Due to the geographic isolation of the Hawaiian Islands, close to 25% of Hawaii's reef fishes and red algae species are endemic. This leaves Hawaiian coral reefs particularly vulnerable to alien invasions due to their valuable role as a biodiversity resource. Invasive algae can pose a serious threat to coral reefs by spreading and growing rapidly, smothering or outcompeting corals and other organisms. This can significantly alter the structure and function of the reef ecosystem. Four species of alien red algae have become invasive in Hawaii: prickly seaweed (Acanthophora spicifera), hookweed (Hypnea musciformis), smothering seaweed (Kappaphycus spp.), and gorilla ogo (Gracilaria salicornia). This raster data layer represents the presence of alien and invasive algal species within 1 km of an observation. Invasive algae data originated from monitoring surveys in the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UH) Fisheries Ecology Research Laboratory (FERL) Hawaii Fish and Benthic Biological Synthesis Database (2000-2013), which is synthesized from NOAA, State of Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR), Coral Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (CRAMP), and The Nature Conservancy (TNC), as well as invasive algae surveys conducted across the state in 2002 by Dr. Jennifer Smith (Smith et al., 2002). These data should be considered presence only. Areas with no presence may be due to lack of survey data, surveys that did not identify algae to the species level, or observed absence. Point data for transects with observed presence of any invasive algae were assigned a value of 1 and converted to raster with 500-m pixel size. To account for uncertainty in geographic position and the fragmentation and spread of algae, the Ocean Tipping Points (OTP) project estimated presence within a 1-km radius of observed invasive algae presence. A Focal Statistics tool was run to calculate the maximum value within a 1-km radius of each pixel with the assumption that if an invasive algae was observed in one location it is likely present in at least the surrounding 1 km of reef area. Final raster values of 1 represent areas within 1 km of positive invasive algae observations while values of 0 represent the remaining area. The geographic extent of the data layer is from the shoreline of the Main Hawaiian Islands extending 5 km offshore and 1 km inshore.

Surveys for adult invertebrates that were part of the hull fouling communities were done to determine to what extent marine alien invasive species (AIS) are being transported in this fashion. The focus was to perform a qualitative analysis that created a species inventory. The organisms that generally foul vessel hulls are the typical species found in natural marine intertidal and subtidal fouling communities. These organisms are usually associated with one of the following groups: porifera (sponges), coelenterata (hydroids, corals and anemones), mollusca (mussels, clams, and sea slugs), annelida (marine worms), arthropoda (barnacles, amphipods, and crabs), bryozoa (moss animals), chordata (sea squirts and fish), as well as macroalgae (seaweed). Through collaboration with state and private industry representatives, arrivals notification for various vessel types was received. This arrivals information was used to schedule field survey activities throughout the study. Field work occurred in 2003 at harbors of southern and southwestern coasts of Oahu, Hawaii.

This raster data layer represents the presence of alien and invasive reef fish species within 2 km of an observation, including roi or bluespotted grouper (Cephalopholis argus), ta'ape or bluestripe snapper (Lutjanus kasmira), and to'au or blacktail snapper (Lutjanus fulvus). Original data were queried from the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UH) Fisheries Ecology Research Laboratory (FERL) Hawaii Fish and Benthic Biological Synthesis Database (2000-2013), which is synthesized from NOAA, State of Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR), Coral Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (CRAMP), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and other surveys conducted across the Main Hawaiian Islands. These data should be considered presence only. Areas with no presence may be due to lack of survey data or observed absence. Raster values of 1 represent areas within 2 km of positive invasive fish observations while values of 0 represent the remaining area. The cell size is 500 m and the area of interest is from the shoreline of the Main Hawaiian Islands extending 5 km offshore and 1 km inshore.

The marine algae, invertebrate and fish communities were surveyed at ten islet or offshore island sites in the Main Hawaiian Islands in the vicinity of Lanai, (Puu Pehe and Poo Poo Islets), Maui (Kaemi and Hulu Islets and the outer rim of Molokini), off Kaulapapa National Historic Park on Molokai (Mokapu, Okala and Namoku Islets) and Oahu (Kaohikaipu Islet and outside Kapapa Island) in 2007. Survey protocol at all sites consisted of an initial reconnaissance survey on which all algae, invertebrates and fishes that could be identified on site were listed and or photographed and collections of algae and invertebrates were collected for later laboratory identification. Following the reconnaissance surveys, quantitative estimates of coral and algal coverage and size and biomass of fishes along 25 m transects were conducted at each site and their locations were recorded using GPS.

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.

The marine algae, invertebrate and fish communities were surveyed at ten islet or offshore island sites in the Main Hawaiian Islands in the vicinity of Lanai, (Puu Pehe and Poo Poo Islets), Maui (Kaemi and Hulu Islets and the outer rim of Molokini), off Kaulapapa National Historic Park on Molokai (Mokapu, Okala and Namoku Islets) and Oahu (Kaohikaipu Islet and outside Kapapa Island) in 2007. Survey protocol at all sites consisted of an initial reconnaissance survey on which all algae, invertebrates and fishes that could be identified on site were listed and or photographed and collections of algae and invertebrates were collected for later laboratory identification. Following the reconnaissance surveys, quantitative estimates of coral and algal coverage and size and biomass of fishes along 25 m transects were conducted at each site and their locations were recorded using GPS. The original data are primarily provided as MS Excel spreadsheets with associated reports as .doc and .pdf files. Supplementary data is provided as .dbf files to use in a GIS. Associated data, primarily .jpg image data files, are filed under NCEI Accession 0043046.

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.

Twelve quadrats were sampled along 2 consecutively-placed, 25m transect lines as part of Rapid Ecological Assessments conducted at 10 sites at Oahu in the Main Hawaiian Islands in July 2005 from the NOAA vessel Hi'ialakai (HI05-05). Raw survey data included genus presence and relative abundance, and voucher specimens. Detailed taxonomic analyses of voucher specimens are presented.

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.