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.

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 A comprehensive literature review of published papers and books and unpublished reports was conducted to develop listings of previous species reports, and the marine invertebrates, fish, mollusk and algae collections at Bishop Museum were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. 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.

In September of 2000, the Northwest Hawaiian Islands Rapid Assessment and Monitoring Program (NOW-RAMP) Expedition surveyed French Frigate Shoals (FFS) and a number of the remaining Northwest Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). At FFS, marine surveys were conducted at 39 stations by three different Rapid Ecological Assessment teams from two separate research vessels, NOAA Ship Townsend Cromwell (11 -25 Sep 2000) and the Rapture (23- 27 Sep 2000). An additional study of the seawall at Tern Island was conducted in March 2002. A total of 618 marine invertebrate taxa were collected and identified, about 75% to specific level. Of the 622 taxa identified, 502 are considered new records for FFS and perhaps 10 to 20% of these may be new records for the Hawaiian Archipelago. Of these new records, as many as 50 species may be undescribed and so far known only from FFS. Most of material collected by NOW-RAMP from the NWHI remains to be examined, and therefore no conclusions can be drawn yet regarding the distribution of these species throughout the island chain. Two species considered to be nonindigenous, the hydroid Pennariadisticha, and the barnacle Ba/anus reticulatus, were found at FFS. A number of specimens of some taxonomic groups collected from FFS remain to be examined thoroughly by specialists, most notably the polychaetes, which will certainly increase the final species tally. Further study will also be required of the 150 taxa which could not be identified to species level at the time of this report.

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 invertebrates 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.