Interactions Between Environmental and Anthropogenic Stressors Affecting Coral Bleaching and Mortality in Kāneʻohe Bay, O‘ahu

Coral reefs are among the most biologically diverse and ecologically important ecosystems on Earth, yet they’re being increasingly threatened by both global climate change and local human activities. This literature review examines how environmental factors, like rising surface water temperatures and algae blooms, interact with anthropogenic factors, like tourism, to influence coral bleaching and mortality in Kāneʻohe Bay, O’ahu. Twenty five scientific articles and government datasets published between 2015 and 2026 were analyzed, along with historical records of surface water temperature, tourism trends and documented mass bleaching and algae bloom events.Overall, findings suggest that climate-related stressors remain the dominant factor that leads to coral mortality, though local and anthropogenic stressors greatly reduce reef health and resilience. Protecting coral reefs will require both global efforts to mitigate climate change and local management to reduce anthropogenic impacts.