Surveys of the marine algae, invertebrates and reef fishes of Waikiki and the Kuapa Pond and Maunalua Bay areas of Hawaii Kai were conducted with the objective of the presence and impact of nonindigenous (introduced) marine organisms. Findings were compared with historical records of species reported in these locations and with the results of similar studies conducted in Hawaii and the Pacific. Observations and collections were made at 15 stations at Waikiki in January 2001 and at five stations in Kuapa Pond-Maunalua Bay in February 2002 at 5 stations. A comprehensive literature review of published papers and books and unpublished reports was conducted to develop listings of previous species reports, and the marine invertebrates, fish, mollusk and algae collections at Bishop Museum were queried for information regarding all organisms that had been collected from these areas. The assembled data were developed into a relational data bases used to determine the percent component of the total biota that is nonindigenous or cryptogenic, the number of new reports versus the number of previous reports not found, and a chronology of first reports of introductions. A total of 925 taxa including 749 species were observed or collected in Waikiki, and 384 taxa including 317 species at Kuapa Pond-Maunalua Bay. Of these 52 species designated introduced or cryptogenic (collectively termed NIS) were identified at Waikiki, for an NIS component of 6.9% of the total species identified for the 15 stations. By comparison 58 NIS were observed or collected at Kuapa Pond-Maunalua Bay amounting to an NIS component of total species of 18%. Forty-six of the 52 NIS were new reports for Waikiki, and 56 of the 58 NIS new for Kuapa Pond- Maunalua Bay sites. However, all but three species, hydroids collected from Waikiki designated cryptogenic, were previously reported elsewhere in Hawaii, with first reports mostly in Pearl Harbor, Honolulu Harbor or Kaneohe Bay. The high incidence of first reports for Waikiki and the Hawaii Kai area in this study are clearly effort related, since these were the first comprehensive sampling efforts that have been conducted at these locations. This dataset includes the complete report from this study in PDF format and output from the relational database as .xls and .csv spreadsheet files.

The presence and impact of nonindigenous (introduced) marine organisms in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaiian Islands are evaluated using a combination of historical records and on-site surveys and findings are compared with the results of similar studies conducted in Hawaii and the Pacific. Observations and collections were made in November 1999 to January 2000 at 24 stations from variety of habitats and environments throughout the bay and from one site at Moku Manu Island outside the bay. A comprehensive literature review of published papers and books and unpublished reports was conducted to develop a listing of previous species reports, and the marine invertebrates, fish, mollusk and algae collections at Bishop Museum were queried for information regarding all organisms that had been collected from Kaneohe Bay. The assembled data were developed into a relational data base used to determine the 1999-2000 percent component of the total biota that was non indigenous or cryptogenic, the number of new reports for the bay versus the number of previous reports not found, and a chronology of first reports of introductions. The 1999-2000 surveys observed or collected a total of 786 taxa including 617 species, more than six times the number of taxa previously reported by any single survey of biota in the bay. Of these, 59% of the total taxa and 51% of the named species were new reports for Kaneohe Bay after consideration of nomenclatural name changes. However, only 24% of the total taxa previously reported for the bay were found by the present study. This may be due in part to misidentifications in previous studies, non-sampling of meiobiota and plankton by the present study, or actual disappearance of some species from the bay such as the introduced mollusk Haliotis sp. However, the results suggest that further sampling and observation would produce considerably more taxa and species. Historically, 204 nonindigenous or cryptogenic species (collectively termed NIS) have been reported in Kaneohe Bay since 1920, and 116 were found on the 1999-2000 surveys, the most that have been determined for any single study in the Hawaiian Islands or Johnston Atoll. In terms of the component of total identified species, NIS composed 18.8%, among the highest percentage components that has been found in Hawaii and second only to the 23% value that was determined for Pearl Harbor. Fifty-two of the NIS were new reports for the bay. However, all but 16 of the new bay reports had previously been reported in Hawaii, and those 16 are designated cryptogenic and subject to revision. This dataset includes the complete report from this study in PDF format and output from the relational database as spreadsheet files.

The presence and impact of nonindigenous (introduced) marine organisms in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaiian Islands are evaluated using a combination of historical records and on-site surveys. Findings are compared with the results of similar studies conducted in Hawaii and the Pacific. Observations and collections were made in November 1999 to January 2000 at 24 stations from variety of habitats and environments throughout the bay and from one site at Moku Manu Island outside the bay. A comprehensive literature review of published papers and books and unpublished reports was conducted to develop a listing of previous species reports, and the marine invertebrates, fish, mollusk and algae collections at Bishop Museum were queried for information regarding all organisms that had been collected from Kaneohe Bay. The assembled data were developed into a relational data base used to determine the 1999-2000 percent component of the total biota that was non indigenous or cryptogenic, the number of new reports for the bay versus the number of previous reports not found, and a chronology of first reports of introductions. Data are in .xls and .csv files with a complete included .pdf report.

Collections and observations in 2002-2003 at harbor and nearby reef sites at Nawilwili and Port Allen, Kauai; Hale O Lono and Kaunakakai, Molokai; Kahului and Maalaea, Maui; and Kawaihae and Hilo, Hawaii recorded a total of 1039 taxa of marine algae, invertebrates, and fishes, 872 of which were identified to the species level. Of these 11 were new reports for Hawaii and 112 were identified as introduced or cryptogenic species (NIS), for an overall NIS component of 10.9% of the total taxa recorded. Contrasting patterns were found between the distributions of the total identified taxa and NIS, with greater numbers of total taxa occurring at reef stations and greater numbers of NIS occurring in harbors, where they composed up to 36% of the total identified taxa. Occurrence and abundance of NIS decreased systematically from maxima in highly used commercial harbors which are isolated from oceanic circulation to relatively exposed small boat harbors to fully exposed reef sites. Only a few NIS that frequently occurred at harbor sites also occurred at reef sites. These results concur with previous studies in Hawaii and the tropical Pacific that have indicated NIS to show maximum numbers in harbors and embayments with restricted oceanic circulation and few introduced or cryptogenic species to occur on coral reefs or other ocean exposed environments.

A baseline survey of the marine biota of the island of Lanai was conducted in May 2005. This was first comprehensive study that has been made on this island for all components of its marine nearshore community. Samples and observations were taken at seven sites around the island, and all macroalgae, macroinvertebrates and fish species collected or observed were recorded. On-site observations without collections were made at two other sites. Identified species were designated as native, nonindigenous (introduced) or cryptogenic (neither demonstrably native nor introduced) according to criteria used for previous introduced species surveys in Hawaii. A total of 294 taxa were observed or identified from collected specimens, which included 16 introduced or cryptogenic species and three new reports for the Hawaiian Islands. The 16 introduced and cryptogenic species comprised 5.4% of the total identified taxa and included seven cnidarians, one polychaete, two pericards, one decapod, one bryozoan, two ascidians and three fish. By station, the introduced/cryptogenic component ranged 3 to 7 species and 3.8% to 6.8% of the total biota. The stations included two sites at or near Kaumalapau Harbor, Lanai's principal harbor for inter-island shipping. The percent component values are similar to those that have been determined on ocean-exposed reef areas elsewhere in the Hawaiian Islands but the harbor value is well below the values in other Hawaiian harbors that are more isolated from open ocean circulation than Kaumalapau Harbor. No invasive introduced algae and only two invasive introduced inverterbrates were found on the surveys. These were a single colony of the octocoral Carijoa riisei in the vicinity of Cathedrals between Manele Bay and Harbor, and a single stomatopod Gonodactylaceous falcatus at the site closest to Manele Harbor.

Two types of data sets generated by our project: species inventories and quantitative counts of key organisms. The species inventories are a compilation of data collected by Chela Zabin of the Department of Zoology of the University of Hawaii in 2001 and by Zabin with the assistance of Erin Baumgartner's 9th grade Marine Science class at the Education Laboratory School in 2003, 2004 and 2005, through a National Science Foundation Graduate Teaching Fellowship. Each site was visited only once each year: by 50 students in 2003 and by 25 students in 2004 and 2005.

Fish & Invertebrate surveys: At each permanent monitoring site (26 total), fishes and urchins are recorded on 4 fixed 25m transects. Each transect is surveyed by a team of two divers who collectively record fishes within, entering or passing across the belt transect dimensions of 25m*4m. Fishes are counted by means of two passes – mid-water and roving species are recorded on the outward swim; urchins and all other fish species are recorded in the return swim, during which divers swim more slowly carefully looking for smaller site-attached and semi cryptic organisms that make up the bulk of abundance at most sites. Divers swim in parallel, each recording fishes and urchins within one half of the transect; an area of 25m*2m. Collectively the transect area is 100 m2. Divers take care not to count fishes moving across the transect line from the other diver’s portion of the transect. Benthic surveys: Benthic cover is assessed at all monitoring sites, typically during the spring every three years (or annually following an anticipated substantial change in benthic cover). Benthic images (0.30 m2) are taken at each meter along four 25 m transects at each site. Benthic taxa located below 20 stratified random points in each image are identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level using Coral Point Count with Excel extensions (CPCe) software during the years 2003-2017, and using CoralNet in 2020. Relative change in benthic cover by category is calculated for each transect, then averaged by site. Coral bleaching/ health surveys: In response to extensive coral bleaching in West Hawaii during the spring/summer of 2015, coral bleaching/ health surveys were conducted at 8 permanent monitoring sites from 9 October to 13 November 2015 using methods described in Couch et al. 2014. Three 10 m2 belt transects were surveyed per site, and all coral colonies (≥ 5cm diameter) within each belt were scored for bleaching/health condition and severity. During surveys, a progression of algal turf presence on bleached coral colonies was also scored (TF). The severity of each condition and algal turf presence was scored based on the percent of the colony affected. Additional coral bleaching/ health surveys will be conducted as needed.

Fish & Invertebrate surveys: At each permanent monitoring site (26 total), fishes and urchins are recorded on 4 fixed 25m transects. Each transect is surveyed by a team of two divers who collectively record fishes within, entering or passing across the belt transect dimensions of 25m*4m. Fishes are counted by means of two passes – mid-water and roving species are recorded on the outward swim; urchins and all other fish species are recorded in the return swim, during which divers swim more slowly carefully looking for smaller site-attached and semi cryptic organisms that make up the bulk of abundance at most sites. Divers swim in parallel, each recording fishes and urchins within one half of the transect; an area of 25m*2m. Collectively the transect area is 100 m2. Divers take care not to count fishes moving across the transect line from the other diver’s portion of the transect. Benthic surveys: Benthic cover is assessed at all monitoring sites, typically during the spring every three years (or annually following an anticipated substantial change in benthic cover). Benthic images (0.30 m2) are taken at each meter along four 25 m transects at each site. Benthic taxa located below 20 stratified random points in each image are identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level using Coral Point Count with Excel extensions (CPCe) software during the years 2003-2017, and using CoralNet in 2020. Relative change in benthic cover by category is calculated for each transect, then averaged by site. Coral bleaching/ health surveys: In response to extensive coral bleaching in West Hawaii during the spring/summer of 2015, coral bleaching/ health surveys were conducted at 8 permanent monitoring sites from 9 October to 13 November 2015 using methods described in Couch et al. 2014. Three 10 m2 belt transects were surveyed per site, and all coral colonies (≥ 5cm diameter) within each belt were scored for bleaching/health condition and severity. During surveys, a progression of algal turf presence on bleached coral colonies was also scored (TF). The severity of each condition and algal turf presence was scored based on the percent of the colony affected. Additional coral bleaching/ health surveys will be conducted as needed.

Coral reefs on the islands of Kauai, Molokai, Maui, Hawaii and Oahu were surveyed for the presence and impact of marine nonindigenous and cryptogenic species (NIS) using a rapid assessment method that standardized search effort for approximately 312 m2 at each site. A total of 41 sites were surveyed by three investigators for a total of approximately 120 hours search time on the five islands. Algae, invertebrate, and fish taxa were identified on site or returned to laboratory for identity confirmation. Only 26 NIS, comprised of three species of algae, 19 invertebrates, and four fishes were recorded from a total of 486 total taxa on the entire study, and 17 of the NIS occurred at only one or two sites. The most NIS that occurred at any site was six, and 21 of the sites had less than three. If the three species of fish that were introduced in the 1950s and known to occur throughout Hawaii are excluded, over half the sites had less than two NIS.