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 A comprehensive literature review of published papers and books and unpublished reports was conducted to develop listings of previous species reports, and the marine invertebrates, fish, mollusk and algae collections at Bishop Museum were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

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.

The Pearl Harbor Biodiversity Project was funded by the Department of Defense Legacy Program, through the U. S. Navy. The project was performed in two phases. The purpose of the project was to document the history, cause, and extent of non-native species introductions in the freshwater streams and estuarine areas of Pearl Harbor. Phase I of the study was conducted from November 1995 through June 1997. Phase I involved investigations of the marine organisms of Pearl Harbor, with emphasis on detection of nonindigenous marine organisms that may have become established in the harbor over the past century. Fieldwork for the Phase II investigations commenced in November 1997 and ended in October 1998. Phase II studies investigated the estuarine and freshwater areas of the mouths of streams that enter the harbor's three main lochs. Data were taken at 16 stations. This dataset contains observations from Phase II (as an .mdb data base and as .csv and .xsl spreadsheets and .jpg images).