Dive into... The Living Reef! The Conservancy's The Living Reef will introduce you to the incredible world of Hawaii's coral reefs.  Click here to download The Living Reef booklet now! (20 pages, 4.61MB) Islands of Sustainability Conservancy of Hawai'i marine and outreach program staff (Emily Fielding, Eric Co and Pauline Sato pictured above) recently journeyed to Palau on the Polynesian voyaging canoe Hokule'a to learn ocean conservation lessons from Palau's pristine, protected coral reefs. Click here to follow their journey... Global Marine Initiative The Conservancy's Global Marine Initiative creates and catalyzes innovative strategies to protect the diversity of life on Earth.

Hawaii's coral reefs and nearshore waters are home to more than 7,000 forms of marine life, a quarter of them found nowhere else on Earth. Hawaii’s reefs contribute more than $360 million annually to the state’s economy – that’s $1 million a day.

These reefs are truly a global ocean treasure. Hawai'i has...

• More unique marine species than any place of its size in the tropics
• One of the last large-scale marine wilderness areas on the planet
• Over 300,000 acres of nearshore coral reef

The Nature Conservancy launched its Hawai‘i Marine Program in 2002 to help preserve the Islands’ remarkable marine diversity. The Conservancy’s efforts are focused on restoring the health of our magnificent coral reefs and the unique species that depend on them for their survival.

A Resource at Risk

Despite their biological, economic, and cultural importance, Hawaii’s marine ecosystems continue to be severely degraded by human activity. With a resident population of 1.3 million and 7 million visitors arriving annually – the majority of whom engage in ocean-related activities – Hawaii’s reefs are strained beyond capacity.

The reality is that our ocean faces serious threats, most caused by humans, that have upset the delicate balance of life beneath the waves. Overfishing, the use of indiscriminate fishing practices such as lay gill nets, pollution, runoff, inappropriate recreational use, and the introduction and spread of invasive alien species all jeopardize the health of our reefs.

The good news is that reefs are resilient – if we act in time, we can restore them.

What The Conservancy Is Doing

We are working in collaboration with others to rescue Hawaii's coral reefs – our rainforests of the ocean – from further degradation. Major ongoing  efforts include:

• Community-based partnerships and programs
• Invasive species removal
• Fair Catch responsible fishing campaign

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): © B. Becker (Hawaiian monk seal and pup); © Claudia Christman (Hawaiian green sea turtle, black and yellow tang); © Pauline Sato/TNC (Emily Fielding, Eric Co and Pauline Sato in Palau).