Hawaii's Corals Are Being Destroyed by Wildfires

Wildfires raging across Hawaii that are concentrated in the Maui region are expected to have an extreme impact on the state's environment, including its famed corals, according to one expert.

At least 11,000 people have been displaced so far due to the fires, and the death toll—which currently stands at over 50 people as of August 11—is expected to rise. Officials have said the exact cause of the fires remains unknown, but have pointed to a National Weather Service (NWS) prediction that a mix of dry conditions and strong winds had created perfect conditions for the infernos to spread.

Mike Rees, founder of marine innovation organization Ocean Science & Technology, told Newsweek on Friday that there are a number of very worrying ways in which the fires may be negatively impacting coral life around the island, including sedimentation.

"Wildfires can interrupt terrain and lead to erosion and sediment runoff into coastal waters, having disastrous effects on the local reefs. Sedimentation smothers coral polyps and can block sunlight, which ultimately impacts coral health and growth," Rees said.

Hawaii's islands are home to 85 percent of the coral reefs found in the United States, as conservation scientists were already concerned about their well-being even before the wildfires, according to Coral Reef Resilience.

Meanwhile, Hawaii's reefs have long suffered from pollution that enter the ocean from the land as well as the negative effects of tourism. It is feared the wildfires will only exacerbate these effects.

"Notably, the wildfire could impact the water quality by introducing harmful pollutants which can stress corals, making them much more susceptible to disease. Long term, such stress could even lead to coral bleaching events. This is where corals expel algae in an attempt to reduce stress, leading to a noticeable loss of color, and potentially death," Rees said. "The proximity of the wildfire to the coast means vegetation could be drastically affected. This vegetation provides a critical buffering to support marine ecosystems and coral reefs."

Scientists won't know the extent of the damage until later but previous evidence shows that negative effects have happened before, according to a 2003 study that was published in Science.

In 1997, wildfires were the reason for a massive die-off of corals in Indonesia. Corals located around 250 miles from the shore off the Mentawai Islands off Sumatra suffered during forest fires in the area, the study reported.

As the corals died, red tide—a harmful algal bloom—also appeared. This suggested that the nutrients in the smoke had entered the water, as red tide only occurs when there is an excess of pollution in the water, or when temperatures are unusually hot.

In 2003, scientists assessed this event and concluded that the events on land will have greatly excavated the effects on the corals.

Hawaii's corals face other risks relating to climate change, overfishing, as well as sediment and nutrient pollution. In West Maui, sediment runs down mountain slopes when it rains, feeding the pollution into the oceans. It is estimated that around 53 million gallons of sewage enters the state's waterways every year, Coral Reef Resilience reported.

The corals also attract millions of visitors each year. However, a recent study published in January in Nature Sustainability by researchers at Princeton University, found that tourists are too often making contact with the corals, and increasing pollution.

Hawaii's reefs are greatly important to the ecosystem since they provide habitat for fisheries and protect the island's coasts from storms. They are also highly important sources of larvae reefs around Lānaiʻi, Molokaʻi, and Kahoʻolawe.

Scientists are yet to determine how corals can bounce back from the wildfires raging across the state. But it is likely to include significant conservation efforts to crack down on other pollutants that may continue damaging the suffering corals.