FWD>Press Release -First La
Mark Eakin
eakin at ogp.noaa.gov
Wed Mar 20 15:38:36 EST 1996
Mail*Link(r) SMTP FWD>Press Release -First Large Scale
Transplant/Hawaii
FYI. I am merely forwarding the message and have no further information on
this. For further information, please see contacts in press release.
Mark
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Southwest Region, Pacific Area Office, 2570 Dole Street, Room 106,
Honolulu, HI 96822.
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
John Naughton March 20,1996
at (808) 973-2940 (Honolulu, HI)
or Sue Smith (619) 546-7070 (San Diego, CA)
FIRST LARGE-SCALE TRANSPLANT OF LIVE CORAL TAKES PLACE IN
HAWAII
In the first large-scale coral transplant project ever conducted,
nearly fourteen tons of live corals have been successfully
transplanted from one location to another in Kawaihae Bay, Hawaii, the
Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
announced today. The project was recommended by NOAA's National Marine
Fisheries Service and funded by the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers to
mitigate coral loss during proposed harbor construction and to restore
nearby reefs.
"The Kawaihae project has been an unprecedented success, with
ninety-nine percent of the coral surviving relocation," said Hilda
Diaz Soltero, Director of NMFS' Southwest Region. "This study proves
that large quantities of these living animals can survive the trauma
of transplant." The coral was transplanted from areas that will be
disrupted by harbor construction that begins next week , and will be
moved from holding areas to reefs damaged during past harbor
construction in the bay.
Since September, live corals have been taken from the "footprints"
of three proposed new breakwaters and relocated to a large stockpile
site and seven experimental sites ranging from 10 to 50 feet of water
all within a half mile of the proposed small boat harbor at Kawaihae.
Participants in the project include NMFS, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Corps of Engineers, State of Hawaii Division of Aquatic
Resources, and the staff and students of the University of Hawaii
Institute of Marine Biology and Hawaii Preparatory Academy.
"Volunteer divers from the Science Department of Hawaii Preparatory
Academy have been instrumental the transplant effort," said John
Naughton, Pacific Island Environmental Coordinator
for NMFS' Southwest Region. Coral heads were carefully detached by
divers and gently placed in large wire trays which were then lifted up
off the bottom and transported while still submerged to transplant
sites by boat.
"We'll continue to monitor coral transplant sites during and after
the nearby harbor construction to see how they fare," said Naughton.
Students and staff from University of Hawaii Institute of Marine
Biology are under contract to monitor the transplant sites for three
years to obtain data on the growth rates and mortality of the coral.
The coral animals themselves are tiny, cuplike creatures with soft,
fragile bodies about which they secrete a hard stony skeleton. They
emerge only at night when their tentacles expand to sweep the sea for
planktonic food. Restored coral reefs should provide new habitat for
many species of fish and sea turtles.
The National Marine Fisheries Service, an agency of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, studies and manages U.S.
living marine resources and is responsible for the protection of
marine mammals and sea turtles as well as marine habitats and
endangered species.
***VIDEO FOOTAGE AVAILABLE***
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