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Embattled Olympic Judging Tower In Tahiti Draws Condemnation From Scientists
After a construction barge collided with a coral reef at Teahupo’o in Tahiti, site of the Paris 2024 Olympic surfing event, earlier this week, at team of scientists in Hawaii have come forward to call for the halt of any new judging platform on the reef at Teahupo’o. Drs. Haunani Kane, Cliff Kapono and John Burns from the MEGA Lab in Hawaii point to a recent study that illustrates the adverse impact that development could have on the reef ecosystem.
“We hope the International Olympic Committee, appropriate government officials and the greater international community can see how devastating this impact will be to not only the valuable coral reef habitat, but also the local community who depend on this reef for their livelihood and well being,” reads a statement from the group.
A view of Teahupo'o from above.
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“The structure is proposed to be built directly on a lagoon reef ecosystem, less than 500 meters offshore from land. We used 3D photogrammetry techniques to create high resolution maps of the reef habitat at the current judging tower location and the lagoon area where the reef will be dredged to transport the tower materials,” they explain.
The study indicated that in the 3,500 square feet that the development would impact there are over 1,000 corals from 20 different species.
“Based on US valuations used by the Hawaii Division of Aquatic resources, our preliminary data show the value of just the corals and algae at this small portion of the reef is estimated to be worth at least $170,000,” the group reports.
“The dredging for the barge path and tower construction can potentially impact 2,500 square meters of the reef and it is still unknown how fringe damages may affect the surrounding reef ecosystem. If this were to occur, it could cause a direct financial impact of at least $1,300,000 by damaging the live reef habitat,” they continue.
The science team from the MEGA Lab have submitted their research for peer review and publication.
