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A DECADE OF URCHIN ACTIVITY IN KĀNEʻOHE BAY LEADS TO SEAWEED-FREE CORALS 

600,000 Urchins in the Bay by End of 2020 

(Honolulu) – From the outside, the State’s urchin hatchery at the Anuenue Fisheries Research Center on Sand Island, is non-descript…maybe even a bit decrepit. However, inside this sprawling building is evidence of what is arguably the most successful effort ever to control marine invasive species in Hawai‘i. Dozens of large tanks hold millions and millions of collector urchins. Their ultimate destiny and destination are the more than 50 unique patch reefs in Kāneʻohe Bay where these tiny “goats” will feed day-in and day-out on smothering, invasive seaweed. 

For the past ten years, you could say the staff here has operated an “urchin urgent care facility.” In reality there is nothing urgent about what happens here. Instead it is a well-refined, science-based, tried, and true process of raising native collector urchins and preparing them for graduation to the bay. 

During a recent visit, David Cohen, the guy who has led the urchin hatchery from the outset in late 2009, walks through the process of raising urchins as an effective biocontrol against two species of introduced algae or seaweed in the bay. “Twenty or thirty years ago,” Cohen explains, “many of the bay’s patch reefs were completely smothered; in some case’s in up to, one-to-two feet of invasive seaweed. This cuts off light to the corals and ultimately kills them.” 

Parent urchins are collected from the wild and brought into the hatchery to spawn. All it takes is a little agitation to enable the hatchery team to collect eggs and sperm. From there it’s onto the larval room where eggs and sperm are mixed with gametes and within 24-hours, large, vertical tanks are filled with millions of free-swimming larvae. 

Cohen said, “We look for the healthiest to grow in the larval tanks. At any given time, we have as many as 14-15 million urchins in the hatchery in various life stages, including 20,000-60,000 young urchins, growing and getting ready for out-planting.” After about 26 days growing from larvae to urchin, they are moved into open water horizontal tanks, lining the vast interior of the hatchery. Ultimately, from these tanks, they will be trucked to a boat for placement on patch reefs to begin their work. 

On Thursday, staff with the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR), Alien Invasive Species (AIS) team, loaded 1,400 urchins onto their boat and headed out to the reef. Using boogie boards to support trays of fully-grown urchins, they hand place them onto the reef, which in this case was showing evidence of more than 5% cover of seaweed. Wesley Dukes, DAR’s Coral Habitat Monitoring Coordinator said, “We’ve had great success, where the majority of reefs in the bay, at this point-in-time, have algae levels that are below our 5% target. The urchins act like little goats, as they graze down the seaweed.” 

The AIS team regularly monitors all the patch reefs in Kāneʻohe Bay and whenever one exceeds more than five percent seaweed cover, they respond quickly with another load of collector urchins. Their work has now expanded into the Waikiki Marine Life Conservation District (MLCD), which also has long suffered from an invasion of alien seaweed. 

Cohen added, “This has been very gratifying over the years. What we are doing is developing biological tools for environmental mitigation and restoration. The urchins have proven to be key tools for this work in a marine environment and are instrumental in helping save near-shore reefs that are in trouble.” 

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Read more http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/08/03/nr20-111/

(Honolulu) – A dozen rookies will now join the ranks of DLNR Conservation Resource Officers, following the first-ever Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) lateral law enforcement academy. This means the newly commissioned recruits did not have any previous law enforcement experience. Now, having completed six months of classroom training, the ten men and two women will spend the next four months in field training. 

The academy was the brainchild of former DOCARE Chief Robert Farrell, who told the graduates via Zoom today, that he “planted the seed and current agency leadership brought it to harvest.” The virtual remarks from Farrell and several others marked another first, as did the steps taken to provide physical distancing and the wearing of masks. The new officer’s families were also able to view the ceremony remotely. 

DLNR Chair Suzanne Case said in remarks to the graduating class, “I call on you to summon within yourself and to hold always the values which will carry you forward day in and day out.” 

DOCARE Chief Jason Redulla reminded the graduates of the virtues of courtesy and respect for the public, adding, “Today these virtues are part of what you have become.” 

The intensive training academy covered every aspect of law enforcement and was a collaborate effort between numerous community partners including Honolulu Community College (HCC). HCC Dean Keala Chock said, “I’m extremely proud of the joint efforts between DLNR/DOCARE, HCC, and a number of agencies that helped make this training academy successful.” 

Prior to the commissioning of the new officers, their class leader returned the guidon (an embossed flag) to DOCARE Lt. Carlton Helm. This is a long-time military and law enforcement tradition. Case and Redulla then presented the newly sworn officers with a certificate and their badges. 

Three officers will be assigned to branches on O‘ahu and Hawai‘i Island. Four will be assigned to the Maui DOCARE Branch, and two to Kaua‘i. DOCARE officers are responsible for the enforcement of all State natural  and cultural resources laws and rules. 

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Read more http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/07/31/nr20-110/

NON-NATIVE CORALS REMOVED FROM KĀNEʻOHE BAY 

Will be Displayed Behind Glass at the Waikīkī Aquarium 

Today, a team from the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR), with support from numerous community and partner organizations, began the task of carefully extracting non-native coral species from patch reefs in O‘ahu’s Kāneʻohe Bay. They loaded coral into plastic bags and then onto a barge for transport to shore. 

The DAR Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Program received the first report of a non-native coral on May 13 from Hiʻilei Kawelo, the Executive Director of Paepae o Heʻeia. She was out with her father, ­­­Gabby Kawelo, who had first observed the unusual corals in 2018. The Kawelo ʻohana is a Native Hawaiian family of skilled watermen who have deep generational knowledge of the aquatic life in the bay. Hiʻilei said, “They didn’t look like anything, anyone in my family has ever seen before, and we’ve been diving regularly in the bay for generations. My sister Kapua and I reached out to members of the scientific community and to natural resource managers. Pictures were circulated to experts familiar with Hawaiian corals, and none of them identified the species observed as native species.”  

The AIS team lead, aquatic biologist Kim Fuller explained, “Our team is responsible for rapidly responding to new reports of non-native aquatic species and assessing next steps for management. Non-native species have the potential to become invasive and negatively impact our native ecosystems, the economy and human well-being. It is necessary to respond to non-native species reports in a timely manner before they have time to establish and spread.” 

The more widespread and established a non-native species becomes, the more difficult it is to manage or eradicate successfully. A week after the initial report, members of the AIS team joined Hiʻilei to examine the suspect corals. Fuller said, “Twelve colonies appeared to be non-native and comprised of three species. The colonies ranged from 7-inches to 4-feet in diameter.  

They included a purple branching coral that was unlike any native branching corals we have observed in the Main Hawaiian Islands. The footprint of the area with the non-native coral colonies was between 7-feet and 9.5-feet.” 

 Samples were collected from each suspected species and submitted to Dr. Robert Toonen, a coral expert at the Hawaiʻi Institute for Marine Biology (HIMB), for genetic analysis. Samples also were sent to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) lab for further identification. NOAA’s Dr. Doug Fenner identified the orange foliose coral as Montipora foliosa, the purple branch coral as Montipora digitata and the green polyp coral as either Montipora stellata or Monitipora carinita. Bishop Museum also received samples for its collection.   

Over the last two months, the AIS team more thoroughly documented colony size and number and conducted distribution surveys in the adjacent areas on the reef.   

In addition to consultation with experts from NOAA, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and HIMB, experts from the Heʻeia National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) were consulted about species identification and removal of the corals.  

Both Dr. Toonen and Hiʻilei Kawelo sit on the NERR’s advisory board and both were pleased by how quickly things came together.  Kawelo said, “The reason why we created the NERR was to help us protect the integrity of Kāneʻohe Bay. I’m glad to see that it’s becoming a space for things to work like they should. 

Dr. Kawika Winter, the NERR Reserve Manager, also strongly advocated for rapid removal.  Winter commented, “This is a rare success story in conservation. It really shows the value of collaborative management between Native Hawaiian communities, researchers, and DLNR/DAR. 

“These corals look a lot like some that I know are popular in the aquarium trade and thorough analysis revealed that they definitely are not native,” Toonen said. 

The extracted corals were donated to the Waikīkī Aquarium for bio-secure housing and display. Aquarium Director, Dr. Andrew Rossiter concluded, “The Waikiki Aquarium is grateful for this opportunity to work closely with DLNR/DAR and its partners to remove these non-native corals.They were clearly planted there deliberately several years ago, but do not belong on  Hawai‘i’s reefs. The Waikīkī Aquarium will provide them the only home suitable for these and other non-native corals in Hawai‘i – behind the glass of a public aquarium.” 

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Media Contact: 

Dan Dennison 

Senior Communications Manager 

(808) 587-0396 

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Read more http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/07/29/nr20-109/

(Honolulu) – Egregious behavior and overuse has prompted the DLNR Division of State Parks to close Polihale State Park on Kaua‘i’s west side indefinitely.  State Parks Administrator Curt Cottrell said, “This decision is based on input from staff, law enforcement, health officials and west Kauaʻi residents.  Polihale, like Kaʻena Point on Oʻahu has a history of abuse, illegal gatherings and camping.” 

It is nearly impossible to enforce park rules due to its large size and isolated location.  COVID-19 has exacerbated all those issues, and public health and safety concerns, contributed to the decision to close the park. Also informing the decision:   

-Over 1000 people camped at Polihale on a recent weekend, though only 80 were legally permitted.  Several hundred parked trucks formed a line spanning nearly the entire 2-mile long beach.   

-Trucks racing on the beach and driving through dunes which contain both Hawaiian burial sites and critically endangered plants. 

-Overuse has led to widespread defecation within the fragile dune system.   

-Numerous complaints about large gatherings and a lack of social distancing, despite emergency orders. 

 State Parks Assistant Administrator Alan Carpenter added,  “Until people can temper their behavior in the interest of everyone, we cannot responsibly leave places like Polihale open. There were many who did not want it reopened after recent road repairs, due to coronavirus concerns, but we wanted to give folks a chance to enjoy it and prove that they could treat places with respect in the absence of tourists.  At Polihale, they failed in that regard, and it needs a rest.” 

It’s almost “sport” in Hawai‘i to blame lots of things and issues on visitors to the state. There are only 6,200 visitors currently in quarantine across the state and these numbers are now against the backdrop of more than one million residents. Typically, tourists are compliant and on vacation – their impact has been due to increasing magnitude and consumption of our public spaces and impacting our rural communities. We cannot  attribute the recent spate of vandalism, theft, graffiti, and bad behavior on tourists – it is now us.  

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the cash-strapped, DLNR Division of State Parks has reported a disturbing series of incidents in parks, including: 

• Vandalism and theft at Akaka Falls State Park on Hawai‘i Island. The pump house was broken into and photovoltaic panels, a controller box and batteries were stolen.  Cost to replace these items and repair: $37,700. 
• Illegal behavior at Ka‘ena Point State Park on O‘ahu. In both the Mākua-Keawaʻula (west) and Mokuleʻia (nort sections of the park, bad behavior, particularly at night and on weekends is resulting in a “wild west” mentality with illegal drinking, littering, beach bonfires and burning of rubber tires and large numbers of illegal campers in a park unit with almost no sanitary facilities. 
• Aiea Bay State Park on O‘ahu. Virtually every fixture in the park restrooms – toilets, sinks, urinals and the gates, were destroyed by vandals, rendering the facilities completely inoperable.  Estimated cost to replace these items and repair: $25,000. 
• Illegal beach access and illegal camping in West Side Hawaiʻi Island parks impacting endangered Hawaiian Monk Seals and pup at Kīholo State Park Reserve and Kekaha Kai State Park. Signs to curb the illegal access were damaged or destroyed within a week of installation, and illegal vehicle access continues unabated. 

“This is not a comprehensive list of the scope and kinds of activities we’re unfortunately seeing at parks across the state (and across the country according to the National Park Service),” said Cottrell.  “People need to understand that with the loss of revenue from the visitor industry, we will be facing some very tough decisions about our funding. This is likely to mean not only a reduction in services like routine maintenance but could ultimately result in the closure of some parks.”  

“During the coronavirus crisis, local residents have been the predominate users of state parks,  flocking to park units and completely ignoring the rules and behaving in a manner visitors never did, jeopardizing their own safety and the resources and features we strive to care for,” Cottrell added. 

The Division of State Parks relies on appropriations from the Legislature, significant operating income from entrance, parking, camping, lodging and concession fees – mostly collected from out-of-state visitors. Additionally, State Parks used  to be allocated a very small portion of the State’s Transient Accommodations Tax (TAT) for a percentage of its funding. State Park income is flat – just like the hotel industry. As such, TAT collections and distributions have been suspended due to  the COVID-19 and subsequent State fiscal crisis.  

Cottrell concluded, “Before COVID-19 hit, we had long-term plans for many improvements to parks across the state based on fee increases directed towards the visitor industry. This  

revenue is now uncertain. It’s disheartening to see the level of disrespect some people are demonstrating towards parks  and facilities while we are struggling to save operating funds,   Our state parks belong to  all of us, as residents of Hawai‘i.” 

Anyone who sees suspicious or illegal activity occurring in a State Park is asked to call the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement immediately at 643-DLNR (3567), or download for free the DLNRTip app, which allows real-time reporting along with the submittal of photographs. 

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Media Contact: 

Dan Dennison 

Senior Communications Manager 

(808) 587-0396 

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Read more http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/07/29/nr20-108/

(Hakipu‘u) – The Trust for Public Land (TPL), Hoʻāla ‘Āina Kūpono (Hoʻāla), the Fukumitsu ‘ohana, Hawaiian Islands Land Trust (HILT), the City and County of Honolulu’s Clean Water and Natural Lands Program (CWNL), and DLNR’s Legacy Land Conservation Program (LLCP) announce the acquisition and protection of 1.5 acres known as Hakipu‘u Lo‘i Kalo located in Hakipu‘u, Ko‘olaupoko, O‘ahu. 

For over a decade the Hakipu‘u community and kuleana descendants have been working to protect Hakipu‘u Lo‘i Kalo. This lo‘i kalo (wetland taro patch) sits at the foot of the Ko‘olau mountains, Kāneʻohe Bay, and neighboring Mōliʻi Fishpond. These lo‘i have been in active cultivation since ancient times, and are some of the last lo‘i in Hakipu‘u; a place once overseen by Hawaiʻi’s kahu, and revered to this day for its traditional navigators. 

Threatened by development and an end to kalo farming and community access,  TPL worked in partnership with the Hakipu‘u community for more than 8 years to find a conservation solution to protect these lo‘i. TPL took out a loan in 2016 to purchase the land and acted as a temporary owner, allowing the community time to raise the funds to purchase the property. TPL led efforts to raise $1 million to purchase and protect Hakipu‘u Lo‘i Kalo and convey it to community ownership under Ho’āla ‘Āina Kūpono. 

“We were humbled to work closely with the Hakipu‘u community, the Fukumitsu ‘ohana, and Ho’āla ‘Āina Kūpono to protect Hakipu‘u Lo‘i Kalo. This community teaches all of us by example, what it means to mālama ʻāina. We are confident that under community stewardship, Hakipu‘u Lo‘i will thrive and live on as a stronghold of Hawaiian agriculture and cultural practice,” said Reyna Ramolete Hayashi, TPL Project Manager.. 

The City and County of Honolulu’s Clean Water and Natural Lands Program acquired a real property interest in the form of a conservation easement valued at $650,000, and the State of Hawai‘i’s Legacy Land Conservation Program granted $350,000 to Hoʻāla ‘Āina Kūpono to purchase and protect the land. 

Read more http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/07/29/nr20-107/

Read more https://www.flseagrant.org/news/2020/07/new-series-of-fact-sheets-to-help-oyster-farmers-with-storm-preparation-planning/

(Honolulu) – This week, in a letter to President Donald J. Trump, the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) opposed a request made by the Western Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Council (Wespac) to allow commercial fishing inside the Papahānaumokuākea and Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monuments.  

Wespac sent a letter to President Trump on May 8 in response to his Executive Order to Promote American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth. The letter, signed by Archie Taotasi Soliai, Chair of the Council, and Kitty Simonds, Wespac Executive Director, asks the President to: “…please consider lifting the fishing restrictions in the Pacific marine national monuments and allowing America’s fishermen to fish again in the US EEZ…”   

The State of Hawai’i, represented by DLNR, is a member of the Council, which seeks to provide input from stakeholders on the management of fisheries resources.  However, DLNR was not consulted by Wespac and does not agree with Wespac’s request to President Trump to remove conservation protections in the monuments.  

In the letter to President Trump, DLNR Chairperson Suzanne Case stated, “As Chair of the Council’s Hawai‘i Archipelago and Pacific Remote Islands Area Ecosystems Standing Committee, I can attest that the fishing restrictions for the monuments are a key component of the proper care and management of the protected objects.”  

Gov. Ige supported the expansion of Papahānaumokuākea in 2016, writing in a letter to President Obama that the Monument “can be a model for sustainability” and acknowledging the public input process undertaken, that resulted in a revised southern boundary of the Monument that preserved popular fishing grounds.  

Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument was designated in 2006 and expanded a decade later to protect the waters surrounding the Northwest Hawaiian Islands which have immense scientific, historical, and cultural importance. The Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, which protects the waters surrounding the US Pacific Territories of Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Island; Johnston, Wake, and Palmyra Atoll; and Kingman Reef, was designated in 2009 and expanded in 2014.   

Together, these Monuments protect over one million square miles of unique marine ecosystems that safeguard thousands of species, many of which are found nowhere else on Earth.  

Media Contact: 

Dan Dennison 

Senior Communications Manager 

(808) 587-0396 

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Read more http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/07/27/nr20-106/

Read more https://www.flseagrant.org/news/2020/07/ffwcc-awards-uf-ifas-florida-sea-grant-92k-to-create-communication-plan-alerting-public-of-expected-florida-red-tide-events/

Read more http://www.ncwildlife.org/News-Archives/two-catfish-state-records-broken-in-july

MANY STATE PARKS CLOSING IN ADVANCE OF TROPICAL CYCLONE DOUGLAS 

(Honolulu) – Numerous Hawai‘i State Parks and park activities are being closed until after Tropical Cyclone Douglas has cleared the state.  Closures and details are as follows: 

Big Island:  

• All East side State Parks from MacKenzie State Park to Kalōpā State Park will be closed starting on Saturday, July 25, until an all clear has been given and storm damage assessments have been conducted.    
• West (Kona) side parks remain open. Note, they are subject to immediate closure depending upon the path of the storm. 

  Maui:   

• All State Parks on Maui will be closed on Saturday, July 25, until an all clear has been given and storm damage assessments have been conducted. 

Oahu:   

• No camping will be allowed starting Saturday July 25, and all State Parks will be closed beginning Sunday July 26 onward, until an all clear has been given and storm damage assessments have been conducted. Note, there are large numbers of illegal campsites in the Mokulēʻia portion of Ka‘ena Point State Park that must be vacated.  
• Iolani Palace is closed. 

Kauai:    

• Campers in Kalalau were informed by parks staff Thursday and this morning of the approaching storm and instructed to hike out. An Interpretive Technician Ranger will be at the Kalalau trail head in the Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park, Saturday morning to warn people of the approaching storm and to prevent illegal campers from going to Kalalau.  
• Polihale will be cleared of legal and illegal campers on Sunday with DLNR Division of State Parks and DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement staff and officers conducting the process.   
• State Parks on Kaua‘i will be closed on Sunday July 26, subject to change based upon the storm and/or storm damage assessments. 

People with camping and cabin permits have been notified by email of the pending closures and have been given an opportunity for refunds or alternate date bookings. 

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Media Contact: 

Dan Dennison 
Senior Communications Manager 
(808) 587-0396
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Read more http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/07/24/nr20-105/