Herbivore enhancement as a tool for reef restoration
Jennifer Smith, PI

Recent effort has gone into developing potential management solutions to halt or even reverse the loss of coral at target locations in Kahekili, Maui. In the summer of 2009 the state of Hawaii declared Kahekili reef an herbivore fisheries management area (KHFMA) where all take of herbivorous fish and urchins is now prohibited. HCRI will fund Dr. Jennifer Smith to identify if herbivores will in fact be able to perform the ecological services that this management strategy was set up to achieve.