Species Diversity of Honolulu Harbor Inlets Sebastian Martinez Objective • To compare the species diversity and density of diurnal and nocturnal non-sessile species within the inlets in the Honolulu Harbor. • Observe daily cycle of diurnal and nocturnal organisms. • Observe behavior changes of organisms during the day or night. Methods • Surveys conducted to the south of Aloha Tower Marketplace in three separate inlets labeled A and B. • Surveys are conducted on 3 separate days for both day (12:00am-1:30pm) and night (8:00pm-9:30pm). • Each inlet is observed for three periods of 15 minutes each with a 15 minute break between each observation. • Conducted from above water on the street-side of each inlet. • Notebook used to keep track of species and number of individuals observed, with use of flashlight during the nights. A Study Sites • Inlet A . Larger and shallower . High traffic area (large amounts of people and artificial light) . Two parked boats . Has two small water outputs (better water quality) B • Inlet B . Smaller and deeper . Low traffic area (few people and low artificial light) . Two parked boats . Three large water outputs (lower water quality) . High wave disruption Results • 41 species from 21 different functional groups observed over both day and night. • Around 253 individuals observed during the day. • Around 63 individuals observed during the night. Inlet & Time of Day Number of Species Observed Average Number of Individuals Observed Inlet A (Day) 34 182.83 Inlet A (Night) 17 49.11 Inlet B (Day) 29 69.83 Inlet B (Night) 10 14 Functional Groups • Surgeonfish/Unicornfish • Filefish • Chubs . 7 Species . 2 Species . 1 Species • Moorish Idol • Porcupinefish/Pufferfish • Unidentified Species . 1 Species 3 Species . 1 Species • Cephalopods • Damselfish . 1 Species . 3 Species • Cardinalfish • Wrasses/Parrotfish . 1 Species . 5 Species • Squirrelfish • Needlefish . 1 Species . 1 Species • Trumpetfish • Butterflyfish . 1 Species . 7 Species • Groupers . 1 Species • Boxfish • Jacks . 1 Species . 1 Species • Triggerfish • Goatfish . 2 Species . 1 Species • Hawkfish • Flagtails . 1 Species . 1 Species Moorish Idol Hawaiian Squirrelfish Brown Surgeonfish Yellow Tang Hawaiian Sergeant Hawaiian Dascyllus Photos: www.marinelifephotography.com Results: Inlet A 200 180 160 140 120 100 Day Night 80 Number of Individuals 60 40 20 0 Inlet A Figure 1: The average number of individuals observed day and night in Inlet A . Results: Inlet A 12:00pm-1:30pm 8:00pm-9:30pm Damselfish Damselfish Moorish Idol Moorish Idol Surgeonfish/Unicornfish Surgeonfish/Unicornfish Squirrelfish Wrasses/Parrotfish Other Other Butterflyfish Butterflyfish Figure 2: Two pie charts showing the average number of individuals for each functional group for day and night in inlet A. Results: Inlet B 90 80 70 60 50 Day 40 Night Number of Individuals 30 20 10 0 Inlet B Figure 3: The average number of individuals observed day and night in Inlet B . Results: Inlet B 12:00pm-1:30pm 8:00pm-9:30pm Damselfish Damselfish Moorish Idol Moorish Idol Surgeonfish/Unicornfish Surgeonfish/Unicornfish Wrasses/Parrotfish Squirrelfish Other Butterflyfish Other Butterflyfish Figure 4: Two pie charts showing the average number of individuals for each functional group for day and night in inlet B. Results: Inlet A & B 40.00 35.00 30.00 25.00 20.00 Day Night Number of Species 15.00 10.00 5.00 0.00 Inlet A Inlet B Figure 5: A vertical bar graph depicting the number of species observed during the day (red) or night (blue) for each inlet. Results: Inlet A & B 300 250 200 Day 150 Night Number of individuals 100 50 0 Figure 6: A vertical bar graph depicting the number of individual organisms observed during the day, compared the number observed during the night. Results: Inlet A & B 12:00pm-1:30pm 8:00pm-9:30pm Damselfish Damselfish Moorish Idol Moorish Idol Surgeonfish/Unicornfish Surgeonfish/Unicornfish Wrasse/Parrotfish Squirrelfish Other Other Butterflyfish Butterflyfish Figure 7: Two pie charts showing the average number of individuals for each functional group for day and night across all inlets and surveys. Observed Behaviors • Group grazing by Yellow Tang . Moving in shoals across the reef eating algae. Observed in Inlet B. • Shoaling in Hawaiian www..digital-reefs.com Sergeants to avoid predation by Blue Trevally. Large shoals moving in unison to confuse predators. Stripes on the damselfish body confuse predators. Observed in Inlet A Observed Behaviors • Bigfin Reef Squid . Chromatophores used in camouflage to hind or ambush www.marinelifephotography.com prey. • Diel Coloration Change . Many fish have chromatophores as well, but most only exhibit color change at night. www.marinelifephotography.com Homepage.ntlworld.com Observed Behaviors • Cleaning station set up by Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse. • Symbiotic relationship between the wrasse and a wide variety of clients. www.marinelifephotography.com • Client receives removal of parasites, wrasse receives food in the form of those parasites • 1 Cleaning station observed in Inlet B in two separate surveys. www.marinelifephotography.com Results • Inlet A had a higher number of species and individuals then Inlet B. • More species and individuals were observed during the day then during the night. • Major changes in the species present during the day and night. • Wide variety of natural behaviors exhibited during study. Recommended Changes • Switch observations from above the surface to below the surface. • Use a strong flashlight with a red covering to produce red light for use during night observations. • Extend the surveys to a deeper part of the inlets. • Use bait to lure more elusive or predatory species. References • Hoover, John P., and John P. Hoover. The Ultimate Guide to Hawaiian Reef Fishes Sea Turtles, Dolphins, Whales, and Seals. Honolulu: Mutual Pub., 2008. Print. • "HawaiiMarineLife.com." Hawaii Marine Life. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2016. http://www.hawaiimarinelife.com/hawaiim1/ee/. • Coles, Steven L., et al. "Historical and recent introductions of non- indigenous marine species into Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaiian Islands." Marine Biology 135.1 (1999): 147-158. • Hobson, Edmund S. "Diurnal-nocturnal activity of some inshore fishes in the Gulf of California." Copeia (1965): 291-302. • Losey, G. S., et al. "Visual biology of Hawaiian coral reef fishes. I. Ocular transmission and visual pigments." Copeia 2003.3 (2003): 433-454. • Harvey, E. S., et al. "Contrasting habitat use of diurnal and nocturnal fish assemblages in temperate Western Australia." Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 426 (2012): 78-86. • Hoover, John P., and John P. Hoover. The Ultimate Guide to Hawaiian Reef Fishes Sea Turtles, Dolphins, Whales, and Seals. Honolulu: Mutual Pub., 2008. Print. Questions? .