Emergency restoration efforts began on corals in Kāneʻohe Bay that were damaged by a Navy plane that overshot a runway last month.
The nearly 70-ton P-8A Poseidon aircraft went into the water and ended up resting on top of the reef. Video showed tires on the coral as tiny fish swam through rock crevices.
Booms deployed to contain any leaking fuel were anchored to coral, resulting in additional damage.
A total of 180 coral colonies have been uprighted by divers, which gives them a chance to survive.
Department of Land and Natural Resources biologist Kim Fuller is leading the state dive team and said if the corals had remained overturned, they likely would have died.
Field assessments included the documentation of the size and species of each coral that was uprighted to track recovery progress.
Further analysis will continue in the coming weeks to outline the main impact footprint from data already gathered.
There were no injuries to the nine people who were on board when the plane landed Nov. 20 in shallow water just offshore of Marine Corps Base Hawaiʻi at Kāneʻohe Bay. The base is about 10 miles from Honolulu.
Kāneʻohe Bay is home to coral reefs, an ancient Hawaiian fishpond and a breeding ground for hammerhead sharks.
