How ironic that, in an island state totally dependent on coral reefs to protect our pristine shorelines from wave erosion, the legislature should be so short sighted and numb as to reject funding for this important study.  Unfortunately, through the 'ainokea and do-nothing approach, trademarks of an uneducated attitude, we will ultimately come to know how important coral reefs are to the health of the ecosystem here in Hawaii, but by then it will be too late to do anything about it.