Check out HawaiiScubaDiving.com your complete one-source guide to diving in Hawaii, including dive companies, dive sites and everything else you want to know about diving in Hawaii. If you are looking to find a dive buddy, want to post a dive experience or have dive gear to sell, visit our community page.
The Hawaiian island chain is made up of 132 islands, though we generally only think of the eight main islands, Ni'ihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Maui, Kahoolawe and Hawaii. Surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and located over 2400 miles from the nearest continent has created a unique underwater environment, in fact over 25% of marine is endemic to Hawaii.
The four most visited islands are Oahu, Maui, Kauai and Hawaii, they each have their own unique characteristics and dive locations. Lanai, Molokai and Ni'ihau are dived less frequently and offer some unique dives and marine life, although generally recommended for intermediate to advanced divers. If you are interested in diving off Kahoolawe you will need to charter a dive boat.
When you are not beneath the waves there are plenty of activities to keep you busy, why not try skydiving, visit a luau, go to the world's most active volcano or kick back and relax on a nice secluded beach. Visit our activity page for some suggestions of activities to participate when you are not diving and to arrange a lei greeting for when you arrive into the islands.
Showing posts with label Adventure Sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adventure Sports. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
KAUAI ZODIAC TOURZ
WELCOME TO KAUAI ZODIAC TOURZ
THE ONLY BOAT TOUR ON KAUAI SPECIALIZING IN SNORKELING!
Come explore Kauai's PRISTINE offshore reefs and caverns
Snorkel equipment, food and beverages- All included
More Fish and Turtles- Less People !!!
Hawaiian owned- Experience shared with aloha!
Extraordinary Family Adventure- Beginners Welcome.
Humpback Whales (Dec.-May), Turtles, Dolphins and Exotic fish - Not to be missed!
10% DICOUNT ON ALL WEB-SITE RESERVATIONS! CONTACT THEM TODAY!
1-808-742-7422 or Toll-Free: 1-888-998-6879 (1-888-9ZTOURZ)
Hawaii Reef Divers/Scuba Jay recommends this operator!
THE ONLY BOAT TOUR ON KAUAI SPECIALIZING IN SNORKELING!
Come explore Kauai's PRISTINE offshore reefs and caverns
Snorkel equipment, food and beverages- All included
More Fish and Turtles- Less People !!!
Hawaiian owned- Experience shared with aloha!
Extraordinary Family Adventure- Beginners Welcome.
Humpback Whales (Dec.-May), Turtles, Dolphins and Exotic fish - Not to be missed!
10% DICOUNT ON ALL WEB-SITE RESERVATIONS! CONTACT THEM TODAY!
1-808-742-7422 or Toll-Free: 1-888-998-6879 (1-888-9ZTOURZ)
Hawaii Reef Divers/Scuba Jay recommends this operator!
Monday, January 28, 2008
Destroying Paradise
In the past decade or so that I have been visiting Hawaii on a regular basis two things stand out which endanger Hawaii not only for those of us who are visitors to the islands, but more importantly for the people who have made Hawaii their home for the majority of, if not their entire lives.
Vehicle traffic has become intolerable
Hawaii's infrastructure is unable to handle the demands of vehicle traffic during almost every hour of the day. On O'ahu the H1 and H2 highways are a complete bottleneck from well before sunrise until sunset. On Maui, Highway 30, the Honoapiilani Highway is frequently backed up from the tunnel to Ka'anapali.
The cost of housing has become out of the reach of most island residents as well as most potential future residents.
The median price for a family home is $550,000 on O'ahu and almost $700,000 on Maui, up over 30% in the last ten years. To better appreciate these numbers, when I was on O'ahu recently I heard a woman tell that she and her husband just finalized the purchase of a 3 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath "fixer-upper." There were 13 other bids. The final price she paid was $650,000.
While apparently separate issues, these two items are actually quite intertwined.
During my visit I scheduled a snorkel cruise from the Waianae Boat Harbor on O'ahu's leeward (west) side. I left my lodging in Waikiki at 5:00 a.m. for the 90-minute drive. As I drove west on H1 I noted that traffic coming east on H1 from the leeward side was already bumper-to-bumper. It remained that way all the way back past Pearl Harbor.
Another day, I drove to the North Shore at around 2:00 p.m. and found myself in heavy traffic on H1 west onto H2 north until we reached the Miilani exit.
What has happened over the last decade is that housing costs in and around Honolulu have soared to levels untouchable by most island residents. Statistics show that most of these properties are being purchased by wealthy individuals from the mainland, often by residents of California seeking to escape that state's economic woes. Many of these new homebuyers are independently wealthy or retired individuals who will add little to Hawaii's economy or society other than as consumers. This same pattern holds true on Maui and to a lesser degree on the other islands.
Local residents, especially first time home buyers are forced to seek what little affordable housing exists in areas distant from their workplaces in Honolulu or Waikiki. Many are compelled to buy less desirable and often poorer quality homes on the leeward side or in central O'ahu. Many simply cannot afford any housing at all and decide to move to the mainland. Others pursue even worse solutions. Drive past any beach on leeward O'ahu at sunrise and notice how many families are living in tents on the beach. You will even see school buses picking up children at these tent villages as part of the regular routes.
Possible Solutions
Solving these problems of traffic and affordable housing will not be easy. They may even be impossible at this late date. Here are some possible solutions.
O'ahu is in desperate need of a high-speed transit system, additional bus routes and highway improvements to convey residents from outlying areas into Honolulu and Waikiki. This has been discussed for many years and may finally be moving forward. The drive to build a new mass-transit system, including a rail system, on O'ahu got a boost with a bill recently passed by the State Legislature that allows counties to add up to a half of a percentage point surcharge to the state’s 4 percent general excise tax. The proceeds of the tax surcharge will go toward transit projects.
Car and vanpools need to be made financially attractive to riders. Higher taxes need to be applied to the state's relatively low car rental costs to discourage so many visitors from renting cars for the full time they are in the islands. Most resort areas have numerous car rental agencies that will rent cars on a daily basis when needed.
A minimum one-year residency requirement should be imposed on any individual(s) seeking to purchase a home in the islands. This requirement would be waived for former residents seeking to return to the islands.
A tax structure should be established to encourage the sale of homes to Hawaii residents. A high property transfer tax should be imposed on both the buyer and seller when a property is being sold to a non-resident. Tax breaks should be available to Hawaii residents and non-residents selling property to other Hawaii inhabitants.
Traffic issues can potentially be improved. It's doubtful that without a total collapse in the economy that the current housing costs can be driven down, but they must be stabilized. Unless steps are taken soon in both areas, we will likely finally see Paradise Destroyed.
KEYWORDS:
Advance Scuba training, Adventure Sports, airlines, Basic Open Water, Digital Underwater Photography, discount travel, Divemaster scuba, Enriched Air, Extreme Scuba and Jason Kilgore, family travel, family vacations, Hawaii reef divers, Hawaii Scuba Diving, Hawaiian Islands, Hawaiian Islands sight seeing, hotels, Jason Kilgore, Kona, Maui, scuba certification, other specialty certifications, NAUI, NOAA, scuba diving, scuba rental gear, sharks, SSI, TDI/SDI, Underwater Instructors, vacation, Scuba and Jason Kilgore, Naui and Jason Kilgore, How to scuba dive, skin diving, snorkel, mask, fins, Reef Relief, coral reef, reef fish, maui divers, dive shops, scuba dive shops, cave diving, ice diving, wreck diving, Shark Diving, Shark Exploration, Baja, South America
Vehicle traffic has become intolerable
Hawaii's infrastructure is unable to handle the demands of vehicle traffic during almost every hour of the day. On O'ahu the H1 and H2 highways are a complete bottleneck from well before sunrise until sunset. On Maui, Highway 30, the Honoapiilani Highway is frequently backed up from the tunnel to Ka'anapali.
The cost of housing has become out of the reach of most island residents as well as most potential future residents.
The median price for a family home is $550,000 on O'ahu and almost $700,000 on Maui, up over 30% in the last ten years. To better appreciate these numbers, when I was on O'ahu recently I heard a woman tell that she and her husband just finalized the purchase of a 3 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath "fixer-upper." There were 13 other bids. The final price she paid was $650,000.
While apparently separate issues, these two items are actually quite intertwined.
During my visit I scheduled a snorkel cruise from the Waianae Boat Harbor on O'ahu's leeward (west) side. I left my lodging in Waikiki at 5:00 a.m. for the 90-minute drive. As I drove west on H1 I noted that traffic coming east on H1 from the leeward side was already bumper-to-bumper. It remained that way all the way back past Pearl Harbor.
Another day, I drove to the North Shore at around 2:00 p.m. and found myself in heavy traffic on H1 west onto H2 north until we reached the Miilani exit.
What has happened over the last decade is that housing costs in and around Honolulu have soared to levels untouchable by most island residents. Statistics show that most of these properties are being purchased by wealthy individuals from the mainland, often by residents of California seeking to escape that state's economic woes. Many of these new homebuyers are independently wealthy or retired individuals who will add little to Hawaii's economy or society other than as consumers. This same pattern holds true on Maui and to a lesser degree on the other islands.
Local residents, especially first time home buyers are forced to seek what little affordable housing exists in areas distant from their workplaces in Honolulu or Waikiki. Many are compelled to buy less desirable and often poorer quality homes on the leeward side or in central O'ahu. Many simply cannot afford any housing at all and decide to move to the mainland. Others pursue even worse solutions. Drive past any beach on leeward O'ahu at sunrise and notice how many families are living in tents on the beach. You will even see school buses picking up children at these tent villages as part of the regular routes.
Possible Solutions
Solving these problems of traffic and affordable housing will not be easy. They may even be impossible at this late date. Here are some possible solutions.
O'ahu is in desperate need of a high-speed transit system, additional bus routes and highway improvements to convey residents from outlying areas into Honolulu and Waikiki. This has been discussed for many years and may finally be moving forward. The drive to build a new mass-transit system, including a rail system, on O'ahu got a boost with a bill recently passed by the State Legislature that allows counties to add up to a half of a percentage point surcharge to the state’s 4 percent general excise tax. The proceeds of the tax surcharge will go toward transit projects.
Car and vanpools need to be made financially attractive to riders. Higher taxes need to be applied to the state's relatively low car rental costs to discourage so many visitors from renting cars for the full time they are in the islands. Most resort areas have numerous car rental agencies that will rent cars on a daily basis when needed.
A minimum one-year residency requirement should be imposed on any individual(s) seeking to purchase a home in the islands. This requirement would be waived for former residents seeking to return to the islands.
A tax structure should be established to encourage the sale of homes to Hawaii residents. A high property transfer tax should be imposed on both the buyer and seller when a property is being sold to a non-resident. Tax breaks should be available to Hawaii residents and non-residents selling property to other Hawaii inhabitants.
Traffic issues can potentially be improved. It's doubtful that without a total collapse in the economy that the current housing costs can be driven down, but they must be stabilized. Unless steps are taken soon in both areas, we will likely finally see Paradise Destroyed.
KEYWORDS:
Advance Scuba training, Adventure Sports, airlines, Basic Open Water, Digital Underwater Photography, discount travel, Divemaster scuba, Enriched Air, Extreme Scuba and Jason Kilgore, family travel, family vacations, Hawaii reef divers, Hawaii Scuba Diving, Hawaiian Islands, Hawaiian Islands sight seeing, hotels, Jason Kilgore, Kona, Maui, scuba certification, other specialty certifications, NAUI, NOAA, scuba diving, scuba rental gear, sharks, SSI, TDI/SDI, Underwater Instructors, vacation, Scuba and Jason Kilgore, Naui and Jason Kilgore, How to scuba dive, skin diving, snorkel, mask, fins, Reef Relief, coral reef, reef fish, maui divers, dive shops, scuba dive shops, cave diving, ice diving, wreck diving, Shark Diving, Shark Exploration, Baja, South America
Thursday, January 24, 2008
The Oceans
Scientists have long understood the key role that oceans play in regulating the Earth's climate. Oceans cover 70 percent of the globe and store a thousand times more heat than the atmosphere does. What's newer is the understanding of how this key component of our climate system responds to global warming.
"Even five years ago most scientists had no inkling of the extent to which global warming was affecting the oceans—but slowly over the years a consensus has been building," says Environmental Defense marine ecologist Rod Fujita. Today, the scientific community believes there's plenty to worry about: changes are afoot in global ocean dynamics that could have profound ecological impacts.
A brake on global warming—for now
One of the ocean's most important climate functions is absorbing heat and carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the gases that causes global warming. Acting as a heat sponge, the oceans have absorbed huge amounts of heat and CO2 in the last forty years.
Fujita explains that "the oceans are saving us from faster climate change—in essence, they are a big flywheel that delays rapid overheating of the earth, putting a brake on the climate system."
"That's the good news," he adds. "The bad news is that the oceans only slow the atmospheric warming. Once the oceans come to equilibrium with a greenhouse-gas warmed earth, the excess heat will remain in the atmosphere and things will get much hotter."
In effect, the oceans are taking up the slack for the atmosphere and delaying the full impacts of global warming. But where and how the oceans release this accumulated heat is uncertain. And as the ocean stores heat, fragile underwater ecosystems are struggling.
The most recent scientific report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) also notes with concern that the ocean is acidifying because of increased absorption of atmospheric CO2, and thus posing a threat for shell-forming species, which are an essential part of the marine food web. Projected increases in carbon dioxide levels will cause further acidification of the ocean. (IPCC, 2007)
Currents distributing heat
Another important role the oceans play is that of distributor. Oceans deliver heat and life-sustaining nutrients around the globe. Just as blood vessels and capillaries bring oxygen and nutrients to cells in the human body, the ocean's currents carry oxygen, nutrients and heat throughout the Earth. The ocean distributes 25 to 50 percent of the energy the planet receives from the sun.
For example, the Gulf Stream carries heat across the Atlantic. This warm current gives northwestern Europe a milder climate than it would normally have so far north. A change to the ocean's circulation patterns could plunge Europe into a colder era, even as the rest of world experiences warmer temperatures. (Find out more about the ocean's circulation system on oceansalive.org.)
Currents circulating food
Changing ocean circulation patterns would also affect the nutrient delivery system for marine life. Colder waters are more productive than warm waters. The warming of the oceans may be starting to break the ocean's food chain.
The system of currents replenishes deep waters with oxygen and carries nutrients to surface waters where microscopic plants known as phytoplankton can use them. When cold, nutrient-rich waters rise to the surface seasonally and mix with sunlit surface waters, the upwellings trigger the growth of phytoplankton. The areas where these upwellings occur are often rich fishing grounds, the sea's "gardens of Eden" where an abundance of marine life flourishes.
As oceans absorb more heat, upwellings of cold, nutrient-rich waters can become less frequent. Without this nourishment, blooms of plant plankton, a critical link in the marine food chain, are disrupted and so food for sea life up the food chain, like krill, larger fish and seabirds, is cut off.
To make things worse, phytoplankton use carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. With fewer plankton, the oceans could not remove as much carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
An example: Starving sea birds
Some signs already show that the marine food web is fraying. In 2005 on the U.S. West Coast and 2004 in Britain, hundreds of thousands of seabirds failed to breed. Dead seabirds like cormorants and Cassin's auklets have washed up on West Coast beaches.
Juvenile rockfish counts were the lowest they had been off California in more than 20years. Most alarming, small crustaceans like krill—the base of the ocean's food web—suffered steep declines.
The culprit for the collapse appears to be slackening upwellings, which decreased phytoplankton blooms in these coastal areas. Fewer phytoplankton mean fewer fish, leaving the birds to face mass starvation. Monitoring of the oceans off Hawaii over the last 20 years shows that upwellings are decreasing. Scientists suspect that this is an effect of global warming.
The debate over global warming has shifted from whether it is happening to how to avoid catastrophic damage. Significant changes loom for seabird and fish communities, ocean circulation patterns and basic processes of ocean chemistry.
"We're facing warming waters and major alterations in many oceanic processes and ocean chemistry, damage to coral reefs, and effects from sea level rise on marine ecosystems," says Environmental Defense scientist Doug Rader.
Without emissions cuts, the effects will be even worse.
"The ship is already in motion, and it will take immediate action to turn it away from the danger ahead," sums up Environmental Defense climate scientist Dr. James Wang.
KEYWORDS:
Advance Scuba training, Adventure Sports, airlines, Basic Open Water, Digital Underwater Photography, discount travel, Divemaster scuba, Enriched Air, Extreme Scuba and Jason Kilgore, family travel, family vacations, Hawaii reef divers, Hawaii Scuba Diving, Hawaiian Islands, Hawaiian Islands sight seeing, hotels, Jason Kilgore, Kona, Maui, scuba certification, other specialty certifications, NAUI, NOAA, scuba diving, scuba rental gear, sharks, SSI, TDI/SDI, Underwater Instructors, vacation, Scuba and Jason Kilgore, Naui and Jason Kilgore, How to scuba dive, skin diving, snorkel, mask, fins, Reef Relief, coral reef, reef fish, maui divers, dive shops, scuba dive shops, cave diving, ice diving, wreck diving
"Even five years ago most scientists had no inkling of the extent to which global warming was affecting the oceans—but slowly over the years a consensus has been building," says Environmental Defense marine ecologist Rod Fujita. Today, the scientific community believes there's plenty to worry about: changes are afoot in global ocean dynamics that could have profound ecological impacts.
A brake on global warming—for now
One of the ocean's most important climate functions is absorbing heat and carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the gases that causes global warming. Acting as a heat sponge, the oceans have absorbed huge amounts of heat and CO2 in the last forty years.
Fujita explains that "the oceans are saving us from faster climate change—in essence, they are a big flywheel that delays rapid overheating of the earth, putting a brake on the climate system."
"That's the good news," he adds. "The bad news is that the oceans only slow the atmospheric warming. Once the oceans come to equilibrium with a greenhouse-gas warmed earth, the excess heat will remain in the atmosphere and things will get much hotter."
In effect, the oceans are taking up the slack for the atmosphere and delaying the full impacts of global warming. But where and how the oceans release this accumulated heat is uncertain. And as the ocean stores heat, fragile underwater ecosystems are struggling.
The most recent scientific report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) also notes with concern that the ocean is acidifying because of increased absorption of atmospheric CO2, and thus posing a threat for shell-forming species, which are an essential part of the marine food web. Projected increases in carbon dioxide levels will cause further acidification of the ocean. (IPCC, 2007)
Currents distributing heat
Another important role the oceans play is that of distributor. Oceans deliver heat and life-sustaining nutrients around the globe. Just as blood vessels and capillaries bring oxygen and nutrients to cells in the human body, the ocean's currents carry oxygen, nutrients and heat throughout the Earth. The ocean distributes 25 to 50 percent of the energy the planet receives from the sun.
For example, the Gulf Stream carries heat across the Atlantic. This warm current gives northwestern Europe a milder climate than it would normally have so far north. A change to the ocean's circulation patterns could plunge Europe into a colder era, even as the rest of world experiences warmer temperatures. (Find out more about the ocean's circulation system on oceansalive.org.)
Currents circulating food
Changing ocean circulation patterns would also affect the nutrient delivery system for marine life. Colder waters are more productive than warm waters. The warming of the oceans may be starting to break the ocean's food chain.
The system of currents replenishes deep waters with oxygen and carries nutrients to surface waters where microscopic plants known as phytoplankton can use them. When cold, nutrient-rich waters rise to the surface seasonally and mix with sunlit surface waters, the upwellings trigger the growth of phytoplankton. The areas where these upwellings occur are often rich fishing grounds, the sea's "gardens of Eden" where an abundance of marine life flourishes.
As oceans absorb more heat, upwellings of cold, nutrient-rich waters can become less frequent. Without this nourishment, blooms of plant plankton, a critical link in the marine food chain, are disrupted and so food for sea life up the food chain, like krill, larger fish and seabirds, is cut off.
To make things worse, phytoplankton use carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. With fewer plankton, the oceans could not remove as much carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
An example: Starving sea birds
Some signs already show that the marine food web is fraying. In 2005 on the U.S. West Coast and 2004 in Britain, hundreds of thousands of seabirds failed to breed. Dead seabirds like cormorants and Cassin's auklets have washed up on West Coast beaches.
Juvenile rockfish counts were the lowest they had been off California in more than 20years. Most alarming, small crustaceans like krill—the base of the ocean's food web—suffered steep declines.
The culprit for the collapse appears to be slackening upwellings, which decreased phytoplankton blooms in these coastal areas. Fewer phytoplankton mean fewer fish, leaving the birds to face mass starvation. Monitoring of the oceans off Hawaii over the last 20 years shows that upwellings are decreasing. Scientists suspect that this is an effect of global warming.
The debate over global warming has shifted from whether it is happening to how to avoid catastrophic damage. Significant changes loom for seabird and fish communities, ocean circulation patterns and basic processes of ocean chemistry.
"We're facing warming waters and major alterations in many oceanic processes and ocean chemistry, damage to coral reefs, and effects from sea level rise on marine ecosystems," says Environmental Defense scientist Doug Rader.
Without emissions cuts, the effects will be even worse.
"The ship is already in motion, and it will take immediate action to turn it away from the danger ahead," sums up Environmental Defense climate scientist Dr. James Wang.
KEYWORDS:
Advance Scuba training, Adventure Sports, airlines, Basic Open Water, Digital Underwater Photography, discount travel, Divemaster scuba, Enriched Air, Extreme Scuba and Jason Kilgore, family travel, family vacations, Hawaii reef divers, Hawaii Scuba Diving, Hawaiian Islands, Hawaiian Islands sight seeing, hotels, Jason Kilgore, Kona, Maui, scuba certification, other specialty certifications, NAUI, NOAA, scuba diving, scuba rental gear, sharks, SSI, TDI/SDI, Underwater Instructors, vacation, Scuba and Jason Kilgore, Naui and Jason Kilgore, How to scuba dive, skin diving, snorkel, mask, fins, Reef Relief, coral reef, reef fish, maui divers, dive shops, scuba dive shops, cave diving, ice diving, wreck diving
Hawaii Protects a Marine Treasure
Hawaii Protects a Marine Treasure
Refuge in Northwest islands' shallow waters is a big win; deep water next
Hawaii's Governor Linda Lingle last month signed sweeping regulations that protect the shallow waters rimming islands and atolls in the huge Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve (NWHI). This far-flung archipelago is home to some of the most pristine coral reefs on earth and rare animals like the Hawaiian monk seal.
The new 640,000-acre state refuge, which extends three miles offshore, bans fishing and restricts other activities. Native Hawaiians may still carry on traditional fishing practices. "These rules set in motion the most significant marine conservation initiative in the history of Hawaii by creating the state's largest marine refuge," said Gov. Lingle.
Diverse groups made this victory possible
Environmental Defense scientist Dr. Stephanie Fried worked for years to secure strong protections for the waters of this 1,200-mile string of islands. In a speech announcing the new protections, the governor thanked Fried for her advocacy. Key support also came from the environmental alliance Kahea, and the NWHI hui, a network of Native Hawaiian leaders, fishers and scientists. Over 400 of the world’s leading coral reef scientists asked for the protections, and state and federal officials received more than 100,000 written testimonials on behalf of the islands.
Next, extend protection to deeper water
"Governor Lingle’s signing of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Refuge protections is one of the most visionary acts of environmental protection ever undertaken by a state government," said Fried. The governor's support did not stop there. Lingle also called for closing all federal waters to fishing, which would create the world's largest marine protected area where fishing is not allowed.
Federal protections for the 84-million-acre NWHI are under review. The Western Pacific fishery management council opposes strong protections and even aims to weaken existing safeguards. "We urge the federal government to respond to the public input and the bold steps taken by Gov. Lingle and provide equally stringent protections for federal waters," said Fried. "To do otherwise would be irresponsible."
Peter Young, chairman of the state's Board of Land and Natural Resources, said: "As one of the last pristine wilderness locations on earth, it is only right to consider the long-term preservation of this area and strive to have one place that is free from extraction."
How you can help
Federal protections for the NWHI are under review. Sign up with our Action Network to receive notification of opportunities for public comment.
To find out more about other ocean issues, visit OceansAlive.org.
Sign the petition asking President Bush to protect our ocean legacy for future generations.
More about the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
In-depth story about our role in winning critical safeguards: "Recently imperiled, a slice of paradise is saved: Coalition helps win unprecedented marine refuge in Hawaiian state waters" - Solutions newsletter article (August-September 2005)
In the News: "Hawaii Governor Safeguards Northwest Hawaiian Islands" - Environment News Service (9/30/2005)and "Fishing banned in NW isles" - Hawaii Star Bulletin (9/30/2005)
KEYWORDS:
Advance Scuba training, Adventure Sports, airlines, Basic Open Water, Digital Underwater Photography, discount travel, Divemaster scuba, Enriched Air, Extreme Scuba and Jason Kilgore, family travel, family vacations, Hawaii reef divers, Hawaii Scuba Diving, Hawaiian Islands, Hawaiian Islands sight seeing, hotels, Jason Kilgore, Kona, Maui, scuba certification, other specialty certifications, NAUI, NOAA, scuba diving, scuba rental gear, sharks, SSI, TDI/SDI, Underwater Instructors, vacation, Scuba and Jason Kilgore, Naui and Jason Kilgore, How to scuba dive, skin diving, snorkel, mask, fins, Reef Relief, coral reef, reef fish, maui divers, dive shops, scuba dive shops, cave diving, ice diving, wreck diving
Refuge in Northwest islands' shallow waters is a big win; deep water next
Hawaii's Governor Linda Lingle last month signed sweeping regulations that protect the shallow waters rimming islands and atolls in the huge Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve (NWHI). This far-flung archipelago is home to some of the most pristine coral reefs on earth and rare animals like the Hawaiian monk seal.
The new 640,000-acre state refuge, which extends three miles offshore, bans fishing and restricts other activities. Native Hawaiians may still carry on traditional fishing practices. "These rules set in motion the most significant marine conservation initiative in the history of Hawaii by creating the state's largest marine refuge," said Gov. Lingle.
Diverse groups made this victory possible
Environmental Defense scientist Dr. Stephanie Fried worked for years to secure strong protections for the waters of this 1,200-mile string of islands. In a speech announcing the new protections, the governor thanked Fried for her advocacy. Key support also came from the environmental alliance Kahea, and the NWHI hui, a network of Native Hawaiian leaders, fishers and scientists. Over 400 of the world’s leading coral reef scientists asked for the protections, and state and federal officials received more than 100,000 written testimonials on behalf of the islands.
Next, extend protection to deeper water
"Governor Lingle’s signing of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Refuge protections is one of the most visionary acts of environmental protection ever undertaken by a state government," said Fried. The governor's support did not stop there. Lingle also called for closing all federal waters to fishing, which would create the world's largest marine protected area where fishing is not allowed.
Federal protections for the 84-million-acre NWHI are under review. The Western Pacific fishery management council opposes strong protections and even aims to weaken existing safeguards. "We urge the federal government to respond to the public input and the bold steps taken by Gov. Lingle and provide equally stringent protections for federal waters," said Fried. "To do otherwise would be irresponsible."
Peter Young, chairman of the state's Board of Land and Natural Resources, said: "As one of the last pristine wilderness locations on earth, it is only right to consider the long-term preservation of this area and strive to have one place that is free from extraction."
How you can help
Federal protections for the NWHI are under review. Sign up with our Action Network to receive notification of opportunities for public comment.
To find out more about other ocean issues, visit OceansAlive.org.
Sign the petition asking President Bush to protect our ocean legacy for future generations.
More about the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
In-depth story about our role in winning critical safeguards: "Recently imperiled, a slice of paradise is saved: Coalition helps win unprecedented marine refuge in Hawaiian state waters" - Solutions newsletter article (August-September 2005)
In the News: "Hawaii Governor Safeguards Northwest Hawaiian Islands" - Environment News Service (9/30/2005)and "Fishing banned in NW isles" - Hawaii Star Bulletin (9/30/2005)
KEYWORDS:
Advance Scuba training, Adventure Sports, airlines, Basic Open Water, Digital Underwater Photography, discount travel, Divemaster scuba, Enriched Air, Extreme Scuba and Jason Kilgore, family travel, family vacations, Hawaii reef divers, Hawaii Scuba Diving, Hawaiian Islands, Hawaiian Islands sight seeing, hotels, Jason Kilgore, Kona, Maui, scuba certification, other specialty certifications, NAUI, NOAA, scuba diving, scuba rental gear, sharks, SSI, TDI/SDI, Underwater Instructors, vacation, Scuba and Jason Kilgore, Naui and Jason Kilgore, How to scuba dive, skin diving, snorkel, mask, fins, Reef Relief, coral reef, reef fish, maui divers, dive shops, scuba dive shops, cave diving, ice diving, wreck diving
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Everything About Hawaii
http://google.nationalgeographic.com/search?site=default_collection&client=default_frontend&proxystylesheet=default_frontend&output=xml_no_dtd&oe=UTF-8&q=HAWAII&btnG.x=23&btnG.y=5
KEYWORDS:
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KEYWORDS:
Advance Scuba training, Adventure Sports, Basic Open Water, Digital Underwater Photography, Extreme Scuba and Jason Kilgore, family travel, Hawaii reef divers, NAUI, scuba rental gear, sharks, Digital Underwater Photography, discount travel, Enriched Air, Hawaii Scuba Diving, Hawaiian Islands sight seeing, ITAN, Kona, NAUI, NOAA, other specialty certifications, sharks, SSI, TDI/SDI, airlines, family travel, family vacations, Hawaii reef divers, Hawaiian Islands, hotels, Jason Kilgore, Maui, scuba certification, scuba diving, scuba rental gear, snorkel/fins, vacation, Basic Open Water, Digital Underwater Photography, Extreme Scuba and Jason Kilgore, Hawaiian Islands, PADI Divemaster SCUBA Certification, Snorkel Bob, Snorkling/Fin, TDI/SDI, Underwater Instructors, AHA Scientific Statements AHA Statements Alice Clegg Alternative Medicine antioxidants body building Business Opportunity Calcium California Cancer cardiovascular diseases cooking diets fitness food health health and freedom Jason Kilgore Kilgore and USANA Kilgore Defense Institute Kilgore MMA Martial Arts mens health Mexico USANA Minerals mydreams.usana.com nutrition nutritionals Recipes Safety Sierra Foothills Karate nutrition advice sports Sports Health Sports Nutrition Statements Stress Stress Management USANA Usana and Alice Clegg Usana and Jason Kilgore Usana and Sierra Foothills Karate USANA HEALTH SCIENCES USANA HEALTH SCIENCES DISTRIBUTOR Utah vitamins wellness Wellness Misphitz women fitness womens health
Trawlers Destroying Deep-Sea Reefs, Scientists Say
Trawlers Destroying Deep-Sea Reefs, Scientists Say
John Pickrellfor
National Geographic News
February 19, 2004
Typically imagined as explosions of color in shallow, warm, azure tropical waters, coral reefs are often regarded as the rain forests of the sea. It wasn't until recent years that scientists realized that reefs at much greater and darker depths also teem with life—and may be home to the majority of coral species.
Yet even before these deep reefs have been fully explored and documented, they are being destroyed by unregulated deep-sea trawling. Concerned that many species may be lost before they are identified, a group of 1,136 scientists from 69 countries is appealing for new laws to protect deep-ocean corals and sponges.
RELATED
Is Bleaching Coral's Way of Making the Best of a Bad Situation?
Why Is Seaweed Killing Florida's Coral Reefs?
Hawaiian Coral Reef Ecosystem a Unique Treasure
Scientists Check Coral Reef Health From Above
Raw Human Waste Killing Off Coral Reefs?
Coral Reef Paradise Found in Remote Indonesian Islands
"Based on current knowledge, deep-sea coral and sponge communities appear to be as important to the biodiversity of the oceans and the sustainability of fisheries as their analogues in shallow tropical waters," said a statement released earlier this week at both the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Seattle and the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
"We urge the United Nations and appropriate international bodies to establish a moratorium on bottom trawling on the high seas," the scientists said. They include Harvard University's renowned ecologist Edward O. Wilson and former head of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, D. James Baker.
Great Depths
Scientists first discovered deep-sea coral forests in the 19th century but only recently realized how widespread and important they are. Growing to hundreds, or even thousands of years old, deep-sea corals are filter-feeding organisms that can form dense reefs in cold and deep waters as far apart as Alaska, Tasmania, Ireland, and Colombia.
Dated at 1,800 years old, one slow-growing deep-sea coral may rival some kinds of pine trees as the world's oldest organism. Some of these corals even resemble trees, growing up to 10 meters (33 feet) in height. They have been discovered as deep as 3.5 kilometers (2.2 miles). Lophelia coral reefs in cold North Atlantic waters can harbor 1,300 invertebrate species, and 850 species of coral have been found on underwater plateaus of the Tasman and Coral Seas.
These forests provide habitats for huge numbers of important deep-sea species, the scientists said Individual corals could produce chemicals potentially useful for treating high blood pressure, cancer, and chronic pain.
However, many species are being discovered only as they are destroyed by fishing, said Lance E. Morgan. Morgan is chief scientist with the U.S.-based Marine Conservation Biology Institute (MCBI), the nongovernmental organization responsible for organizing the petition. "Norway only found that it had these corals because of surveys for oil," Morgan said. "So they were discovered and significantly damaged at the same time."
Though oil and gas prospecting, deep-sea mining, and global warming are all significant threats, today's greatest danger comes from fishing trawlers, the scientists wrote.
Indiscriminate Destruction
Trawlers are fishing vessels that drag enormous and heavily weighted fishing nets at great depths across the seafloor. These can be weighted with rollers or chains that crush everything in their path, Morgan said, smashing corals and sponges and killing enormous quantities of nontargeted animals as well as the fish (including Chilean sea bass, orange roughy, and cod) and shrimp the nets are set to catch.
John Pickrellfor
National Geographic News
February 19, 2004
Typically imagined as explosions of color in shallow, warm, azure tropical waters, coral reefs are often regarded as the rain forests of the sea. It wasn't until recent years that scientists realized that reefs at much greater and darker depths also teem with life—and may be home to the majority of coral species.
Yet even before these deep reefs have been fully explored and documented, they are being destroyed by unregulated deep-sea trawling. Concerned that many species may be lost before they are identified, a group of 1,136 scientists from 69 countries is appealing for new laws to protect deep-ocean corals and sponges.
RELATED
Is Bleaching Coral's Way of Making the Best of a Bad Situation?
Why Is Seaweed Killing Florida's Coral Reefs?
Hawaiian Coral Reef Ecosystem a Unique Treasure
Scientists Check Coral Reef Health From Above
Raw Human Waste Killing Off Coral Reefs?
Coral Reef Paradise Found in Remote Indonesian Islands
"Based on current knowledge, deep-sea coral and sponge communities appear to be as important to the biodiversity of the oceans and the sustainability of fisheries as their analogues in shallow tropical waters," said a statement released earlier this week at both the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Seattle and the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
"We urge the United Nations and appropriate international bodies to establish a moratorium on bottom trawling on the high seas," the scientists said. They include Harvard University's renowned ecologist Edward O. Wilson and former head of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, D. James Baker.
Great Depths
Scientists first discovered deep-sea coral forests in the 19th century but only recently realized how widespread and important they are. Growing to hundreds, or even thousands of years old, deep-sea corals are filter-feeding organisms that can form dense reefs in cold and deep waters as far apart as Alaska, Tasmania, Ireland, and Colombia.
Dated at 1,800 years old, one slow-growing deep-sea coral may rival some kinds of pine trees as the world's oldest organism. Some of these corals even resemble trees, growing up to 10 meters (33 feet) in height. They have been discovered as deep as 3.5 kilometers (2.2 miles). Lophelia coral reefs in cold North Atlantic waters can harbor 1,300 invertebrate species, and 850 species of coral have been found on underwater plateaus of the Tasman and Coral Seas.
These forests provide habitats for huge numbers of important deep-sea species, the scientists said Individual corals could produce chemicals potentially useful for treating high blood pressure, cancer, and chronic pain.
However, many species are being discovered only as they are destroyed by fishing, said Lance E. Morgan. Morgan is chief scientist with the U.S.-based Marine Conservation Biology Institute (MCBI), the nongovernmental organization responsible for organizing the petition. "Norway only found that it had these corals because of surveys for oil," Morgan said. "So they were discovered and significantly damaged at the same time."
Though oil and gas prospecting, deep-sea mining, and global warming are all significant threats, today's greatest danger comes from fishing trawlers, the scientists wrote.
Indiscriminate Destruction
Trawlers are fishing vessels that drag enormous and heavily weighted fishing nets at great depths across the seafloor. These can be weighted with rollers or chains that crush everything in their path, Morgan said, smashing corals and sponges and killing enormous quantities of nontargeted animals as well as the fish (including Chilean sea bass, orange roughy, and cod) and shrimp the nets are set to catch.
The Hawaiian Coral Reef:
The Hawaiian Coral Reef:
Important, but threatened
Stretching for more than 2000 kilometers in the Central Pacific, the Hawaiian coral reef accounts for about 85 percent of all coral reefs in the United States.
Because it is under water and not visible, the importance of the reef remains largely hidden – including its importance not only to the ocean environment and its inhabitants, but also to humans. The state of Hawaii consists of eight large, populated islands, also called the Main Hawaiian Islands, and 124 small, uninhabited islands, reefs and shoals, the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, where the majority of the Hawaiian coral reef, about 70 percent of it, is located.
Coral reef support marine and terrestrial life
Even though they may appear to be nothing but rock, reefs are alive. Corals give reefs their structure. The limestone skeletons of living coral, the hard skeletal remains of dead coral and a soft type of coral provide structure for a reef, offering habitat and food to the many fish and invertebrates, including lobsters, octopus and crabs that live around it. And algae – more than 500 species live in Hawaii’s coral reef alone – not only provide fish with food, but also provide life-sustaining oxygen for all marine life. In fact, the oceans’ algae provide more oxygen than all land plants worldwide combined. About one-fourth of the plants, fish, and invertebrates found in the Hawaiian coral reef are endemic to Hawaii, meaning that they can’t be found anywhere else on Earth. In the past, reef fish provided Hawaiians with the majority of their protein. And, of course, reef fish continue to be a dietary staple for many people inhabiting and visiting Hawaii.
In addition to providing humans with food, reefs protect shorelines from erosion and storm damage by dissipating wave energy and limiting the impact of strong waves. Also, the sandy beaches enjoyed by island residents and visitors alike only exist because of Hawaii’s coral reef. Beach sand’s main components are dead fragments of coral, shells and calcified algae. But the reef is also responsible for creating the big Hawaiian waves. The shape of the reef is one factor in determining how big a wave gets.In addition to all of this, the reef provides diverse recreational opportunities, such as snorkeling and diving, making Hawaii a top tourist destination for people around the world, generating about $800 million a year for Hawaii’s marine tourism industry.
Human activities put reef in peril
Despite the coral reef’s importance, it suffers from degradation that began about 100 years ago as Westerners began to arrive in ever-increasing numbers. Today, urbanization, overfishing, alien species, marine debris and recreational overuse plague the Main Hawaiian Islands, while marine debris and the impacts from fisheries are causing problems in the uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, although their nearshore reefs are still in very good condition. Runoff the No. 1 problem for reef along the Main Islands
Unlike the more inaccessible Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, the Main Islands face a host of concerns related to population growth, urbanization and an increase in tourism. Urban development and agriculture are the most significant threats to Hawaiian coral reefs because of runoff containing sediments (soil and silt) and chemicals and nutrients from lawns, farms, golf courses, construction sites, storm drains, cesspools and septic tanks. Sediment runoff is bad because it reduces sunlight penetration and smothers corals. The reef then starves to death because it can’t manufacture food from sunlight any longer. Chemical herbicides and pesticides harm not only the coral, but also the animals that live within the reef, while fertilizers and sewage can lead to an overabundance of nutrients in the water and an excessive growth of algae which, in turn, crowds out corals or smothers them by cutting off their sunlight.
Overfishing depletes supplies, threatens reef ecosystem
Commercial, subsistence and recreational fishing during the past century have taken a toll on nearshore fish stocks, but the exact toll isn’t known. There is uncertainty of the actual number of catches because commercial fishers tend to under-report their catches, and there are many recreational and subsistence fishers without licensing or reporting requirements. The problem of recreational and subsistence fishing is difficult to resolve because these activities are important in Hawaii, where about 35 percent of Hawaiian residents fish. As a result of both under-reporting and unlicensing, little information exists on the status of most reef fish populations. Yet some studies done in Hawaii have shown that recreational fishers take a higher diversity of species with a wider variety of gear types than do commercial fishers and that recreational catches were equal to or greater than the commercial catches for some species.
Commercial fishing without a license, or poaching, is another problem for the Main Hawaiian Islands. If fishers take undersized fish and invertebrates, or fish out of season, it hurts the ocean environment because these juvenile animals haven’t had a chance to reproduce, yet. Moreover, long, inexpensive gill nets allow fishers to set nets deeper and harvest fish in areas once unreachable by fishers’ nets.
Overfishing and poaching mainly occur because Hawaii lacks marine enforcement and imposes minimal fines when enforcement does occur – meaning that there is no incentive for people to abide fisheries management regulations.
As for the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, their remote location largely protects them from the harms linked to commercial, subsistence and recreational fishing, as well as from the harms linked to aquarium fishing. However, underwater overfishing in these islands is leading to a decline in lobsters, and a decline in lobsters endangers the Hawaiian monk seal, for which lobsters are an important food source.
Just enjoying the water can pose a threat
Although Hawaii is a popular tourist destination and welcomes visitors, recreation – including snorkeling, scuba diving and swimming – can compound the reefs’ struggle to survive. Marine debris, such as discarded fishing gear, can damage the reef, as can waste dumping from cruise and other pleasure ships. And taking a dip in a reef simply to admire its beauty has its drawbacks as well, because so many of us like to do that. In fact, this type of recreational overuse threatens the reef. Whether by accident or by intention – stepping on reefs can damage or even kill them.
A notable example of solving the problem of recreational overuse can be found in Hanauma Bay, known as O‘ahu’s premier spot for snorkeling and diving. During the 1980s, as many as 10,000 visitors enjoyed the bay daily, or about 3 million annually. Then, in 1990, the City and County of Honolulu enacted a plan to stop the neglect, restore the bay to a healthy state and safeguard the fragile marine life for the future. The plan includes a fish feeding ban, a requirement that all visitors view an educational video before going down to the bay, a ban on fishing, as well as a ban on smoking and alcoholic beverages. Furthermore, the city bus service to the bay is limited now to one bus arrival every half-hour. Parking along Kalanianaole Highway, which leads to the bay from Honolulu and from O‘ahu’s northeast side, was also prohibited. As a result of these regulations, the number of visitors dropped from 10,000 in the 1980s to 3,000 visitors daily today, or from about 3 million annually during the 1980s to about 1 million annually today. This has led to the bay’s recovery, with the biomass now measuring three to four times larger than the estimated abundance for most reef sites on Oahu.
Underwater life not immune to deadly alien species
Because of Hawaii’s unique ecosystem, where many species are endemic and the reef is diverse, alien species pose another threat. Alien species are organisms that have been moved from their native habitat to a new one, where they cause harm, sometimes out-competing native species or bringing new parasites and diseases with them, while native species lack defense systems to ward off the effects of these threats.
Since 1950, 19 new species of macroalgae have been introduced to Oahu, and studies show that these alien algae have overgrown and killed some coral in Kaneohe Bay on Oahu’s southeast coast. Sometimes, the effects of an alien invasion can completely alter an ecosystem. According to one study, a combination of invading alien species and runoff has led to massive blooms of foreign algae, with the result that they have overtaken native algae and reduced the diversity and complexity of some coral reef beds (Eldredge, Reaser: Coral Reefs: Invaded Ecosystems).
Aquarium fishing in Hawai‘i’s coral reefs:
Love for marine creatures’ beauty puts them at risk
Beyond the need for fish as food, the human desire to possess fish and other marine life for their beauty also takes toll on Hawaii’s coral reef. The U.S. aquarium fish industry reports that it obtains most if its ornamental fish and invertebrates from Hawaii’s waters. The annual harvest of aquarium fish in Hawaii more than quadrupled in a little more than 20 years, going from 90,000 harvested in 1973 to 422,823 in 1995.
Aquarium harvesters often destroy reef habitat when they collect sessile benthic invertebrates, such as the feather-duster worm, which lives attached on the bottom of the sea floor.
In 1998, the Hawaii state legislature passed a law because of conflicts among aquarium fish harvesters, commercial and subsistence fishers and environmentalists. The law declared a minimum of 30 percent of the west Hawaii Island coastline as Fish Replenishment Areas (FRAs) where aquarium fish collecting is prohibited.
What can be done to protect Hawaii’s coral reefs?
To help safeguard Hawaii’s fragile coral reef ecosystem, there are ways to get actively involved in reef protection programs. Volunteers are always needed for reef and beach clean-ups. Moreover, there are a few simple things each one of us can do. At home, residents can cut down on their use of fertilizers, pesticides and cleaning products that mostly contain chemical ingredients to limit water pollution. While fishing, it is best to limit the catch and to only take what is needed today. Don’t release non-native or aquarium fish into the ocean. It can also be harmful to throw waste in the water, or to discard old fishing nets. Even littering on the beaches can pose a threat because it can get washed into the ocean and harm the reef. Boat anchors shouldn’t be thrown on the reef, but only on a sandy bottom. And lastly, while swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving, it is best to not touch the reef or step on it since that can harm or even kill it.
If each one of us followed these simple guidelines, the reef wouldn’t be as threatened as it currently is. This colorful underwater paradise will then be there for many generations to come.
Explanation of terms
Coral reef:
An erosion-resistant marine ridge or mound consisting chiefly of compacted coral together with algal material and biochemically deposited magnesium and calcium carbonates.
Shoal:
A sandy elevation of the bottom of a body of water, constituting a hazard to navigation; a sandbank or sandbar.
Degradation:
A decline to a lower condition, quality, or level.
Gill net:
A fishing net set vertically in the water so that fish swimming into it are entangled by the gills in its mesh.
Biomass:
The total mass of living matter within a given unit of environmental area. The total mass of all living things within a given area, biotic community, species population, or habitat; a measure of total biotic productivity.
Macroalgae:
Photosynthetic (chlorophyll-containing) organisms often referred to as seaweed. Multicellular algae (green, blue-green and red algae) having filamentous, sheet or mat-like morphology.
Herbicide:
A chemical substance used to destroy or inhibit the growth of plants, especially weeds.
Pesticide:
A chemical used to kill pests, especially insects.
Fertilizer:
Natural and synthetic materials spread on or worked into soil to increase its capacity to support plant growth.
Feather-duster worm:
Feather-duster worms are native to the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Similar species can also be found along the southern coast of the United States, and in the Bahamas and the West Indies. The Feather-duster worm normally grows to a length of about 4 or 5 inches (10 or 12 centimeters). It resides in a leathery tube, which is made of secretions from the Feather Duster itself.
Sessile:
Permanently attached or fixed; not free-moving.
Benthic:
The collection of organisms living on or in sea or lake bottoms.
Important, but threatened
Stretching for more than 2000 kilometers in the Central Pacific, the Hawaiian coral reef accounts for about 85 percent of all coral reefs in the United States.
Because it is under water and not visible, the importance of the reef remains largely hidden – including its importance not only to the ocean environment and its inhabitants, but also to humans. The state of Hawaii consists of eight large, populated islands, also called the Main Hawaiian Islands, and 124 small, uninhabited islands, reefs and shoals, the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, where the majority of the Hawaiian coral reef, about 70 percent of it, is located.
Coral reef support marine and terrestrial life
Even though they may appear to be nothing but rock, reefs are alive. Corals give reefs their structure. The limestone skeletons of living coral, the hard skeletal remains of dead coral and a soft type of coral provide structure for a reef, offering habitat and food to the many fish and invertebrates, including lobsters, octopus and crabs that live around it. And algae – more than 500 species live in Hawaii’s coral reef alone – not only provide fish with food, but also provide life-sustaining oxygen for all marine life. In fact, the oceans’ algae provide more oxygen than all land plants worldwide combined. About one-fourth of the plants, fish, and invertebrates found in the Hawaiian coral reef are endemic to Hawaii, meaning that they can’t be found anywhere else on Earth. In the past, reef fish provided Hawaiians with the majority of their protein. And, of course, reef fish continue to be a dietary staple for many people inhabiting and visiting Hawaii.
In addition to providing humans with food, reefs protect shorelines from erosion and storm damage by dissipating wave energy and limiting the impact of strong waves. Also, the sandy beaches enjoyed by island residents and visitors alike only exist because of Hawaii’s coral reef. Beach sand’s main components are dead fragments of coral, shells and calcified algae. But the reef is also responsible for creating the big Hawaiian waves. The shape of the reef is one factor in determining how big a wave gets.In addition to all of this, the reef provides diverse recreational opportunities, such as snorkeling and diving, making Hawaii a top tourist destination for people around the world, generating about $800 million a year for Hawaii’s marine tourism industry.
Human activities put reef in peril
Despite the coral reef’s importance, it suffers from degradation that began about 100 years ago as Westerners began to arrive in ever-increasing numbers. Today, urbanization, overfishing, alien species, marine debris and recreational overuse plague the Main Hawaiian Islands, while marine debris and the impacts from fisheries are causing problems in the uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, although their nearshore reefs are still in very good condition. Runoff the No. 1 problem for reef along the Main Islands
Unlike the more inaccessible Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, the Main Islands face a host of concerns related to population growth, urbanization and an increase in tourism. Urban development and agriculture are the most significant threats to Hawaiian coral reefs because of runoff containing sediments (soil and silt) and chemicals and nutrients from lawns, farms, golf courses, construction sites, storm drains, cesspools and septic tanks. Sediment runoff is bad because it reduces sunlight penetration and smothers corals. The reef then starves to death because it can’t manufacture food from sunlight any longer. Chemical herbicides and pesticides harm not only the coral, but also the animals that live within the reef, while fertilizers and sewage can lead to an overabundance of nutrients in the water and an excessive growth of algae which, in turn, crowds out corals or smothers them by cutting off their sunlight.
Overfishing depletes supplies, threatens reef ecosystem
Commercial, subsistence and recreational fishing during the past century have taken a toll on nearshore fish stocks, but the exact toll isn’t known. There is uncertainty of the actual number of catches because commercial fishers tend to under-report their catches, and there are many recreational and subsistence fishers without licensing or reporting requirements. The problem of recreational and subsistence fishing is difficult to resolve because these activities are important in Hawaii, where about 35 percent of Hawaiian residents fish. As a result of both under-reporting and unlicensing, little information exists on the status of most reef fish populations. Yet some studies done in Hawaii have shown that recreational fishers take a higher diversity of species with a wider variety of gear types than do commercial fishers and that recreational catches were equal to or greater than the commercial catches for some species.
Commercial fishing without a license, or poaching, is another problem for the Main Hawaiian Islands. If fishers take undersized fish and invertebrates, or fish out of season, it hurts the ocean environment because these juvenile animals haven’t had a chance to reproduce, yet. Moreover, long, inexpensive gill nets allow fishers to set nets deeper and harvest fish in areas once unreachable by fishers’ nets.
Overfishing and poaching mainly occur because Hawaii lacks marine enforcement and imposes minimal fines when enforcement does occur – meaning that there is no incentive for people to abide fisheries management regulations.
As for the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, their remote location largely protects them from the harms linked to commercial, subsistence and recreational fishing, as well as from the harms linked to aquarium fishing. However, underwater overfishing in these islands is leading to a decline in lobsters, and a decline in lobsters endangers the Hawaiian monk seal, for which lobsters are an important food source.
Just enjoying the water can pose a threat
Although Hawaii is a popular tourist destination and welcomes visitors, recreation – including snorkeling, scuba diving and swimming – can compound the reefs’ struggle to survive. Marine debris, such as discarded fishing gear, can damage the reef, as can waste dumping from cruise and other pleasure ships. And taking a dip in a reef simply to admire its beauty has its drawbacks as well, because so many of us like to do that. In fact, this type of recreational overuse threatens the reef. Whether by accident or by intention – stepping on reefs can damage or even kill them.
A notable example of solving the problem of recreational overuse can be found in Hanauma Bay, known as O‘ahu’s premier spot for snorkeling and diving. During the 1980s, as many as 10,000 visitors enjoyed the bay daily, or about 3 million annually. Then, in 1990, the City and County of Honolulu enacted a plan to stop the neglect, restore the bay to a healthy state and safeguard the fragile marine life for the future. The plan includes a fish feeding ban, a requirement that all visitors view an educational video before going down to the bay, a ban on fishing, as well as a ban on smoking and alcoholic beverages. Furthermore, the city bus service to the bay is limited now to one bus arrival every half-hour. Parking along Kalanianaole Highway, which leads to the bay from Honolulu and from O‘ahu’s northeast side, was also prohibited. As a result of these regulations, the number of visitors dropped from 10,000 in the 1980s to 3,000 visitors daily today, or from about 3 million annually during the 1980s to about 1 million annually today. This has led to the bay’s recovery, with the biomass now measuring three to four times larger than the estimated abundance for most reef sites on Oahu.
Underwater life not immune to deadly alien species
Because of Hawaii’s unique ecosystem, where many species are endemic and the reef is diverse, alien species pose another threat. Alien species are organisms that have been moved from their native habitat to a new one, where they cause harm, sometimes out-competing native species or bringing new parasites and diseases with them, while native species lack defense systems to ward off the effects of these threats.
Since 1950, 19 new species of macroalgae have been introduced to Oahu, and studies show that these alien algae have overgrown and killed some coral in Kaneohe Bay on Oahu’s southeast coast. Sometimes, the effects of an alien invasion can completely alter an ecosystem. According to one study, a combination of invading alien species and runoff has led to massive blooms of foreign algae, with the result that they have overtaken native algae and reduced the diversity and complexity of some coral reef beds (Eldredge, Reaser: Coral Reefs: Invaded Ecosystems).
Aquarium fishing in Hawai‘i’s coral reefs:
Love for marine creatures’ beauty puts them at risk
Beyond the need for fish as food, the human desire to possess fish and other marine life for their beauty also takes toll on Hawaii’s coral reef. The U.S. aquarium fish industry reports that it obtains most if its ornamental fish and invertebrates from Hawaii’s waters. The annual harvest of aquarium fish in Hawaii more than quadrupled in a little more than 20 years, going from 90,000 harvested in 1973 to 422,823 in 1995.
Aquarium harvesters often destroy reef habitat when they collect sessile benthic invertebrates, such as the feather-duster worm, which lives attached on the bottom of the sea floor.
In 1998, the Hawaii state legislature passed a law because of conflicts among aquarium fish harvesters, commercial and subsistence fishers and environmentalists. The law declared a minimum of 30 percent of the west Hawaii Island coastline as Fish Replenishment Areas (FRAs) where aquarium fish collecting is prohibited.
What can be done to protect Hawaii’s coral reefs?
To help safeguard Hawaii’s fragile coral reef ecosystem, there are ways to get actively involved in reef protection programs. Volunteers are always needed for reef and beach clean-ups. Moreover, there are a few simple things each one of us can do. At home, residents can cut down on their use of fertilizers, pesticides and cleaning products that mostly contain chemical ingredients to limit water pollution. While fishing, it is best to limit the catch and to only take what is needed today. Don’t release non-native or aquarium fish into the ocean. It can also be harmful to throw waste in the water, or to discard old fishing nets. Even littering on the beaches can pose a threat because it can get washed into the ocean and harm the reef. Boat anchors shouldn’t be thrown on the reef, but only on a sandy bottom. And lastly, while swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving, it is best to not touch the reef or step on it since that can harm or even kill it.
If each one of us followed these simple guidelines, the reef wouldn’t be as threatened as it currently is. This colorful underwater paradise will then be there for many generations to come.
Explanation of terms
Coral reef:
An erosion-resistant marine ridge or mound consisting chiefly of compacted coral together with algal material and biochemically deposited magnesium and calcium carbonates.
Shoal:
A sandy elevation of the bottom of a body of water, constituting a hazard to navigation; a sandbank or sandbar.
Degradation:
A decline to a lower condition, quality, or level.
Gill net:
A fishing net set vertically in the water so that fish swimming into it are entangled by the gills in its mesh.
Biomass:
The total mass of living matter within a given unit of environmental area. The total mass of all living things within a given area, biotic community, species population, or habitat; a measure of total biotic productivity.
Macroalgae:
Photosynthetic (chlorophyll-containing) organisms often referred to as seaweed. Multicellular algae (green, blue-green and red algae) having filamentous, sheet or mat-like morphology.
Herbicide:
A chemical substance used to destroy or inhibit the growth of plants, especially weeds.
Pesticide:
A chemical used to kill pests, especially insects.
Fertilizer:
Natural and synthetic materials spread on or worked into soil to increase its capacity to support plant growth.
Feather-duster worm:
Feather-duster worms are native to the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Similar species can also be found along the southern coast of the United States, and in the Bahamas and the West Indies. The Feather-duster worm normally grows to a length of about 4 or 5 inches (10 or 12 centimeters). It resides in a leathery tube, which is made of secretions from the Feather Duster itself.
Sessile:
Permanently attached or fixed; not free-moving.
Benthic:
The collection of organisms living on or in sea or lake bottoms.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Lost Baggage / Hawaii
So while on my trip to Maui, to dive with the dolphins and swim with the fat people. I made my way from California to Maui where i thought things were going to be exciting off the plane. To say the least. We arrived on 12/20/07 to spend the holidays over on the islands and was supprised to be standing at the luggage claim without my families gear, we sat there for 26 minutes along with about 100 people on 4-6 different airlines for us to have to goto the counter fighting our way to the manager to assist us in finding our bags. Not one bag but 9 bags for 5 people. Needless to say we didnt get it back for 3 days which was tough. Washing the same clothes and being cheap to buy new stuff, and spend that extra money during the holidays.
We made many calls 2-3 times a day to Aloha Airlines to get our stuff and was reported that there was 52 members still at the time of us getting our stuff that their stuff still didnt make it to islands.. I wish them the best and makes me want to carry this stuff on the plane with me next time. It was a good way to piss 5 family members off..
Keywords:
Advance Scuba training, Adventure Sports, Basic Open Water, Digital Underwater Photography, Extreme Scuba and Jason Kilgore, family travel, Hawaii reef divers, NAUI, scuba rental gear, sharks, Digital Underwater Photography, discount travel, Enriched Air, Hawaii Scuba Diving, Hawaiian Islands sight seeing, ITAN, Kona, NAUI, NOAA, other specialty certifications, sharks, SSI, TDI/SDI, airlines, family travel, family vacations, Hawaii reef divers, Hawaiian Islands, hotels, Jason Kilgore, Maui, scuba certification, scuba diving, scuba rental gear, snorkel/fins, vacation, Basic Open Water, Digital Underwater Photography, Extreme Scuba and Jason Kilgore, Hawaiian Islands, PADI Divemaster SCUBA Certification, Snorkel Bob, Snorkling/Fin, TDI/SDI, Underwater Instructors
We made many calls 2-3 times a day to Aloha Airlines to get our stuff and was reported that there was 52 members still at the time of us getting our stuff that their stuff still didnt make it to islands.. I wish them the best and makes me want to carry this stuff on the plane with me next time. It was a good way to piss 5 family members off..
Keywords:
Advance Scuba training, Adventure Sports, Basic Open Water, Digital Underwater Photography, Extreme Scuba and Jason Kilgore, family travel, Hawaii reef divers, NAUI, scuba rental gear, sharks, Digital Underwater Photography, discount travel, Enriched Air, Hawaii Scuba Diving, Hawaiian Islands sight seeing, ITAN, Kona, NAUI, NOAA, other specialty certifications, sharks, SSI, TDI/SDI, airlines, family travel, family vacations, Hawaii reef divers, Hawaiian Islands, hotels, Jason Kilgore, Maui, scuba certification, scuba diving, scuba rental gear, snorkel/fins, vacation, Basic Open Water, Digital Underwater Photography, Extreme Scuba and Jason Kilgore, Hawaiian Islands, PADI Divemaster SCUBA Certification, Snorkel Bob, Snorkling/Fin, TDI/SDI, Underwater Instructors
Monday, December 17, 2007
GREAT KEY WORDS
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Advance Scuba training, Adventure Sports, airlines, Basic Open Water, Digital Underwater Photography, discount travel, Divemaster scuba, Enriched Air, Extreme Scuba and Jason Kilgore, family travel, family vacations, Hawaii reef divers, Hawaii Scuba Diving, Hawaiian Islands, Hawaiian Islands sight seeing, hotels, Jason Kilgore, Kona, Maui, scuba certification, other specialty certifications, NAUI, NOAA, scuba diving, scuba rental gear, sharks, SSI, TDI/SDI, Underwater Instructors, vacation, Scuba and Jason Kilgore, Naui and Jason Kilgore, Whalens Hotel/Resort, How to scuba dive, skin diving, snorkel, mask, fins, maui divers, dive shops, scuba dive shops, cave diving, ice diving, wreck diving
Hawaii scuba diving
Hawaii scuba diving offers a great variety of beautiful tropical fish and some lovely coral formations throughout the island chain. Scuba diving in Hawaii , on Maui or Kauai for example is a great way to enjoy the marine life of the islands. Scuba diving resorts, operators, dive shops and dive boats are available throughout Hawaii . Enjoy the warm water dives while seeing large green sea turtles, sharks and hundreds of vibrantly colored fish.
Check out the listings below and in the Scubaduba Directory and discover the best that scuba diving Hawaii can offer.
Check out the listings below and in the Scubaduba Directory and discover the best that scuba diving Hawaii can offer.
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