USGS Pacific Coral Reefs Website

O‘ahu

Landsat satellite image from NASA

O‘ahu encompasses 1546 sq km (597 sq mi) and is the third largest in the chain. Also known as The Gathering Place, O‘ahu draws more visitors than any of the other Hawaiian Islands. The island was formed from joining of the Wai‘anae and Ko‘olau volcanoes. Coral reefs surround the island, although active live coral growth is limited to the leeward sides of the island or in sheltered areas on the windward coasts. Reef structures on the north shore help form the waves that draw surfers worldwide.

• Underwater video groundtruthing of SHOALS data for benthic habitat mapping

• Summary and preliminary interpretations of USGS cruise A-2-02-HW: Underwater video surveys collected off of Oahu, Moloka‘i, and Maui, Hawai‘i, June-July 2002, U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005-1244

Scientists from the USGS Hawai‘i Coral Reef Project are currently assisting the National Park Service (NPS) with documentation of underwater conditions around the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor. Of special concern is the fact that the hull of the USS Arizona is deteriorating and has the potential of releasing more than half a million gallons of fuel oil into the environment. By using the same instrumentation packages that we use to monitor oceanographic conditions on coral reefs, such as currents, waves, temperature and salinity, we can help the NPS get a handle on the physical dynamics surrounding the submerged hull. For more information on this off-shoot project click on the links below.

• USGS Researchers Collaborate with National Park Service Archeologists to Better Predict the Life Expectancy of the USS Arizona

• Dynamics of the Physical Environment at the USS Arizona Memorial: 2002 - 2004, USGS Open-File Report 2004-1353

• USS Arizona Memorial (National Park Service website)

• USS Arizona Preservation Project 2004 (National Park Service website)

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

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