Off the News: More federal help for coral reefs?

When healthy, Hawaii’s coral reefs support a thriving underwater ecosystem. They also serve as a coastal safeguard, providing natural flood protection. It’s worrisome, but not surprising, that in a new federal report Oahu coral ranks as “impaired.” The first-ever baseline snapshot of coral health on a national scale warns that climate change and warming oceans continue to stand as extinction threats.

It’s encouraging that in an effort to reverse course, Hawaii’s U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, along with Florida’s Sen. Marco Rubio, have introduced a bill that increases federal funding for corals by nearly $10 million, bringing the total to $35 million over five years.