The deterioration of the world’s coral reefs reflects accelerating effects of global warming, and islanders dependent on the ocean can’t afford to ignore these changes or their causes. To best protect islands from the bad things that can develop from widespread coral die-offs and, in the worst-case scenario, extinction, it’s also urgent that we follow and support the work and research being done in Hawaii and worldwide to prevent loss of our reefs.

At the University of Hawaii, scientists have been testing out methods to support coral survival, with hopeful results and international interest. Another team is tracking patterns and changes in the carbon dioxide absorbed in — “acidifying” — area waters over centuries. And reef protection and coral health are ongoing concerns for the state’s D

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