Hawaiʻi Emergency Reef Restoration Network Mobilizes for Hurricane Season and a Severe El Niño

Forecasts for a potentially severe El Niño cycle and a severe hurricane season this year highlight the critical role of the Hawaiʻi Emergency Reef Restoration (HERR) Network in responding to widespread coral damage. Through the HERR Network, multiple agencies and organizations stand ready to implement a coordinated statewide emergency response.  

With elevated ocean temperatures, increased coral bleaching risk and more extreme weather the need for rapid, organized reef response has never been more urgent. Acting quickly—within weeks of impact —is essential to save damaged corals and catalyze reef recovery.  

Hawaiʻi made national headlines in 2022 when The Nature Conservancy purchased the first coral reef insurance policy in the United States, designed to provide rapid funding for reef repair following hurricanes or severe tropical storms. The policy has been renewed annually since its launch and has helped catalyze new cross‑sector partnerships and preparedness efforts across the state. The formation of the HERR Network was one of its most important outcomes.   

“The reef insurance policy was an essential first step, but the real breakthrough was how it brought partners together,” said Julia Rose, TNC's Coral Restoration Program Manager in Hawaiʻi and Palmyra. “The HERR Network has transformed what emergency reef response looks like in Hawaiʻi—creating a coalition that is able to respond rapidly in times of crisis.”   

The insurance policy covers only tropical cyclone‑related damage, but reef destruction in Hawaiʻi occurs in many other ways—including powerful winter swells, vessel groundings and severe storms.  

This year’s back‑to‑back Kona Low storms caused significant coral breakage and sedimentation across multiple islands. In response, HERR Network members conducted rapid assessments and hands‑on restoration on Maui and Oʻahu, reattaching broken corals, removing debris and stabilizing reef structures to prevent further loss. These actions are vital to stabilize impacted areas, reduce further loss and support the recovery of reefs and the benefits they provide to communities.  

Because the Kona Lows are not tropical cyclones, these efforts were not eligible for insurance payouts—highlighting a growing gap between the threats reefs face and the funding available to repair them. 

The HERR Network has developed statewide guidance, trained island‑based teams, and demonstrated its effectiveness in real‑world emergencies. As reefs face increasing impacts from warming oceans and more intense disturbances, this coordination and preparedness positions Hawaiʻi as a global leader in proactive reef protection. 

The HERR Network members include nonprofits, universities, businesses, and state and federal agencies. It is now seeking new funding mechanisms—public, private, philanthropic or blended—to ensure that reef restoration can continue regardless of the cause of damage.   

“Our reefs protect our shorelines, feed our families and sustain our cultural traditions and our economy,” Rose said. “We have the people, the training and the partnerships. What we need now is reliable funding so we can respond whenever reefs are harmed—especially as we prepare for what could be one of the most challenging climate years yet.”