New coral reef maps released by NOAA reveal that the Big Island of Hawaii has the highest percentage of live coral of the main Hawaiian islands. The finding supports studies indicating that geologically young islands such as the Big Island generally have more live coral cover than older islands. "Live coral covers 57 percent, or 29 square miles, of the waters surrounding the Big Island of Hawaii," said an oceanographer with NOAA's Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment. "That is the most live coral coverage of any of the main Hawaiian islands."
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