Coral diseases have been playing a major role in the decline of several native coral species surrounding Kauai and neighboring islands. Coral Bleaching, Black Band, Montipora and Cyanobacteria are but a few that have reduced the living coral population significantly in a mere three years. Reef Guardians is working hard to fund research and act as a catalyst bringing together researchers and scientists from NOAA, USGS, DLNR, Universities and more, forming a collaborative effort to address this head on.
We are also in planning stages on a facility for both research and education regarding our oceans, their reefs and inhabitants. Together with our communities involvement and local, state and federal agencies we can continue to fund these efforts for research and get results.
Phase one requires RGH to fund a study of healthy corals in the same proximity and sometime same species as their dying neighbor corals. Recent studies and data collected revealed this anomaly which requires further study. With positive results we can ascertain what mechanism is in play here and possibly use that information in a coral restoration project.
