At a Fish Identification Network event at Kakekili Beach in Ka'anapali in October, "finnies" learned that what they were seeing in their fish counts was evidence of how fish diversity suffers when invasive algal species take the place of endemic species in a coral reef.
"The alien algae problem can be a symptom and a cause of reef degradation," explains Darla White, a marine biologist who works with community groups to develop volunteer monitoring protocols derived from Department of Aquatic Resources (DAR) data sets.
"An Herbivore Enhancement Area (HEA) is not going to work for every reef," she explains. The health of the reef differs from site to site for different reasons." However, in some areas, enhancing the herbivore population can curtail the growth of invasive algal and restore the health of the reef, she said.
Daily Archives: December 10th, 2007
State water commission will hold meetings in Maui County
Posted in Maui news
The state Commission on Water Resource Management will hold three meetings in Maui County this month as part of proposed revisions to the state Water Resources Protection Plan. Originally prepared in 1990, the updated plan draft takes into account new and better information such as hydrologic data and land-use changes. It also includes policies set by the commission and/or the Hawaii Supreme Court.