Pila'a reef on the north shore of Kaua'i, Hawai'i was subjected to a major flood event in 2001 that deposited extensive sediment on the reef flat, resulting in high coral mortality. To document potential recovery, this study replicated benthic and sediment surveys conducted immediately following the event and 15 years later. Coral cores were analyzed to determine coral growth rates and density. Our results suggest that significant reduction in terrigenous sediments has led to partial ecosystem recovery based on coral species and colony increases, more balanced size frequency distributions, improved coral condition, and enhanced coral recruitment despite lack of recovery of large dead coral colonies. However, within this 15-year period, episodic storms and a bleaching event impeded the recovery process, preventing full recovery and continuously threatening the coral reef community. As climate change progresses, the intensity and frequency of these disturbances are predicted to increase.

Nearshore fisheries in Hawai‘i have been steadily decreasing for over a century. Marine protected areas (MPAs) have been utilized as a method to both conserve biodiversity and enhance fisheries. The composition of resource fishes within and directly outside of the recently established Hā‘ena Community Based Subsistence Fishing Area (CBSFA) on the island of Kaua‘i were assessed to determine temporal and spatial patterns in assemblage structure. In situ visual surveys of fishes, invertebrates, and benthos were conducted using a stratified random sampling design to evaluate the efficacy of the MPA between 2016 and 2020. L₅₀ values—defined as the size at which half of the individuals in a population have reached reproductive maturity—were used as proxies for identifying reproductively mature resource fishes both inside and outside the CBSFA. Surveys between 2016 and 2020 did not indicate strong temporal or spatial changes in overall resource fish assemblage structure; however, some species-specific changes were evident. Although overall resource species diversity and richness were significantly higher by 2020 inside the MPA boundaries, there is currently no strong evidence for a reserve effect.