Promoting Coral Reef Conservation, Monitoring and Research Through Experimental Education Programs
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Proceedings of the Seventh International Coral Reef Symposium, Guam, 1992, Vol. 2 Promoting Coral Reef Conservation, Monitoring and Research Through Experimental Education Programs S. H. RUSSELL Marine Option Program, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii, IOOO Pope Rd. #229, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96822, U.S.A. Abstract. Through a variety of experiential ocean Recognizing the potential impact over fishing, education programs which focus on coral reef com marine debris, coastal development, snorkeling and munities, the University of Hawaii's Marine Op. diving, anchor damage and aquarium specimen col tion Program promotes coral reef awareness and lecting could have on Hawaii's coral reefs, the state conservation while inspiring and training students has developed a state-wide system of Marine Life who will become the next generation of coral reef Conservation Districts (MLCD) which, rnpposedly, scientists, educators, journalists, resource managers will protect these resources for sustainable use. The and policy makers. Coral reef-oriented programs first MLCD, Hanauma Bay on Oahu, was estab include a Quantitative Underwater Ecological Sur lished in 1967 (Hawaii Department of Land and veying Techniques (QUEST) workshop, non-credit Natural Resources 1967). Subsequently. eight other reef life identification courses, undergraduate in MLCDs have been desginated and several addi ternships and coral reef resource assesiiments tional sites have been proposed for future desig throughout the State of Hawaii. Coral reef educa nation. tion programs available to the general public as well Unfortunately, Hawaii's marine preserves ap. as the university community include informal lec pear to be managed more as "economic districts" tures, seminars and diving/snorkeling field trips. rather than "conservation districts", putting eco Experiential reef education programs are provided nomic considerations before ecological conserva for special-needs groups such as Elderhcstel. A tion of the habitats within the MLCD.s . monthly newsletter reaching students, university Hanauma Bay is a classic case in point. Until staff and administrators, teachers, government em new management plans were instigated in 1991, ployees and elected officials promotes reef conser 5,000-9,000 visitors per day jammed into the Han vation through marine journalism. auma Bay beach park (Reynolds 1991 ). Observa tions of visitors touching or walking on t!te reef and indiscriminantly feeding fish with human food were common. Other impacts to the reef at Hanauma Bay result from the fact that the beach park rest Introduction rooms that service the 5,000-9,000 visitors per day Over six million tourists visit Hawaii each year. remain on cesspools which are undoubtedly a Many choose Hawaii.as their vacation destination source of nutrients to the reef. With littlt: in the way because of the quality, -year-round ocean recrea of education concerning reef use "etiquette'', the tional opportunities. In addition, many of Hawaii's impacts continue to affect the vitality and health of one million plus residents choose to live in Hawaii the reef. , because of the surrounding ocean resources includ Fortunately, steps are being taken by the City ing ocean recreation. Together, tourists and resi and County of Honolulu Parks and Recreation D<,! dents represent a huge potential impact on Hawaii's partment to create a better balance between econ coastal resources, particularly nearshore, accessible omy-based and ecology-based management poli coral reef habitats. cies. The number of visitors to the bay at any one UNIHI-SEAGRANT-CP-90-08 1071 1072 Russell time has been curtailed by limiting the number of The body of coral reef-related projects com parking stalls and restricting commercial opera pleted as MOP internships has grown steadily. Re tions from dropping off visitors. Fish feeding is now ports from these projects often represent the only limited to specially formulated fish pellets. An ed baseline information available from the study sites ucation program, supported by the University of and are requested often by government and private Hawaii Sea Grant College Program and Friends of agencies who find the baseline data extremely useful Hanauma Bay, now provides information to tour as they attempt to determine possible impacts from ists on the natural history of the bay as well as subsequent coastal development and increasing proper reef etiquette that promotes reef conserva ocean tourism. Table l is a compilation of MOP tion by minimizing human impact. Restrooms student coral reef-related project reports. All reports have been hooked up to a sewer system although are available to the public. design flaws have prevented the system from com ing on line. Surveying Techniques Workshop The story of Hanauma Bay will be repe&ted at other state-wide MLCDs as population and tourism Annually, MOP offers an intensive two-week sur pressures grow in Hawaii. How can we prevent un veying techniques workshop known as QUEST, an wanted human impacts to the reefs? The answers acronym for quantitative underwater ecological lie in educating the public, specifically the reef surveying techniques (Maynard 1985). During the users, about how their behavior can either nega methods workshop, students learn and practice tively or positively impact the coral reef commu skills needed to survey, monitor or conduct re nity. The general public must be made aware of the search on coral reefs. Skills taught and practiced at impact that coastal land use and fishing practices QUEST include reef mapping, visual fish censusing, have on the nearshore environment, especially frag statistics and experimental design, tow boarding, ile coral reefs. Scientists must monitor the reef en underwater photography and videography, benthic vironments to keep a close check on the reefs censusing (visually and with photoquadrant), dive health as well as continue to conduct research on safety, computer data analysis and puLlic presen human-coral reef interactions. The growing need tation of the results. for well-trained coral reef educators and scientists The QUEST workshop is a for-credit. course of to conduct longterm monitoring and research is ap fered during the summer session at the University parent. of Hawaii at Hilo. Anyone able to acquire Univer The Marine Option Program (MOP) at tl.e Uni sity of Hawaii Scientific Diver status may apply to versity of Hawaii has provided experiential ocean participate in the workshop. education programs for university students ~nd the general public for the past two decades. MOP's ex- Nearshore Ecological Surveys . perienced-based internships, credit and non-credit courses, workshops, seminars, field trips aad out After successfully completing QUEST, students reach programs cover all aspects of ocean educa may apply their skills by becoming members of tion, but this paper will focus on programs directly MOP research teams which conduct extramurally related to coral reef education. funded nearshore ecological surveys at various sites throughout the state. Historically such surveys have Internships ·been funded by state and private agencies requiring survey work to be done in conjunction with MLCD Since 1971 the Marine Option Program has offered proposals, environmental impact assessments and experienced-based ocean education programs to fishery management research. Again, reports re undergraduates in the 10-campus University of Ha sulting from the surveys often represent the only waii system (Maynard 1984). Students may earn a baseline data available on particular sites. As a re certificate through the program by completing 9- sult these reports continue to be usefu! by govern 12 marine-related course credits and an internship. ment and private agencies. Table 2 lists the MOP . Many student internship projects completed over ;;ponsored surveys to date. All reports are available the past two decades have concerned cora! reefs. to the public. In these projects students either assist coral reef scientists with ongoing research or they may pro Marine Journalism Training pose and implement independent projects. Fund ing, through a stipend, is available from MOP to Seawords, MOP's monthly newsletter, ·is another students whose internship proposals show merit. tool for educating the public about coral reefs. Sea- Promoting Coral Reef Conservation, Monitoring and Research 1073 Table I. Coral Reef-Related Intership Projects by Marine Option Program Students 1972 Proposal for and Underwater Trail in Hanauma Bay, Oahu Rollison, C. 1974 Kauai Marine Park Study Roach, J. 1975 A Sociological Survey of the Users of Hanauma Bay Fukuhara, K. et al. Identification of Hawaiian Reef Fishes and Underwater Survey Techniques: A Marine Option Program Skill Requirement Myers, R. Marine Conservation Area Study: Kauai Takeuchi, D. Papohaku Beach Survey Oishi, F. 1976 The Effects of Mercury on Fenilization and Oeavage of Tripnuestes gratilla Shiroma, E. 1978 A Method for Examining Visual Discrimination in Muraenea pardalis Caner, J. and J. Higham Dangerous Marine Organisms of Hawaii Clark, A. 1980 Submarine Topography of the Inner Reef at Hanauma Bay, Oahu Huston, D. et al. 1982 Chaetodon multicinctus: Size Comparisons of Pair Members Bond, J. et al. Precious Coral Harada, R. Phenotype and Population Distribution Studies on the Sea Urchins (Genus: Echinometra) found on Maui, Hawaii McNeil, K. Big Island Waikiki Aquarium Docent Program Orcutt, A. 1983 Molokai