem

  • The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) lacks an underwater structure for coral husbandry and rehabilitation. There is currently no coral nursery present in Hawaii for future coral out-planting

Objectives:

Progress on Objectives: 

Sand Bottom Structure: Pau - Picked up by NOAA May 1st. Will be deployed May 23-25 2018

Hard Bottom Structure: Manufacturing Pau. Pending NOAA pick up and deployment

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