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Kahaluʻu Bay
DIGITAL CORAL ARK
Anuhya
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We’ve nicknamed this coral structure “Anuhya” in a tribute to the surprises we’ve had here over the years. The name Anuhya is associated with several meanings, including something pleasantly unexpected, little sister, and beyond imagination. We first began video monitoring of this large mounding Porites evermanni coral colony in 2017. On this page, you won’t see a lot of fish, but rather a deep dive into the changes in one large mounding coral colony structure over a period of time. This particular colony is likely hundreds of years old, and the rapid changes documented over just the last six years should be heeded as a cry for help, and also as a cause for hope. Scroll down to learn more…
Evermanni Coral Overview
Evermanni coral, also known as Porites evermanni, is a type of stony coral found in Kona's Kahaluʻu Beach Park on the Island of Hawaiʻi, among other places in the Indo-Pacific region. This common coral species, which comes in various colors, usually grows into mound-like shapes. It depends on microscopic algae called zooxanthellae to capture sunlight and convert it into energy (or food) for the coral. However, it's vulnerable to changes in water temperature, quality, and pH levels.
In Kahaluʻu Bay, evermanni coral forms a crucial habitat for numerous fish and invertebrate species, offering them shelter, food, and breeding sites. The coral reefs' degradation, including the evermanni coral's decline, can severely impact ocean biodiversity and health. This degradation could further negatively influence the local environment, economy, and dependent species. Thus, it's crucial to maintain the evermanni coral's health and biodiversity in Kahaluʻu Bay for the broader marine ecosystem’s wellbeing.
ANUHYA TIMELINE
2017
We began following Anuhya in 2017 because some unusual features stood out to us. In fact, we even had an opportunity to share some photos of this coral mound with the legendary Dr. Ruth Gates, who confirmed our concern that this big, beautiful coral colony was stressed and suffering. When watching the video below, note the areas on top of the mound that almost look as if they are “melting”, as well as the cantaloupe-sized section at the bottom that had bleached stark white in most places. We nicknamed this bleached area “Little Sister” because it often stood out from the rest of the colony in coloration.
ANUHYA - 2017 | KAHALUʻU BEACH PARK | KONA, HAWAIʻI
This large and ancient Porites evermanni, or brown lobe coral, was beginning to show signs of stress in 2017. The clips featured in this video were taken between November 2nd and November 10th, 2017. We left for several months, thinking that we had seen the last of the “Little Sister” given the bleaching, but we were wrong!
2018
In 2018, we see some increase in the affected/stressed areas on top of the coral colony plus some newly exposed skeleton. But the main takeaway is that the “little sister” colony that was bleached in November of 2017 has repopulated it’s zooxanthellae and has turned a rich brownish color again. How cool is that?
ANUHYA - 2018 | KAHALUʻU BEACH PARK | KONA, HAWAIʻI
The clips featured in this video were taken between February and November, 2018.
2019
In 2019, we continue to see increased affected/stressed areas on top of the coral colony and the newly exposed skeleton evident in 2018 has grown in size. However, the “Little Sister” colony at the base of the mound is definitely hanging-in there— look closely and you can see the polyps are out!
ANUHYA - 2019 | KAHALUʻU BEACH PARK | KONA, HAWAIʻI
The clips featured in this video were taken between February and November, 2019.
2020
Pandemic! No videos were taken of Anuhya in 2020 due to the pandemic. In fact, there were very few people swimming in the bay in 2020, providing an unexpected resting period for the sea life in Kahaluʻu Bay.
2021
AUGUST, 2021: There have been some definite changes after the 2020 pandemic year, when Hawaiʻi was essentially closed for tourism for much of year. We had no idea what to expect given that a year-and-a-half had passed since our last video. As we feared, a good deal more of the top area had degraded and died. But, what a surprise it was to see the incredible growth of the “Little Sister” colony at the base of the mound. Astoundingly, the two separate smaller sections of coral had actually grown so much that they now appeared as one continuous mass! But, the water was definitely feeling warmer and we were a little bit worried about how pale the new growth was looking.
ANUHYA - 2021 | KAHALUʻU BEACH PARK | KONA, HAWAIʻI
This video was taken on August 27, 2021 for the first time since the pandemic started.
SEPTEMBER, 2021: Uh oh…
As we had feared, the “Little Sister” area the base of Anuhya that had begun to pale in August was definitely starting to bleach by the end of September.
ANUHYA - 2021 | KAHALUʻU BEACH PARK | KONA, HAWAIʻI
The clips used in the video were taken on September 29th and 30th, 2021.
Of particular interest was this silver-dollar sized section of the colony that had developed a distinctly different texture than the rest.
NOVEMBER, 2021: In mid-November, we had some good visibility to take a close look at Anuhya again. The dead areas on the top of the mound remain about the same size, and the “Little Sister” section has regained it’s color again.
ANUHYA - 2021 | KAHALUʻU BEACH PARK | KONA, HAWAIʻI
This clips used to create this video were taken on November 13th and 14th, 2021.
Remember the silver-dollar sized section of the colony that had a different texture than the rest in September? This is what it looked like in November.
2023
MARCH, 2023: We weren’t able to obtain footage of Anuhya in 2022, so we’ll skip ahead to March of 2023, where you’ll notice some pretty big differences. When viewing the video below, pay particular attention to the top of the coral mound (sadly much more dead area than before) and the “Little Sister” section.
ANUHYA - 2023 | KAHALUʻU BEACH PARK | KONA, HAWAIʻI
This video was compiled from footage taken on March 28, 2022.
The amount of living coral on top of the mound has markedly decreased since 2017, exposing significantly more coral skeleton. The three photos below were taken from different angles in March of 2023.
AUGUST, 2023: However, in positive news, the “Little Sister” area has continued to expand, even repopulating the silver-dollar sized dead area evident in November of 2021. Note the marked turbidity (cloudiness and particulates in the water) in August, despite the conditions being calm and the weather clear.
ANUHYA - 2023 | KAHALUʻU BEACH PARK | KONA, HAWAIʻI
This clips used to create this video were taken on August 6th 2023.
But, note how much growth as occurred at the base of the mound and in the front of the colony.
2017 - 2023
YEARS OF CHANGE
Here are two photos of Anuhya taken in November, 2017 and March, 2023 for comparison (if you are viewing on mobile, you may need to zoom in to see the details). The angles are slightly different, but both show a majority of the top of the coral mound. The 2017 photo was taken under a cloudy sky (note the bluish cast to the photo) whereas the 2023 image was taken on a warm, sunny day. Of particular note is the large dead area on the top in 2023, geographically consistent with the areas that had begun to flatten out in 2017. This wasn’t rapid death due to a bleaching event, but rather a slower decline over years, exposing more and more underlying skeleton as the coral polyps died and the living area regressed. While this decline may seem slow to us, though, it’s important to keep in mind that coral colonies of this size are hundreds of year old. This progression of death is extremely concerning and a wake-up call to decrease human-related stressors as quickly as possible.
NOVEMBER, 2017
MARCH, 2023
But, nature is resilient, and despite the decay and death apparent on the top of the colony, the “Little Sister” area not only weathered several bleaching episodes, but rallied back and grew in size! Look carefully at the center section of the mound in each photograph to compare the growth. See how the colony has grown in on the sides of the center, almost completely covering up the old dead branching coral prominently visible in 2018. Also, look how the “Little Sister” area has completely covered the exposed rock that can be seen in the 2018 photo.
FEBRUARY, 2018
MARCH, 2023
Here is a closer comparison of the “Little Sister” area at the base of the colony. See how the open area from 2017 has closed-in with significant new coral coverage? There is a lot of hope in this growth…
NOVEMBER, 2017
MARCH, 2023
Do You Have Any Photos/Videos to Share?
IF SO, PLEASE VISIT OUR PHOTO/VIDEO CONTRIBUTOR PAGE AND GET IN TOUCH!
WE’RE LOOKING FOR PHOTOS AND VIDEOS OF KAHALUʻU BEACH PARK SNORKELING THAT:
have sufficient clarity and resolution to visually identify species of fish and/or coral.
can be identified by date and location (either by personal knowledge or embedded camera data).
are owned by adults 18 and over willing to grant permission to use in the historical database.
are from 2016 or earlier, especially.
ADDITIONAL READINGS
World Register of Marine Species: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=288900
Eyes of the Reef: https://eorhawaii.org/photo-galleries/learn-your-corals-gallery/
Coral Diseases - Eyes of the Reef: https://eorhawaii.org/photo-galleries/train_your_eye_gallery/coral-disease-gallery/
We welcome observations you would like to share or corrections you might note. Contact us!
Photo/Video credits: Pam Madden & Christine Zalewski for Dear Ocean, Silver Spiral Seas LLC, & Google Maps.
This page was reviewed by Pam Madden.