Check out this article on coral species not previously seen in the main Hawaiian islands being observed for the first time earlier this year off Kona. This coral species is common in the Red Sea, Australia, the Indo-Pacific, and the central and western Pacific; and, has been only previously spotted at other Pacific Islands hundreds of miles away from Kona. A theory is that the coral was transported on currents from Johnson Atoll, 900 miles away.

If you spot this coral anywhere in Hawaii, the Hawaii Department of Aquatic Resources asks that you document it and report to their office in Kona.

Read the full news article here from West Hawaii Today.

Acropora gemmifera, a species of coral new to the main Hawaiian Islands. — Photo courtesy of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources

30 January 2014