Hawaii Magazine Kahaluʻu Beach Park in Kona Closed for Coral Spawning From May 28 to June 5, the popular bay on Hawaiʻi Island will be closed to help the vulnerable cauliflower coral. May 18, 2021 Cauliflower coral ( Pocillopora meandrina)—called koʻa in Hawaiian— is a surge-tolerant species of reef-building coral that you often find in exposed shorelines around the Islands. As its name indicates, this coral resembles the cruciferous vegetable, with a dense skeleton, sturdy branches and symmetrical head formation. It protects Hawaiʻi’s shorelines and provides habitat for fish and crabs. Early Hawaiians used koʻa like sand paper to file or sand wood objects.