Luxury Yacht Severely Damages Coral Reefs Off-Coast Hawaii

The coral reefs nearby have suffered over 19 thousand square feet of damage as a result of a luxury yacht that ran aground off the coast of Maui, Hawaii.

The Nakoa, a 94-foot boat, ran aground outside the Honolua-Mokulē'ia Bay Marine Life Conservation District on the northwest coast of Maui two weeks earlier and was freed on March 5. Now that the impact of the massive vessel on the local wildlife has been evaluated, the results are not promising.

The first impact when the boat grounded, and then the scars on the coral reef that occurred as the yacht was dragged back off the flat reef surface and into deeper water, according to Russel Sparks, an aquatic biologist with the Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) - Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. Sparks oversaw the evaluation and assessment of the damaged reefs.

Coral Reefs

The biodiversity of coral reefs is among the highest on Earth. They shelter one-fourth of all fish species on the planet and shield coastlines from erosion and storms. According to the University of Hawaii, the eight main Hawaiian Islands are home to over 410,000 acres of living reef that is home to over 7,000 known species of aquatic plants and animals. 1,250 of these species can only be found in the reefs of Hawaii.

Damages of Over 19 Thousand Square Feet

A total of 19,434 square feet of live rock and damaged coral were discovered to have been disturbed by the yacht, according to the investigation. The first 49 feet of the visible damage, which extended from the landing point to a depth of about 246 feet in the ocean, were made up of two significant scars that resembled "trench-like" depressions.

Getting the yacht out of the shallow waters required more than two weeks. The yacht was shelved in 800 feet of water due to the serious damage to its hull.

According to DAR, the yacht damaged more than 19,000 square feet of live rock and coral. Additionally, 19 coral colonies were destroyed or damaged.

Aside from that, the attempt to drag the yacht into deeper water had an adverse effect on over 100 coral colonies and live rock, KHON2 reports.

The Maui News reports that the salvage efforts, which the state estimated to have cost at least $460,000, took about two weeks to complete and started with the removal of fuel barrels, batteries, and other potentially dangerous materials from the yacht. Poor weather along with failed rigging repeatedly thwarted attempts to remove it from the shoreline, forcing the contractor to go back to Oahu for more powerful machinery.

Also Read: Massive Coral Spawning Event Turns Dying Reef to "Super Reef," Resilient to El Niño and Pacific Ocean Warming Hot Spot in Kiribati 

More Threats

Unfortunately, several different threats, such as overfishing, disease, and rising ocean temperatures, can threaten these vital ecosystems. Such direct physical harm puts additional stress on these sensitive habitats.

The Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute and the Department of Land and Natural Resources are putting forth a lot of effort to quickly fix and restore the damage.

The Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute, according to Sparks, has located a few colonies of loose coral that will be reattached as soon as the ocean conditions improve. He added that the team is grateful for the center's quick action and knowledgeable assistance with coral restoration in stabilizing as well as restoring this site.

According to the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the yacht's owner is responsible for the expenses of the towing operation and any environmental harm that results, Newsweek reports.

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