Kahekili, West Maui, Hawaii Fish and Benthic Data from Surveys in January and August 2008 (NODC Accession 0065597)

Fish and benthos baseline surveys were made at 155 sites of the near shore region off Kahekili Beach Park, West Maui in January and August, 2008. Survey sites were grouped into six broad habitat categories, and herbivore biomass in a range of functional groups was calculated per habitat category.

Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resource (HDAR) is currently working to establish a Herbivore Fisheries Management Area (HFMA) [n.b. previously titled as Kahekili Ecosystem Recovery Area] encompassing reef areas adjacent to Kahekili Beach park in West Maui. The goal of the proposed HFMA is to increase the reef's capacity to resist a phase shift from coral to macroalgal domination by prohibiting the take of herbivorous fish and sea-urchins.

Fish surveys were performed by scientists of HDAR and the Hawaii Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Hawaii (UH). Benthic surveys were conducted by scientists of the Department of Botany, UH.

2008年1月与8月，科研团队在西毛伊岛卡埃基利海滩公园周边近岸区域的155个采样点开展了鱼类与底栖生物（benthos）基线调查。本次调查的采样点被划分为六大类宽泛生境类型，并针对每一类生境计算了多个功能群植食性动物的生物量。

夏威夷水生资源部（Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resource, HDAR）目前正推进植食性鱼类渔业管理区（Herbivore Fisheries Management Area, HFMA）的设立工作，该管理区涵盖西毛伊岛卡埃基利海滩公园毗邻的珊瑚礁海域【注：该区域此前曾命名为卡埃基利生态恢复区】。拟建的HFMA旨在通过禁止捕捞植食性鱼类与海胆，提升珊瑚礁抵御珊瑚群落向大型藻类占优群落发生相移的能力。

鱼类调查由HDAR及夏威夷大学（University of Hawaii, UH）动物学系夏威夷合作渔业研究组的科研人员完成；底栖生物调查则由UH植物学系的科研人员开展。