Protecting Hawai'i's ecosystems — our reefs in particular — is crucial on multiple levels. Vibrant reefs serve as the bedrock for a healthy ocean; they are habitats for hundreds of species, many of which are only found here in our island waters. Our reefs provide sustenance and sustain valuable elements of our culture. They are also vital to our economy, generating about $800 million a year through ocean recreation, tourism and other commercial marine activities.

Scientists and ecologists have been sending warning signals about reef degradation for years. And as Advertiser writer Rob Perez reports in Sunday's paper, decades of overfishing, recreational overuse, pollutants and the introduction of invasive species have imposed an intolerable toll.

While our geographic isolation has protected our reefs to some degree, a study of coral spanning 10 years shows alarming declines of nearly 80 percent in some cases. This is underscored by reports of undersea ghost lands, in areas that once teemed with sea life.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources has grappled with the issue for years. Indeed, any changes in fishing or ocean recreation regulations often inspire waves of heated debate. Fractured interests and intractable positions have resulted in piecemeal and half-measure approaches, a disservice to all concerned.

It's time to move past that.

It's a given that protecting our reefs and ocean resources is in everyone's best interest — from residents, to recreational users to commercial industry to conservationists. Each stakeholder has a responsibility to make that happen. Decimated reefs are not the prized legacy anyone wants to leave future generations.

Sensible ocean resource management must work in tandem with prudent land use policies. Runoff, sediment and other pollutants are all affected by land-based management practices. State and city development rules must reflect that priority to a greater degree.

Smart partnerships between both private and public-sector landowners will be important to that goal. For instance, the DLNR's Forestry division's watershed partnerships with the state's key landowners, which focus on upland watershed areas and removing invasive species and reforesting, should be done in close coordination with its Aquatics division. Improved coordination and partnerships ensure we move forward together and efficiently.

DLNR Director Laura Thielen said the agency would re-examine its fish-size limits and ocean recreation standards. That's a good start.

But the state should also look at creating "no-take" zones for certain time periods or species, to augment existing ocean management policies. The success story on the Kona Coast involving yellow tang shows how this can work. Collaborative efforts there in the 1980s yielded an agreement to periodically set aside portions of the ocean as "no-take" zones, which resulted in the doubling of the fish population and the total catch.

A ban on gill lay nets, a practice that pulls far more from the sea than necessary, should be imposed. Current restrictions have proved unenforceable. Because the nets are relatively inexpensive, too many have been left abandoned.

Additionally, it's time to infuse cultural subsistence practices into our rules and regulations. These cultural practices of the past were centered not only on sustenance, but also on perpetuating species and sea life to ensure future sustainability. Not harvesting during spawning season is one example. Encouragingly, it's something Thielen supports.

As Thielen says, "Reefs are invisible, but they are the basis of our ecosystem. They've taken hundreds of thousands of years to form; when they're gone, we're not going to able to replace them."

She's right.

So it's imperative that all stakeholders work together now to protect our reefs and bring those that are damaged back from the brink. That would be a priceless legacy for future generations we all can be proud of.