USGS Pacific Coral Reefs Website

Hawai‘i

Landsat satellite image from NASA

The island of Hawai‘i, known as the Big Island, is the largest in the Hawaiian Chain. Greater than twice the area of the remaining main eight Hawaiian Islands combined, Hawai‘i encompasses 10,432 sq km (4028 sq mi). The island was formed from five major volcanoes. The volcano of Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain on Earth, reaching nearly 9 km (5.5 mi) from the seafloor to the summit. Although shorter, Mauna Loa's massive size makes it the largest volcano in the world. Kīlauea, long thought to be part of Mauna Loa, is the only currently active subaerial volcano in the Hawaiian Island chain and is home to Pele, the Hawaiian volcano goddess.

Live coral growth on the Big Island is typically limited to scattered aggregate corals on volcanic boulders and pavement. The USGS is working with the National Park Service on the Kona (west) coast of Hawai‘i to evaluate the geologic resources at Pu‘ukoholā Heiau National Historic Site, Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park, and at Pu‘uhonua O Hōnaunau (City of Refuge) National Historical Park, including benthic habitat mapping of the nearshore coral ecosystem and nutrient flux from groundwater sources. Click on any of the document below to learn more about these projects:

• View click-and-zoom panorama #1 of Pu‘ukoholā Heiau National Historic Site (1.9 Mb)

• View click-and-zoom panorama #2 of Pu‘ukoholā Heiau National Historic Site (2.1 Mb)

• View click-and-zoom panorama of Pu‘uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical Park (1.9 Mb)

• USGS Open File Report 2005-1069
  Coastal change rates and patterns: Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park

• USGS Open File Report 2005-1161
  Coastal circulation and water column properties along Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park, Hawai‘i
  Part I -- Measurements of waves, currents, temperature, salinity and turbidity: April-October 2004

• USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5254
  Geologic Resource Evaluation of Pu‘ukoholā Heiau National Historic Site, Hawai‘i
  Part II -- Benthic habitat mapping

• USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5256
  Benthic habitats and offshore geological resources of Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park, Hawai‘i

• USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5258
  Geologic Resource Evaluation of Pu‘uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical Park, Hawai‘i
  Part II -- Benthic Habitat Mapping

• USGS Open File Report 2007-1310
  Submarine ground water discharge and fate along the coast of Kaloko-Honoko¯hau National Historical Park, Hawai‘i
  Part I -- Time-series measurements of currents, waves, salinity and temperature: November, 2005-July, 2006
  
  
• USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2008-5128
  Submarine ground water discharge and fate along the coast of Kaloko-Honoko¯hau National Historical Park, Island of Hawai‘i
  Part II -- Spatial and temporal variations in salinity, radium-isotope activity, and nutrient concentrations in coastal waters, December 2003-April 2006
  

Other selected works:

• Street, J.H., Knee, K.L., Grossman, E.E., and Paytan, A., 2008, Submarine groundwater discharge and nutrient addition to the coastal zone and coral reefs of leeward Hawai`i: Marine Chemistry, v. 109, p. 355-376.

| Ni‘ihau | Kaua'i | O‘ahu | Moloka‘i | Lāna‘i | Kaho‘olawe | Maui | Hawai‘i | Guam |

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