Baseline surveys were conducted at numerous sites around each island, including those identified as "hotspots" by the Department of Aquatic Resources, around the islands of Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, Oahu and Kauai. A total of 72 sites with 13 in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu alone. Alien and/or invasive algal abundance were ranked on a scale of 0 to 10 (0=0% cover, 10=100% cover) and includes habitat type (e.g., sand, lava bench, coral, rock, artificial substrate) and pertinent environmental correlates (e.g., depth, proximity to shore) at each site where invasive species are encountered. Sites where alien species presence have been documented in the past were resurveyed.

Data in this set come from two studies: "Ability of protected reefs to resist alien algae" and "How many fish does it take to keep the alien algae out?" Both are authored by Ms. Danielle Jayewardene and Dr. Charles Birkeland of University of Hawaii Manoa, in 2005 and 2006, respectively. For the former, the goal was to objectively and quantitatively assess the ability of marine protected areas (MPAs), to maintain ecosystem health, and to thereby resist invasion of alien algae. For the latter, specific objectives involved a) determining whether there are differences in cropping ability by larger herbivorous fishes compared to smaller herbivorous fishes, and b) whether there is a threshold level of algal biomass above which even an increased number of herbivorous fishes simply cannot crop down. The field work took place at eight coral reef sites located on the island of Oahu and the island of Hawaii.

This data set was centralized for the Marine Gap Analysis Project of the Hawaii Natural Heritage Program. It was obtained from various principle investigators for a multitude of projects. It includes surveys from 183 locations on the eight main Hawaiian Islands. The data were placed in a relational database.

The purpose of this study was to determine Mycale armata's distribution, abundance throughout the bay, its growth rates on permanent quadrats, and whether mechanical removal would be an effective management technique for its control. The study utilized both quadrat surveys and manta tow boards for data collection. Data files are in Excel, PDF, MS Word, and JPEG image formats.

In situ observations of the introduced predatory grouper roi (Cephalopholis argus) were taken within the coral reef ecosystem of Puako, northwest side of the Island of Hawaii in 2010-2011. Baseline surveys before roi removal were made in November 2010 and March 2011. After roi removal, a final survey was made in June 2011. A total of 47 transects were surveyed at control, reference, and treatment sites. Observations were made by experienced marine biologists using SCUBA at a depth range of 10-20 m. Tow board and standard visual belt transects were employed.

A survey of the marine macroalgae and invertebrates in the intertidal and subtidal zones was conducted at seven sites around Kaho'olawe Island from January 12 to 14, 1998. A total of 298 species were observed or collected, including 152 taxa in the intertidal and 193 in the subtidal. Most of these are new reports for Kaho'olawe and include only 35 species previously reported, which were mostly reef corals and macroalgae. Data are provided as derived from the report: 1998-002. Coles, S.L., R.C. DeFelice, J.E. Smith, D. Muir & L.G. Eldredge. 1998. Determination of baseline conditions for introduced marine species in nearshore waters of the of Kaho`olawe, Hawai`i. Report prepared for the Kaho`olawe Island Reserve Commission. 13 + [22] p. http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/pdf/kahoolawe.pdf

Despite the potential importance of Honolulu Harbor or other commercial harbors on Oahu as potential gateways for nonindigenous marine species to enter the Hawaiian marine ecosystem, no studies have previously been conducted of introduced species in Hawaiian commercial harbors, and little information is available for the composition of the marine communities for these harbors. Therefore, we conducted surveys in Honolulu Harbor and Keehi Lagoon in 1997, and in Kewalo Basin, the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor and the Barbers Point Deep Draft Harbor in 1998. The results of this study are reported herein and the presence and impact of nonindigenous marine introductions in these harbors are evaluated. This report includes an extensive bibliography of related work in these harbors, historical maps, a chronology of important events in these harbors, and the field data.

The Orange Keyhole Sponge, Mycale armata Thiele, was unknown in Hawaii prior to 1996. First reported in Pearl Harbor, it now occurs in virtually every commercial harbor in the main Hawaiian islands, where it can be a major component of the fouling community on harbor piers and jetties. It has been reported from a few coral reef locations near harbors, but in Kaneohe Bay it has become a major component of the benthic biota in the south bay in the last 5-10 years. A study was conducted in 2004-2005 to determine Mycale armata's distribution, abundance throughout the bay, its growth rates on permanent quadrats, and whether mechanical removal would be an effective management technique for its control. Results from 190 manta board surveys on 28 reefs and paired 25 m belt transects using photo quadrats on 19 reefs indicated that the sponge had maximal coverage in the south-central part of the bay, in the vicinity of Coconut Island.

Towed-diver surveys (aka. Towboard surveys) are conducted by the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED) of the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) as part of biennial Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP) Cruises. These cruises support NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) long-term goals for sustainable management and conservation of coral reef ecosystems. 3 towboard surveys (6.2773 km in length), were conducted at Oahu Island in the Main Hawaiian Islands from July 27 - August 20 2006 as part of RAMP Cruise HI0610. Towboard surveys are a good method for obtaining a general description of large reef areas, assessing the status of low-density populations of large-bodied reef fish, large-scale disturbances (e.g., bleaching), general distribution and abundance patterns of macro-invertebrates (e.g., COT, giant clams), and for assessing trends in these populations and metrics. A pair of scuba divers (1 fish and 1 benthic diver) are towed 60 m behind a small survey launch at a speed of 1-2 knots and a depth of approximately 15m. Each survey is 50 min long, covers about 2 km of habitat, and is divided into ten 5-minute survey segments. The fish diver records, to the lowest possible taxon, all large-bodied reef fishes (>50cmTL) seen within 5m either side and 10m in front of the towboard. Length of each individual is estimated to the nearest cm. The fish towboard is also outfitted with a forward-facing digital video camera to record the survey swath. The benthic diver records percent cover of coral and macroalgae, estimates benthic habitat type and complexity, and censuses a suite of benthic macroinvertebrates including Crown of Thorns sea stars and sea urchins. The benthic towboard is equipped with a downward-facing digital still camera which images the benthos at 15 second intervals. These images are analyzed for percent cover of coral, algae, and other benthic components. Both towboards are equipped with SEABIRD SBE-39 temperature/depth sensors set to record at 5 second intervals. Latitude and longitude of each survey track is recorded at 15 second intervals using a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver onboard the tow boat. A layback algorithm is applied to more accurately map the position of the divers with respect to the reef environment. This algorithm calculates the position of the divers based on the position of the tow boat taking into account the length of the tow rope, the depth of the divers, and the curvature of the survey track. This metadata applies to the fish biomass observations.