Kahaluʻu Beach Park in West Hawaiʻi will be closed from May 16-21 for coral spawning events.

According to the Division of Aquatic Resources and Eyes of the Reef Network, cauliflower coral (Pocillopora meandrina) was once abundant on shallow coral reefs along West Hawai’i, including Kahaluʻu Bay. However, environmental stressors and very high ocean temperatures impacted West Hawai’i in 2015 and again at the end of 2019, leading to catastrophic bleaching and mortality of more than 90% of the cauliflower coral population in Kahaluʻu Bay. Natural reproduction events are essential to recovering from the loss in the coral population.

The high volume of daily visitors to Kahaluʻu Bay may cause harm to larval corals due to physical and chemical disturbances (e.g., sunscreens and other personal care items) in the bay’s surface waters. In recent studies, oxybenzone chemicals in sunscreens were shown to cause damage to larval corals and prevent successful settlement on the reef. Minimizing pollutants and physical disturbances within the spawning period in their natural environment will help ensure that corals can successfully reproduce and settle properly.

Questions or concerns can be directed to the Kahaluʻu Bay Education Center at (808) 895-1010.