First corals of opportunity collected for Kauaʻi’s new coral restoration nursery

The first coral specimens to be housed in the new Kauaʻi Coral Restoration Nursery at Nōmilu Fishpond are now being cared for at the facility that will build local capacity for reef restoration and emergency response.

The corals of opportunity — or loose corals that have been dislodged from their parent reefs or damaged from storms, boat groundings or anchors — were collected by Hoʻomalu Ke Kai in collaboration with Kauaʻi Ocean Awareness, Kauaʻi Sea Farm, the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources and University of Hawaiʻi Coral Resilience Lab.

The team collected two coral species: Montipora capitata (Rice Coral) and Porites lobata (Yellow-Lobed Coral).

At the nursery, each coral will be cut into 1–3 cm² fragments and attached to pyramid-shaped cement modules. The fragments are placed with even spacing, allowing them to grow along their living edges and eventually fuse into large, healthy colonies measuring approximately 30 cm x 30 cm.

This rapid-growth methodology was developed at the DAR Hawaiʻi Coral Restoration Nursery on Oʻahu, and the Kauaʻi project will work closely with HCRN to adapt and expand this proven protocol.

Coral restoration in Hawaiʻi presents unique challenges.

Hawaiian reef-building corals typically grow slower than other coral species around the world. These naturally slow growth rates heighten the urgency and importance of restoration efforts statewide.

The establishment of the Kauaʻi Coral Restoration Nursery will significantly strengthen the resilience of the island’s reef ecosystems by providing a facility and trained staff capable of supplying healthy source colonies for restoration projects.

This work is especially vital in the wake of recent severe bleaching events and increasing environmental stressors affecting coral reefs across the islands.

Statewide, coral reef restoration practitioners and managers are collaborating to scale resilient coral species while safeguarding ecological integrity and biodiversity.

As the first and only coral nursery on Kauaʻi, this project represents an essential contribution to Hawaiʻi’s broader restoration network and long-term reef stewardship.