June Seawords by Marine Option Program

Seaw rds The Marine Option Program Newsletter

June 2013

MAUI A FISHERMAN’S CAUSE SEA SEMESTER PHOTOS FROM MOP ALUMNUS AMBER SIMON

8 “ Do Sea Semester, it’s so worth it! Apply for financial aid and you won’t regret it! ”

JUNE 2013 The Maui Issue Contents: Page 4: Student Perspective Page 6: Maui Whale Sanctuary Page 8: A Maui Fisherman Works to Save the Birds Page 10: Sea Semester Page 12: Generation Blue Page 14: Maui Ocean Center Page 16: Marine Life Photography Page 18: Critter of the Month

Cover Photo: This month’s cover photo is courtesy of friend of the Marine Option Program, Don Mcleish. The photo on this page is of MOP students hiking along the Kapalua Coastal Trail, more details are on the following pages. Back Photo: Amber Simon/UH Maui MOP

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Volume XXVII, Number 6, June 2013 Editor: Naomi Lugo Associate Editor: James Stone Assistant Editor: Kathryn Lam Dr. Cynthia Hunter (éminence grise) Seawords- Marine Option Program University of Hawai‘i, College of Natural Sciences 2450 Campus Road, Dean Hall 105A Honolulu, HI 96822-2219 Telephone: (808) 956-8433, Fax: (808) 956-2417 E-mail: <seawords@hawaii.edu> Website: <www.hawaii.edu/mop> Seawords is a monthly newsletter of the Marine Option Program at the University of Hawai‘i. Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Marine Option Program or of the University of Hawai‘i Suggestions and submissions are welcome. Submissions may include articles, photographs, art work, or anything that may be of interest to the marine community in Hawai‘i and around the world. All photos are taken by MOP unless otherwise credited.

Nikki Gutlay, UHM MOP

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Kapalua Coastal Trail: After the MOP student symposium, which was held on Maui this year. Students and staff hiked along the Western coastline along the Kapalua trail and then snorkeled at a nearby beach. This photo shows one MOP student as she explores the reef.

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STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

Nikki Gutlay/UHM MOP

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Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary: MAUI Kathryn Lam, Assistant Editor

he Hawaiian Islands are breeding grounds for humpback whales in addition to being places for them to calve and nurse. The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, or HIHWNMS, was founded in 1992 by Congress in order to preserve the North Pacific Humpback Whale. In 1998, NOAA and the Governor at the time, Benjamin J. Cayetano, signed an agreement that said NOAA and the State of Hawai‘i would “manage the sanctuary through a cooperative partnership and consult on all management activities throughout the sanctuary.” Populations of this species, also listed as endangered on the IUCUN Red List, appear to be increasing. In order to maintain the safety and habitat of the humpback whale, humans are restricted from getting within 100 yards of a humpback unless authorized under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), In addition, taking humpback whales from the sanctuary, owning a whole or parts of a humpback whale either dead or alive, polluting the sanctuary, or interfering with officials’ work in the sanctuary are prohibited activities. Fishing activities are not regulated by the sanctuary currently as they do not have the authority, but data has shown that the majority of fishing does not have impact on humpback whales and the sanctuary has acknowledged the importance of fishing for cultural and recreation.

Coordinator for the sanctuary says that, “Volunteers get the satisfaction of doing public outreach on behalf of the ocean.” Some of the volunteer programs include helping at the visitor center with school groups, monitoring water quality, community outreach, lecturing at the sanctuary, and administrative support. The annual Ocean Count project allows the community to help monitor humpback whale migrations around the islands. “The Maui Kihei site differs from the other offices, like Hawai‘i or Kaua‘i. We have the only visitor’s center of all the locations,” said Abraham. HIHWNMS also has a monthly newsletter that allows volunteers to stay updated with the sanctuary’s efforts and share their stories of their volunteer experiences. The sanctuary also offers an Ocean Awareness Training seminar that all new volunteers are encouraged to attend.

here are many ways to get involved with the HIHWNMS, and those who wish to volunteer can generally find something that fits with their talents.

To find out more information, you can go online to: http:// hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/

The sanctuary also helps with nonhumpback whale related issues such as landscaping and taking care of native plants and helping stranded or injured sea turtles along the beaches of South Maui.

he sanctuary relies on the help of volunteers and offers many programs in which volunteers can get involved through their offices on O‘ahu, Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i, and Maui. Ka’au Abraham, the Maui Island

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Photo Credit: Ed Lyman/NOAA

The visitors center is located in Kīhei, Maui and is open Monday through Friday from 1-3 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Loss of the Reefs of the Marshall Islands Logan Magad-Weiss, UHM MOP

Photo Credit: pangeaseed.org

r. Dean Jacobson is a coral ecologist at the College of the Marshall Islands. Lately in the Marshall Islands, there have been projects by businesses such as Pacific International Inc. to dredge the Marshall Islands fragile reefs, in order to increase coastal development. Coral dredging is the removal of coral from the reef, after which the reef can be permanently altered. This permanent alteration is a result of the sediment that is released into the water column following the dredging. Corals are very temperamental creatures, and require clear water in order for the algae that live within their tissues to photosynthesize. Dr. Dean Jacobson has been on the frontline of this issue, and has battled to prevent the dredging of the Marshall Islands reefs. According to Jacobson, “this coral reef has an unusual abundance of fish compared to most other lagoon

reefs, including a spawning site where thousands of surgeonfish gather each month.” Such a rich ecosystem must be protected. According to the International Earth System Expert Workshop on Ocean Stresses and Impacts, “we now face losing marine species and entire marine ecosystems, such as coral reefs.” The reefs that makeup the Marshall Islands are some of the few remaining healthy reef ecosystems left on the planet, and have avoided issues with bleaching, and disease.

eefs such as those on the island of Maui have not been so lucky. The state government of Hawaii has been monitoring 9 reefs on Maui since 1999 for growth, or decline in coral cover since 1999. Of those 9 reefs, only the reef at Kanahena Bay experienced any coral growth. According to the

study, the mean coral cover dropped from 35% in 1999 down to 27% in 2006. This trend of losing coral cover is suspected to be the result of human impact, and invasive algae. It is particularly bad on the west side of the island, according to the Hawaiian government, “anthropogenic impacts from shoreline development and human use are likely greatest”. This loss of coral habitat is not something to be taken likely. Maui is an example of what can and will happen if coral reefs are not cared for. Reefs globally face a similar issue, and entire ecosystems can be lost if we do not act. Through efforts of scientists such as Dr. Jacobson, the voice of the reef is not being drowned out.

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MAUI FISHERMAN WORKS TO SAVE THE BIRDS Kathryn Lam, Assistant Editor blogs.alohaliving.com

n March 2013, Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources honored Iaso Nakagawa of Maui with the “Harvard Kennedy School for Public Leadership Award for Innovations in Government” for his efforts to protect wedge-tailed shearwaters. Nakagawa, a fisherman and retired employee of the Maui Land & Pineapple Company, played a large role in bringing awareness to a threatened colony of wedgetailed shearwaters in West Maui. Shearwaters are birds that spend most of their life at sea yet dig burrows for shelter and nesting. While the IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, lists the wedge-tailed shearwater on their Least Concerned list, there are indications that some populations are declining.

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www.socalbirding.com

“Every time I wen’ fish, I seen these big, beautiful birds dead on the trail,” Nakagawa told Kyle Ellison of mauimagazine.net. “One day I wen’ see twentytwo birds on the ground. I knew something had to be done.” akagawa contacted the Department of Land and Natural Resources who helped him to set traps for the shearwaters and band them. When Nakagawa started his campaign, only 16 burrows of shearwaters were known to the officials of Maui. According to mauimagazine. net, the colony grew from only 6 birds in 2001 to over 250 juveniles in 2006. Now, there are over 1,000 burrows in the colony-- the largest colony on the island.

The Kapalua Coastal Trail runs through the colony and is protected by the Maui Coastal Land Trust and the Kapalua Resort. Both groups monitor traps for

Photos: Nikki Gutlay/UHM MOP

predators of the juvenile shearwaters such as feral cats and mongooses. Other conservation efforts include restoring native plants in the undergrowth. Not only will this mechanism help native plants get a stronger foothold in the area but it will also deter those who might otherwise step off the trail to stay on it. These plants will also make it harder for potential predators to reach the nesting sites. Nakagawaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activism shows that people of all ages can set things right-- and one person really can have a large effect on the Earth and its delicate ecosystem.

UHM MOP

Iaso Nakagawa, a Maui fisherman, worked to save a colony of wedge-tailed shearwaters on the Kapalua Coastal Trail.

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SEA SEMESTER A Q&A with Maui MOP student, and Recent Sea Semester Alumna Christina Wine At the MOP symposium, you presented your time on Sea Semester. How did you get afϐiliated with the program? I actually saw a poster up in Donna’s classroom, she’s my Marine Option (Program) professor and I picked a postcard off the wall and just mailed it in and they sent me a packet. How long was your trip and where did you get to travel through? It was four weeks. We had no port stops, but we went over from Honolulu to California, so we sailed under the Golden Gate, up along the North Pacific Subtropical dryer. We followed the winds, shho, it took a long time.

What type of knowledge did you need to h

We studied oceanography and we learned celest studies, which are like humanities, policies and much. There’s this kind of mess of the law’s and out who’s responsibility it is and who should be be following as they leave their home country. W are basics of sailing. We worked really hard to d research project and once we got on the ship it a out there and we were like, “this is why we need

Can you explain what you did with the cele

Were there any other MOP students? No, I was the only one from Hawai‘i, but I’m spreading it around. So hopefully more MOP students will go! What type of research did you do? The ship was equipped with nets and carousals we could take down so we could take all kinds of data on the quality of the water. Whatever water we were going through, we had info about it all the time and we had nets that were on the surface and nets that were down to 500-1000 meters deep and pick up critters from deep down under. We’d run science about twice a day and we’d pick up current data and wind data and we were recording the weather. We were sending weather into NOAA. Did you know what type of research you would be doing before you went? (We) actually had to change our research project, because we wanted to do floating pelagic organisms. But no barnacles floated by for the first couple weeks, we (had) been picking up whatever’s been floating by and there are little communities growing on the little pieces of plastic—so we started studying those. What was the most interesting thing that you found? The creatures that we picked up from the deep nets! Even the ones that come up on the air interface one. They are just creatures that you don’t think about. They aren’t in textbooks, you think, “oh yeah there’s fish in the ocean, there’s crabs and things,” you don’t think about these little alien looking creatures. We couldn’t even ID them half the time! Just realizing how much we don’t know is really amazing. It was cool.

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We shot sun lines every day. It’s to get latitude. shoot the sun. We’d find out what angle the sun almanac and figure out where you are and kind your ships log, but that can be effected by curre wrong you were! Between those two, we figure shot stars on clear nights.

What was it like on the ship? Your daily lif

We were split into watches. Basically, it was six watches. We had 24 students, eight students in e really hard together and so we’d either be on de in the lab doing science. Sometimes we’d call o over; we’d always be in communication. We go ship science. The food was really good! We nev somehow.

Why would you recommend this to other M

I would recommend it because there’s nothing e can learn anywhere else. It’s like a mini-lifetime one thing. We were tired all the time, we were w was really good. We got to learn how to use all cool was that I got to go to the Pacific Ocean. T got to see just a little bit of that! Anything you’d like to add?

Do Sea Semester, it’s so worth it! Apply for fina

HOW TO APPLY

have prior?

tial navigation and some maritime how no one rules the ocean pretty d how everyone is trying to figure e determining what the ships should We learned nautical science, which develop our proposals for our all kind of clicked in place. We got ded to learn this!”

To get started on your journey, head to the Sea Semester website at www.sea.edu/ admissions.

estial navigation?

At noon we’d take sextants and is above us. We’d use the nautical of guess where you are based on ent and stuff. Then you find out how out where we are. Then we also

fe?

x-hour watches and four-hour each watch. We’d eat, sleep, work eck, which is running the ship or over if we needed to move the sails ot to learn sailing, science and all the ver had enough sleep, but it worked

There you will find a list of items and forms that you will need to fill out in order to apply for the program.

MOP students?

else like it. You learn more than you e...how to get along with people is working really hard. Also the science sorts of equipment. What was really There’s so much in the ocean and we

ancial aid and you won’t regret it!

Photo: sea.edu

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GENERATION

BL UE

THE OCEAN SPANS OVER 70 PERCENT OF OUR WORLD. It is responsible for regulating temperature, food production, sustaining numerous marine species, and is a source for inspiration among multiple other things. The ocean gives us so much and it is time for us to return the favor and take actions to make the ocean ecosystem healthy again. Almost every action that we take affects the ocean in some way. Our everyday choices can be tailored to support a healthy ocean. Here are some examples of green acts that will keep the ocean blue.

Actions for the Ocean

WAIT AT LEAST 15 MINUTES AFTER APPLYING SUNSCREEN BEFORE YOU JUMP IN THE OCEAN. A report published in 2008 by U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health stated that about 4000 to 6000 metric tons of sunscreen gets into the ocean each year. All of the chemicals are getting to the coral, which can be very sensitive to the stuff. To limit your impact, wait for your sunscreen to dry for at least 15 minutes before getting into the ocean. If you can, take it one step further and try and only use coral-friendly sunscreen.

Photo: Amazon.com MOP

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VOLUNTEER AT THE HUMPBACK WHALE NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY. Check out our article on page 6 for more details, but to do your part, volunteer at your local sanctuary. It can be a valuable learning experience, as well as a way to give back to the terrestrial and aquatic community.

MAKE TIME TO SEE THE OTHER ISLANDS. Whether your based in Maui or Hilo, make sure that you get out to see the other islands of Hawaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;i. There are other ecologically rich sites to be studied and just admired. Just make sure to plan your trips, and travel in the most green means.

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Maui Ocean Center

Photos of Maui Ocean Center employee, and Maui MOP stude afforded the opportunity to get up close and personal with man sharks and rays of the Maui Ocean Center’s 750 thousand gallo

Naomi N. Lugo, Editor

THE HAWAIIAN AQUARIUM UH Maui College MOP student Eden Zang came out to Hawai‘bi for the whales, and to join MOP--which she had heard about through a Google search in her her native Arizona. After joining, Zang gained employment at the Maui Ocean Center to get better connected to the subject matter. “I love being in the ocean and seeing all their (marine animals) different behaviors, but being able to have that intimate relationship with them (as a result of being apart of the aquarium)... it’s really a special experience,” said Zang. The Maui Ocean Center only showcases marine animals that can be found within the Hawaiian islands, which makes it a unique spectacle. “We do 99% of the collecting ourselves,” said Zang. She also said that the animals are collected within a close proximity of the aquarium and after their stays in the facility, they can 14|

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be returned. “I think it’s special that they can be ambassadors for their species...and then we’re able to return them out to the ocean to continue living their wild lives. I really appreciate that part of the aquarium.” SWIMMING WITH SHARKS “There’s no other experience like jumping in a 750 thousand gallon aquarium with 21 sharks,” Zang said about diving in the aquarium’s predator tank. A part of Zang’s job at the aquarium includes public outreach. She has been within the center’s enormous shark tank as a diver though a communication system to answer the public’s questions and to quell any misconceptions that they may have on the animals in the tank. According to the aquarium’s website, the tank can include a, “tiger shark, hammerhead shark, blacktip

ent, Eden Zang. Through her employment, Zang is ny different types of marine life. This includes the on aquarium. Photos courtesy of Eden Zang,

reef shark, grey reef shark, whitetip reef shark, sandbar shark, spotted eagle ray, broad stingray,” and other native fishes. Diving in the shark tank also affords Zang the opportunity to see the sharks and rays up close. “It’s a very special experience to be able to have that contact...and see them look at you, and you look at them.” says Zang, “You just don’t get that anywhere else.” STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES Zang says that, “we always try to find ways to partner with MOP students. We would love to work with students who are interested and passionate about marine life.” If you are interested in working at the Maui Ocean

Center you should contact Education Director Erin Iberg at iberg@mauioceancenter.com. There may be opportunities to help out in various aspects of the aquarium from public outreach, to working with the animals. For more infromation, visit the Center’s website at: www.mauioceancenter.com

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MAUI WILDLIFE Words and photographs by Amber Simon, MOP Alumnus, University of Hawai‘i - Maui College

Monachus schauinslandi, the Hawaiian monk seal, also known as `Ilio-holo-i-ka-uaua which means dog who runs in roug was named the State Mammal of Hawai‘i in 2008. Currently there are only about 1,100 Hawaiian monk seals left and pictur is one of them. R017 is a thirteen year-old female who last gave birth in April 2011. She has been seen all throughout the Ha Islands hauling herself out on beaches to rest. R017 has an identifiable scar on her right side left by a cookie-cutter shar natural bleach mark on her left side.

Chelonia mydas, also known as honu is seen in this photo hauled out at Ho‘okipa Beach Park on Maui, a well-known pr area where green sea turtles frequent to rest for the night. Efforts are in place to keep this area as secure as possible when are hauled out so as not to disturb their rest. Green sea turtles are protected species and a distance of at least 150 feet sh maintained if possible.

There have been reports of multiple Chelonia mydas nests at Ho‘okipa Beach Park. The honu hatchlings pictured here w last four of a nest that was excavated. After being given time to absorb their yolk sacs, the four were released by Hawai‘i’s D Ho‘okipa Beach Park. Four other live hatchlings and 32 eggs were released a few nights prior to these. Volunteers are con at work to protect the next generation of Hawai‘i’s honu. 16|

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gh seas, red here awaiian rk and a

rotected n turtles ould be

were the DLNR at nstantly

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Critter of the Month Seawords features marine critters seen and photographed by MOP students. Send your critters to seawords@hawaii.edu to be featured and be sent an issue of Seawords in color and a MOP sticker. (Come in after we contact you to claim your prizes). This monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s critter photo is by friend of the MOP program and cover shot photographer Don McLeish

Hawaiian Monk Seal Scientific name: Monachus schauinslandi

The Hawaiian monk seal is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, and can also be found in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiian monk seals are critically endangered with only and estimated 1200 individuals enduring. Federal law states that the public should always stay 100 feet away from the seals. If you are approached by one in the wild, it is still recommended that you maintain your distance. The maximum age that a Hawaiian monk seal can reach is about 30 years while the maximum size can be about 8 feet long and 300 pounds. If you see one in danger in the wild you can contact the Marine Mammal Stranding and Entanglement Hotline 1- 888-256-9840 or (808) 292-2372 for the Maui Marine Mammal Response Network Coordinator.

To submit photography, send an email with photographs attached to seawords@hawaii.edu

Calendar of Events at UH Sea Grant’s Hanauma Bay Education Program Marine Science in East O`ahu ***Presentations take place in the theater of the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, beginning at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday evening***

June Events Fish & Fisheries JUNE 6, 2013 Tuna, Marlin & Swordfish Oh My! An Introduction to the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries, Commission by Kara Miller, Fishery Policy Analyst, NOAA/NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office JUNE 13, 2013 Reducing Bycatch in the U.S. Tuna Industry by Dave Itano, Recreational Fisheries Coordinator, NOAA/NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office JUNE 20, 2013 Healthy Nearshore Marine Ecosystems, Abundant Fish Populations and Seafood Security in Hawai‘i, by Jason Philibotte, Director, Hawai‘i Fish Trust JUNE 27, 2013 TBA For more information or questions please contact: Hanauma Bay Education Program 100 Hanauma Bay Rd. Honolulu, HI 96825 Phone: (808) 397-5840 Email: hanauma@hawaii.edu http://hbep.seagrant.soest.hawaii.edu/

FLASHBACK: 1987 This picture depicts MOP students during a transecting project at Molokini volcanic crater. The project took place to assess any damage to the coral from dropping anchors.

Photo: Lani Teshima

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MOP & Community Events

Sun.

Mon. 1

Tues.

Wed.

Thurs. Fri.

Sat.

Shark-Tacular Month: Maui Ocean Center

8 World Oceans Day

International Surfing Day Sea Talk Series: Maui Ocean Center 6-7pm

Photo: MOP Student, Amelia Dolgin

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University of Hawai`i at Mﾄ］oa Seawords, Marine Option Program College of Natural Sciences 2450 Campus Road, Dean Hall 105A Honolulu, HI 96822-2219 Address Service Requested

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