October 2013 Seawords

Seaw rds The Marine Option Program Newsletter

October 2013

18 “ NOAA has partnered with the University of Hawai‘i to offer a hands-on (and flipperson) course introducing their students to a suite of marine underwater techniques.... ”

HONOLULU FISH AUCTION ENDEMIC AND EXCITING HAWAI‘I UHM MOP ALUMNUS STEPS INTO THE DEEP

m o r f r Lette r o t i d the E as days such li o h y n a ith m Navy a month w imal Day, n is A r e ld b r o o t c O ay, W liday etarian D official ho n u n a is World Veg rse ay (which and of cou D ), le r o e b M ess , m y u Da er Awaren gadro’s’ N c o n v a A C g t s in a t e pink lso Br celebra eawords a ctober is a S O g . n in e iv e g w e o to r Hall why we a e you love n is o e h ic m h o s w ts Month remind heir breas t — please r f e o v s o n e k io a t m s for mam -examina e lf n e li s e ly id h u t g n do mo r about you! heir docto t k s a es. Thank v o t li e v a and s s n These actio ndemic mograms. bout the e a le ic t r al a orld Anim e have an W w e , t e a u r s o is m wai‘i In this omme mic to Ha awai‘i to c e d H n f e o s ls a ie ec spe many anim ar ticle fun and som e r a e r e h this any Day. T hich made were so m w e r ) e % h 0 t 2 s a r (ove eeing to write s d r a h t a h w to choose. h ic h w m o ent les on rec animals fr ic t r a n a recent atures nd on the sue also fe a is , r r e o b d o n t t a c The O Ocean Ar e Jacob V t r a u u O d . a u r r g e ne. ds in P UHM MOP chel Shack ins and bir a h R lp , t o n d e f d o OP stu deaths

by UHM M d e t a e r c was g! for readin Thank you r Co-Edito , m a L n y --Kathr

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Volume XXVII, Number 10, October 2013 Co-Editors: James Stone Kathryn Lam Freelance: Priya Rashid, UHM MOP Student 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.

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OCTOBER 2013 Volume XXVII, Number 10 Contents: Page 2: Letter from the Editor Page 4: Table of Contents Page 6: Student Perspective: Honolulu Fish Auction Page 10: International Focus: Diana Nyad’s swim from Cuba Page 12: Ocean Art: Rachel Shackne Page 14: Endemic & exciting Hawai‘i Page 18: UHM MOP alumnus steps into the deep Page 20: Generation Blue Page 22: From driving underwater scooters to texting, Hawai‘i students learn skills for under the sea Page 24: Critter of the Month: Day Octopus Page 29: Hanauma Bay Calendar of Events Flashback Page 30: October MOP Calendar of Events

About the Photography in this Issue -Cover photo by: UHM MOP -Letter to the Editor Photo: John Coney UHH MOP Coordinator Emeritus -Table of Contents Photo: UHM MOP -Back Photo by: Jeff Kuwabara, UHM MOP Coordinator -Pink ribbon clipart: MesserWoland under Creative Commons license

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As seen on the cover...

Honolulu fish auction

By Kathryn Lam, Co-editor

Pictures and highlights from September’s early morning trip to the Honolulu fish auction.

pg 6 Endemic & exciting Hawai‘i

By Kathryn Lam, Co-Editor

pg 14

Brazil’s not the only place with really awesome wildlife, check out some of Hawai‘i’s cool and endemic marine wildlife.

UHM MOP alumnus steps into the deep

By Priya Rashid, UHM MOP Student

Recent graduate to brighten the field of underwater achaelogy.

pg 16 From driving underwater scoooters to texting, Hawai‘i students learn skills for under the sea

By Dr. Matthew Parry and Joe Inslee Photos by Jeff Kuwabara

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Honolulu Fi

Pictures and highlights from September’s early morning trip to the Ho

By Co-Editor, Kathryn Lam

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n September 19, a few UHM MOP students and UHM MOP coordinator, Jeff Kuwabara attended the Honolulu Fish Auction at 5:30 in the morning to see how the fish move from the boats to the markets.

According to John Kaneko, Hawai‘i Seafood Council Program Manager who gave UHM MOP the tour, the competition is not between the fishermen and the auctioneers, but rather among the buyers between themselves and then between the buyers and the auctioneers. The fishermen work on a commission and are able to pick up their checks at the end of the day.

However, the process of getting fish to the market is a much longer and difficult one. he fishermen who bring their catch to the auction go on long trips that often last 16 or 17 days. Each day of the trip start out early in the morning and the fishermen don’t begin to pull their lines in until around 5:00 pm later that night. On a long-line vessel, it takes from about 6:30am-11:00am to set fishing gear. The lines then sit in the water from 11:00am to 5:00pm in a process called soaking. The process then starts over the next day until the fishing trip is over. Setting up the gear is an essential part of fishing- it has to be done just right. Long-line fishermen set out about 30 miles of line. Along the line there are weights and floats that allow to line to sit in different depths in the water column. The weighted line between floats dips so that the mid point between floats is deep. Because of this, there may be a variety of fish species caught ranging from the hooks near the shallow floats or the deep weights, with an average range of 50 to 350 meters deep. Although the lines soak in the water for six hours, if there are fish on only 2% of the hooks, then that is considered a great day. On average, only 1.2% of the hooks actually have fish on them, according to Kaneko.

The fishing trips take such a long time because the

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fishermen have certain restrictions on where they can fish. They are not allowed to fish near U.S. protected areas (e.g. Hawaiian Island Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary or Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument) and if they go past 200 miles out they are fishing in international waters. The fleet out of Honolulu is the first U.S. fleet to have GPS tracking on their boats, and this helps to enforce the fishing regulations. As foreign fishing vessels are not allowed to dock in U.S. ports or be in U.S. waters, fishermen are on the lookout and will report any foreign vessels. The ban on foreign vessels in U.S. waters is also enforced by the U.S. Coast Guard. In addition, if fishermen are planning on fishing for tuna or other fish that are considered to be overfished, they must alert their bosses and the feds must come on the boat as well in order to monitor the fishing.

“When we think of fishermen we think ‘oh, they’re these cowboys out there.’ Heck no! They’re highly regulated, highly monitored!” said Kaneko. hese regulations continue past the point when the fishermen dock and unload their vessels. At the auction, how and when the fish was caught help to determine its value. How the fish can be used and the color of its meat also contibutes to its selling price. For example, a fish caught earlier in the trip will cost less than one caught later because the meat is older. In addition, the more iron a fish has (ie: the darker red the meat is), the more it will cost. Shelf life versus ready for ahi poke is also a factor. A fish destined for a can will go for far less than a fish that would make excellent sashimi or poke.

Those buying the fish then sell their product to restaurants and store owners. At the fish auction in Honolulu, potentials buyers will let the auctioneer know if they want to buy the fish. The auctioneer will only acknowledge two buyers at a time and will let them battle it out. This is quite tame in comparison to the

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STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

ish Auction

onolulu Fish Auction Left: Students listen with headsets as Kaneko explains how the fish market works.

Bottom left: A row of fish ready to be auctioned off.

Below: Moonfish waiting to be bought.

Far below: Buyers crowd around a fish as the auctioneer sets a bidding price.

Photos by: Nikki Gutlay, UHM MOP Student Coordinator and Jeff Kuwabara, UHM MOP Coordinator

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big fish auction in Japan . At the end of the auction, the fishermen, auctioneers, and buyers all go home with a prize, either a few choice fish or their salary, and the fishermen prepare for another long trip ď Ž

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Left Column Top: Kaneko stands in front of one of the fishing boats as he explains a fishermanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s day. This boat is a long liner.

Bottom: The tags on these fish indicate the boat they were caught on, the weight of the fish, their freshness (when they were caught) and what species they are-- all important information for a buyer to know.

Middle Column Top: Two types of samples are cut in order to show the quality of the fish that the buyers are about to purchase.

Middle: According to Kaneko, the light pink of this fishâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s meat means that there is less iron in it than the sample above. These fish will most likely be worth less money.

Bottom: A close up of all the gear in a long-line fishing boat. A lot of gear means a lot of time spent setting it all up just right!

Right Column Top: Kaneko explains how buyers know which fish are good for which types of eating whether it be canned, cooked or eaten raw like in sushi or poke.

Bottom: The dock and another fishing boat.

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international Diana Nyad’s swim

64-year-old American woman swims from Cuba to Florida without shark cage

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n Monday, September 2nd, of this year, longdistance swimmer Diana Nyad from New York made history, becoming the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without a cage to protect her. Nyad reached the shores of Key West roughly 53 hours after jumping in at Havana. This swim was Nyad’s fifth try in the past 35 years. Nyad is 64 and obviously still kicking. “Find a way,” was and is Nyad’s motto for the year.

Yanagihara’s protective cream for the second night and had no stings whatsoever. Each night she also wore a bodysuit, gloves and booties. But jellyfish weren’t her only worry, each member of Nyad’s team used a “Shark Shield” which created a faint, but effective electrical field around her to ward off sharks.

Two miles off of Key West, Nyad stopped swimming to address her team and said, “I’m about to swim my last two miles in the ocean. This is a English Channel lifelong dream of mine and I’m very swimmers made very glad to be with you.” Nyad’s team quite a fuss when consisted of 35 people.

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Nyad was 29 when she first attempted the swim in 1978. She also tried twice in 2011 and once in 2012, but failed on all occasions. During Nyad’s 53-hour The swim’s rules clearly state that Diana Nyad didn’t swim, she stopped only to tread water Nyad was not allowed to hold on to follow their rules. It her support boat at any time or other for food and hydration. During Nyad’s 2011 attempt to make it to Key West, isn’t the English flotation devices at any time. Her crew she was hindered by jellyfish stings that Channel. It’s a was responsible for providing her halted her progress. After that heartcompletely different with food and water. Nyad’s achievebreaking failure, she reached out to ment didn’t go unnoticed, apart from body of water...” the worlds researchers and found that being greeted by hoards of people on research professor Dr. Angel Yanagihathe shore, President Barack Obama ra from the University of Hawaii at Manoa had develtweeted a congratulations saying, “Never give up on oped a treatment for these horrific stings. Nyad asked your dreams.”

Yanagihara to develop an inhibitor to prevent tentacles from stinging in the first place. Six months later, However, some long distance swimmers made claimed that Nyad did not follow the English Channel Rules Yanagihara had a technology that did just that in field because she used protection against jellyfish and tests with local live box jellies. Thanks to this techsharks. nology, in 2012 Nyad swam through box jellies with only a minor sting to the lips, but was stopped by life n addition to providing Nyad with her locally threatening lightning storms. This year, Nyad tried a developed technologies, Yanagihara was part of silicone mask specifically designed to provide a physiNyad’s crew this year acting as her jellyfish expert cal barrier to jellyfish stings, but the mask cause bleed- and diver each night from dusk to dawn. “I was able ing sores inside her mouth so she reverted again to to provide her with a predictive model on where and

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focus:

from Cuba

By James Stone, Co-Editor

when they [jellyfish] might be. I have also developed technology that inhibits tentacle discharge and that also treats stings,” said Yanagihara, and the technology she developed is currently in the patent phase through UH. “English Channel swimmers made quite a fuss when Diana Nyad didn’t follow their rules. It isn’t the English Channel, it’s a completely different body of water,” said Yanagihara.

Nyad took to Skype to voice her opinions against the naysayers. Nyad outlined her own “Florida Straight Rules,” saying, “All those who attempt the crossing may not use flippers or a shark cage, may not leave the water, may not hold on to the boat, may not hold on to the kayak, and may not be supported by another human being. “

Nyad talking to her team while treading water.

As part of Nyad’s escort team, Yanagihara attested that, “She followed her rules perfectly. She had her own set of parameters that she was abiding by.”

Nayd also listed things that swimmers in the future would be permitted to use, such as a protective fullbody suit along with a mask to shield against jellyfish and protective creams such as Yanagihara’s “sting stopper”. It was this type of gear that raised criticism from other swimmers who claimed that the defensive gear went against the tradition of the sport itself. “It is the only way,” said Nyad, “The swim requires it. I don’t mean to fly in the face of your rules, but for my own life’s safety, a literal life-and-death measure, that’s the way we did it.” Australian long distance swimmer Chloe McCardel attempted the Cuba to Florida swim earlier this year and aborted her swim after 11 hours due to serious jellyfish stings as soon as the sun set.

Photo by: Dr. Angel Yanagihara

“I think the controversy is whether or not she followed English Channel rules,” said Yanagihara. “She definitely did not, but encouraging other global athletes to swim without a protective suit would be unethical because it puts human life at risk unnecessarily,” stated Yanagihara.

Despite the critics, Nyad she stands by her accomplishment. “I swam. We made it, our team, from the rocks of Cuba to the beach of Florida, in squeaky-clean ethical fashion.” 

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ART

by Rachel Shackne ith &A w

le Q A litt t: ar tis

the

The camera she used: Canon Rebel XSL

How she got hooked onto photography & why she loves it so much: I love photography because it’s a way to show others how you view the world. Underwater photography in particular is incredibly inspiring to me because it’s a mechanism to allow people to immerse themselves in the marine ecosystem, a world that many don’t feel any connection to. And when you see the beauty of the ocean, and the wonder it makes you feel, you have a much more real idea of why marine conservation is so important.

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Endemic & E Hawai‘i Editor’s Note: After reading two similar articles in two different diver magazines about the exotic animals of Brazil- 25 foot long snakes, fish that breathe air, and, of course, pink dolphins, and finding out that October 4 was International Animal Day, I was inspired to write an article about the cool creatures in Hawa‘i. After all, there’s no place like home.

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s the most isolated inhabited island chain in the world, the Hawaiian Islands were one of the last places settled by humans and one of the last places “discovered” by Western settlers. Ever since English explorer Captain James Cook first came to Hawai‘i in 1778, the world has had its eye on this archipelago. Besides Great Britain, the United States, Japan, and Russia have all eyed up Hawai‘i. According to wildlifeofhawaii.com, due to the isolation, the Hawaiian Islands have an “unusually high proportion” of endemic1 species. Over 20 percent of the Hawaiian reef fish are found only in the Hawaiian island chain, MOP alum Keoki Stender writes on his website, http://www. marinelifephotography.com. According to Stender, the oldest islands in the northwestern part of the chain such as Pearl & Hermes Reef, Midway Atoll and Kure Atoll have the majority of these endemic species, but there are many in the “Main Eight” as well.

Hawai‘i’s isolation has made it somewhat of a mystery as to where all the different animals species originated.

Some of the aquatic species such as the Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens) appear not only in the waters of Hawai‘i but also roughly 4,000 miles away off the east coast of Japan. On the terrestrial side of things, it’s a little easier since the only native terrestrial mammal is the Hawaiian Hoary Bat (‘Ōpe‘ape‘a; Lasiurus cinereus 1

An endemic species is a species that is native to only one place in the world.

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By Kathryn L

semotus). In addition, there are no native amphibians or terrestrial reptiles although there are two species of native marine reptiles (green and hawksbill sea turtles) and an occasional vagrant sea snake. However every marine mammal species in Hawai‘i is native like the Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi), as shown at the right.

This spread shows some of Hawai‘is’ endemic wildlife along with their Hawaiian name, scientific name, and a few fun facts about that animal’s behavior.

Animals featured: -The Hawaiian monk seal (‘Ilio-holo-i-ka-uaua; Monachus schauinslandi) -The Hawaiian stilt (Ae‘o; Himantopus mexicanus knudseni) -The Hawaiian moorhen (‘Alae ‘ula; Gallinula chloropus sandvicensis) -The Laysan duck (Anas laysanensis) -The fantail filefish (‘o’ili’uwi’uwi; Pervagor spilosoma) -The Hawaiian cleaner wrasse (Hīnālea; Labroides phthirophagus) -The white saddle goatfish (Kūmū; Parupeneus porphyreus) -The gold lace nudibranch (Halgerda terramtuentis) 

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‘I r w p m m

Exciting

Lam, Co-Editor UHM MOP

UHM MOP

UHM MOP

Did you know?

The Hawaiian name for the Hawaiian monk seal, Ilio-holo-i-ka-uaua, means “dog that runs through rough water”.

The mother monk seal nurses the baby for six weeks during which she does not eat or leave the pup’s side.

The Hawaiian monk seal is one of two species of monk seals that remain. A third, the Carribean monk seal is now extinct.

UHM MOP

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Did you know?

-According to Hawaiian legend, the Hawaiian moorhen, at left, brought fire from the gods to the people.

-The noorhen’s Hawaiian name, ‘Alea ‘ula is from the red mark on his head that is thought to be from the fire he stole for the people.

-While the moorhen is an amakua, for some families, it is also considered a bad omen by others.

Keoki Stender, UHM MOP Alum & Friend

Did you know?

-The gold lace nudibranch, pictured at right, was named in 1982

by Hans Bertsch and Scott Johnson. Johnson studied nudibranch population biology and ecology at the University of Hawai‘i -The first reported sighting of this nudibranch was in 1962 in Ala Moana, ‘Oahu.

Did you know

.

-All Hawaiian cleaner wrass When the need arises for a m and become the new male lea -Before cleaning, the Hawaii their “client”. They check it f might need to be removed an

Jeff Kuwabara, UHM MOP Coordinator

Did you know?

-The white saddle goatfish pictured at left wa named after the two whisker like extensions extend below their jaw.

-The colors of the white saddle goatfish chan depending the fish’s active or resting state w range of colors from red to purple.

-This fish is nocturnal and eats by inhaling s filtering out its prey, and then expelling the the sand back into its surrounding environm

Did you know?

Jeff Kuwabara, UHM MOP Coordinator

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-The Hawaiian Stilt, pictured at right, is pre to many introduced species including rats a bullfrogs!

-The largest population is on O‘ahu primarl the north and windward side but also can be at Pearl Harbor and along the leeward coast

Keoki Stender, UHM MOP Alum & Friend Jeff Kuwabara, UHM MOP Coordinator

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ses, pictured above, start their life out as females. male, the dominant female will change their sex ader of the “harem”. an cleaner wrasse performs a “once-over” of for all parasites, old scales, mucous, etc. that nd then set to work.

Did you know?

-Before human settlement, the Laysan duck, above, was extant, however, by 1911, the entire population was reduced only to a dozen on Laysan Island, an island in the Northwestern chain that the Laysan duck was named after. There are now fewer than 200 inhabiting the wetlands of Laysan Island & Midway Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

-Due to its’ small size, the Laysan duck is also known as the Laysan teal, which is essentially just a small duck.

as that

ge with a

sand, rest of ment.

Jeff Kuwabara, UHM MOP Coordinator

Did you know?

ey nd

ly on e found t.

Keoki Stender, UHM MOP Alum & Friend

-Pictured above, the fantail filefish is also known as the Hawaiian filefish, the fantail orange filefish, or Fantail Orange Filefish Hawai‘i.

-The fantail filefish is a relatively peaceful fish towards any fish outside of its’ genus.

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Jacob Vandor: UHM MOP Alum steps into the deep Recent graduate to brighten the field of Underwater Archaeology

By UHM MOP Student, Priya Rashid

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hile most fifteen year olds were still learning how to drive, Jacob Vandor was attending the International Maritime Heritage Conference in San Diego, where leading archaeologists and maritime historians come together to share their discoveries.

Vandor was the youngest person in attendance and the conference was just the beginning of his archaeological pursuits. His mom said to him “if this is what you want to do, prove it.”

Raised in Malibu, California, Vandor has proved not only to his mom, but to the entire scientific community that he is not only an archaeologist, but a true scholar. As a University of Hawai‘i and Marine Option Program alumnus, he is making waves in a big way.

Vandor is proof that combining passion and hard work is the key to success.

“I loved the ocean and I was really good at history.

How could I do both of them?” Vandor describes it as a balancing act, “combining something you love with

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Above photo by: John Coney, UHH MOP Coodinator Emiterus

something you are good at.” Vandor has studied in several places including Egypt, studying archaeological field techniques with Dr. Robert Littman and Dr. Jay Silverstein of University of Hawai‘i. After graduating this May with a degree in Anthropology, specializing in underwater archaeology and classics studies from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, with a MOP Certificate in Underwater Archaeology, Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude honors, he will attend the University of Haifa in Israel to pursue his master’s degree.

Vandor learned to communicate while growing up in a house full of writers. He thanks his parents for “letting him grow in his own way.” On his blog he says “tell your parents the truth as often as possible and share little victories with them. Consider your parents have invested a huge amount of time and money putting

Photos on this side of the page taken from Jacob Vandor’s blog.

you here, treat them as you would a board of directors, and you’re the investment.”

With a humble attitude and a purposeful mind, Vandor explains that you have to work hard for yourself but that people are around that want to help you. The professors and faculty want you to succeed. What is his advice to undergraduate students searching for success? “Go to class. It is half the battle.” Throughout his career he has learned about many things; he describes his knowledge base as “a mile wide and an inch deep.”

He has learned to do complex, even dangerous tasks well underwater where the environment is much more dynamic. He thanks the many people that helped him including his mentor, Dr. Hans Van Tilburg, Maritime Heritage Coordinator for the National Marine Sanctuary Program, and UHM MOP Coordinator, Jeff Kuwabara.

While most people would pursue archaeology for the adventure or fame. Vandor does it “to further the science of underwater archaeology and to further understanding of the value of our oceans, of our coasts, and of our underwater cultural and historical resources.”

He believes that “underwater archaeology is a challenging and intellectually rewarding profession.” But when asked what he thought about the future of Underwater Archaeology, he replied that he had to get more people into the field. His true calling isn’t in finding treasure or fortune but in pursuing a career in public service and scientific education. With his deep abiding love for the ocean and the history it holds, Vandor continues to live pono in his profession 

Jacob Vandor at a Glance -“Don’t just learn academically in college, learn pragmatically.”

-Vandor has studied Latin, Greek, Arabic, and Hebrew.

-Surfs daily.

-“Doing potentially dangerous things can be fun, exciting, and challenging. Being reckless about it is stupid, selfish and often fatal.”

-Vandor is a California State Lifeguard.

Want to hear more about UHM Alum, Jacob Vandor?

Check him out at jacobvandor.wordpress.com

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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 James Stone, Co-Editor

Use Sleep Mode.

Most computers and other electronic devices come with a “sleep” mode that drastically reduces not only battery consumption, but also electricity, if plugged into a power source. Get into the habit of using the powermanagement settings on your electronic devices to reduce the amount of electricity needed.

Unplug devices when not using them.

Don’t forget to turn off your power strip, even if your devices aren’t turned on. This ensures that no unnecessary electricity if being sucked up through your computer, cell phone charger or other electronic devices while you are not using them. Don’t use a power strip? Unplug your devices from their respective outlets.

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Don’t overcharge your devices.

Wait until your battery levels are low before plugging them in.

For iPhones and other smart phones, that means waiting until the “Low Battery” warning pops up. When your batteries are fully charged, unplug your device and its charger. This is better for your overall battery life and a great way to reduce your electricity consumption.

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: a e S e h t r e d n U

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From Driving Underwater Scooters to Texting, Hawai‘i Students Learn Skills for Science

By Dr. Matthew Parry, NOAA Fisheries Biologist Joe Inslee , The Office of Response and Restoration Photos by Jeff Kuwabara, UHM MOP Coordinator reprinted from: NOAA’s Response and Restoration blog: http://usresponserestoration.wordpress.com he sparkling, turquoise waters off the coast of Hawaii may seem like the perfect place to work, no matter what you’re doing. But when you’re trying to figure out what happened to that idyllic environment after a ship grounds on a coral reef or spills oil, those attractive waters present a surprising number of challenges.

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You can’t just walk up with a clipboard and start taking samples. You have to haul your team and equipment out by boat, be a qualified SCUBA diver, and be able to get around underwater and communicate with your team. And this is all while (carefully and consistently) documenting the species of coral, fish, and other marine life, as well as their habitats, which might have been affected by a misdirected ship or spilled oil.

To help cultivate this unique and valuable skill set in Hawaii’s future scientists, NOAA has partnered with the University of Hawaii to offer a hands-on (and flippers-on) course introducing their students to a suite of marine underwater techniques. This multiweek course gives developing young scientists, all enrolled at the University of Hawaii, the critical technical skills required to succeed in the rapidly growing field of marine sciences. The course focuses on advanced underwater navigation, communication, and mapping techniques that NOAA uses in environmental assessment and restoration cases but which can be applied to almost any marine-related career.

Under the Sea For the past month, our classroom was located in the Pacific Ocean off the south shore of the Hawaiian island Oahu. Students learned the proper techniques for using:

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A GPS (Global Positioning System) tracker where GPS normally can’t go. Because a GPS unit doesn’t work underwater, students learned how to tow one in a waterproof bag attached to a float at the surface and which is also tethered to them as they dive. The bobbing GPS unit then follows them as they take photos of what they see in the water.

Later, using a program to match the photos to their locations, students can create a map of the habitats on the ocean floor.

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Underwater text messaging. While underwater, divers need a way to communicate with other dive teams when they are not in sight of each other. We taught the students to use underwater communication devices that use sonar to send very basic, preset messages to others in their group or on the boat. That way, they can coordinate when someone discovers, for example, a damage site, a rare coral, or even a shipwreck. They can also use it to navigate back to the boat.

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Underwater scooters. For longer sampling surveys, students learned how to hang onto and drive a small underwater scooter. These aquatic vehicles allow divers to venture further out at a time and do so more efficiently, because they aren’t exerting themselves as much and using as much of their limited air supply.

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High-precision underwater mapping equipment.

This system, based on sonar, more accurately maps divers’ locations in real time as they gather data underwater. Surrounded by transmitters attached to fixed float lines, students were able to enter data they collected directly into handheld devices, while also creating maps underwater.

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And into Local Jobs This year’s course was taught as a partnership between the NOAA Restoration Center, the NOAA Pacific Islands Regional Office (PIRO), and the University of Hawaii Marine Option Program, with collaboration from staff with the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. The course was supported by PIRO’s Marine Education and Training program.

Efforts such as this one are aimed at keeping young scientists with local ecological skills and experience in Hawaii by allowing them to advance their knowledge of practical underwater techniques. Having this specialization enables them to stay employed in the region and in the field of marine science. Ideally, local students gain the technical skills they need to work in the natural resource management field in Hawaii.

After taking the marine underwater techniques course, a number of highly specialized jobs would be open to them, such as conducting: •

Environmental damage assessments after ship groundings.

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Academic research.

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Search and salvage missions.

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Mitigation surveys for underwater construction projects.

Underwater Expertise in Action This kind of underwater expertise was called upon in 2005 when the M/V Casitas ran aground in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, in what is now the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.

NOAA divers reported to the scene of the accident to help determine the damage to corals and other parts of the environment caused by the initial ship grounding and subsequent efforts to remove the ship.

Using several of the techniques we teach in this course, divers were able to accurately determine not only the locations where corals were injured but also how much of the reef was injured (about 18,220 square feet). This information was essential in the process of planning for restoration after the grounding. You can read more about the resulting restoration projects in another blog post 

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A student sends an underwater text message

A student takes a break to look at a male Saddle Wrasse

The pipes are assembled into a square of known size so that the students can practice measuring areas underwater

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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 month’s critter photo is

by UHH MOP alum Shannon Wihite’s daughter, Ruby Gustafson.

Day Octopus Scientific name: Octopus cyanea

Also known as the big blue octopus and Cyane’s octopus.

Lives in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, it ranges from Hawai‘i to the coast of East Africa.

They are generally brown but can rapidly change skin color and texture.

The day octopus eats during daylight hours unlike most other cephalopods.

The male day octopus has a modified third armexternal link that he uses to impregnate the female.

It has been observed in the wild that after mating the female will sometimes eat the male. In order to try and prevent this the male might keep his distance during mating.

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

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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 Education Center, beginning at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday evening. Events are free and open to the public with no charge for parking after 5:30pm***

October Events Hawai‘i’s Interesting Aquatic Habitats

OCTOBER 3, 2013 Anchialine Ponds by Lorena Wada, Assistant Field Supervisor, Pre-listing and Listing Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service OCTOBER 10 2013 Revitalizing Loko I‘a (Fishponds) Throughout Hawai‘i by Brenda Ascuncion, Loko I‘a Coordinator, Kua‘aina Ulu ‘Auamo OCTOBER 17, 2013 Ecology of Hawai‘i Seagrass Beds by Dr. Catherine Unaba, Assistant Professor of Biology, Hawai‘i Pacific UniversitY OCTOBER 24, 2013 Coral Reef Landscapes by Dr. Andre Seale, Affiliate Research Faculty, Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology OCTOBER 31, 2013 When Highways and Wildlife Collide: Wedge-tailed Shearwater Mortality along Southeastern O‘ahu by Dr. Hyrenbach, Assistant Professor of Oceanography, Hawai‘i Pacific UniversitY 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: 1990 This image from May 1990 shows two MOP students recording data at a wreck site at Kahe Point.

Compare this method from a little over 22 years ago with the more modern methods being taught in the MUT course featured on page 18.

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October

MOP & Community Events

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Getting into Grad School Workshop 5:30-6:45pm

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Tour of NOAA’s Kilo Moana Research Vessel 9am-4:30pm (@ Honolulu’s Fishing Village, Pier 38)

13 Hawai‘i Fishing & Food Festival 8:30am-4:30pm (@ Honolulu’s Fishing Village, Pier 38)

From March 1985

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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

Thank you for reading and remember to do monthly self-examinations and ask your doctor about mammograms!