Coral Reef Ecosystem Data from the 2010-2011 Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area, West Maui, Herbivore Enhancement as a Tool for Reef Restoration Project (NODC Accession 0082869)

This research targets the Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative (HCRI) Priority Area A: Kahekili, Maui: Herbivore Fisheries Management Area (KHFMA). The project goal was to evaluate the efficacy of this new management action by developing a detailed algal production/herbivore consumption budget. The KHFMA was established in an effort to promote herbivore grazing and thus reverse the decline in coral cover on the reef through increased algal consumption. Because it may take several years for monitoring programs of fish and benthic communities to detect changes associated with the recent protection from fishing at KHFMA, additional data are needed to identify benchmarks of success. By developing a growth/consumption budget for the algal and herbivore communities at KHFMA, this will enable the determination how much algae is currently being grazed and how many more herbivores would be needed to actually begin controlling algal abundance at Kahekili. Observations of fish and urchin consumption of algae were made during 2010-2011 at KHFMA. Additional observations were made at Lanai Lighthouse, which is the SW corner of the island of Lanai and Canoe Beach, which is just south of KHFMA, in 2009. Laboratory experiments were conducted at the Maui Ocean Center in 2010-2011.

本研究聚焦夏威夷珊瑚礁倡议（Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative, HCRI）优先区域A：毛伊岛卡赫基利食草动物渔业管理区（Kahekili, Maui: Herbivore Fisheries Management Area, KHFMA）。本项目旨在通过构建精细化的藻类产量/食草动物摄食预算，评估此项新管理措施的实施成效。KHFMA的设立初衷为促进食草动物的牧食作用，通过提升藻类摄食总量，逆转珊瑚礁珊瑚覆盖率下降的态势。由于针对KHFMA近期实施的禁渔保护措施，其相关群落变化需历经数年方能被鱼类与底栖生物监测项目捕捉到，因此亟需补充数据以确立成效判定基准。通过构建KHFMA区域内藻类与食草动物群落的生长/摄食预算，可明确当前被牧食的藻类总量，以及在卡赫基利区域实际启动藻类丰度管控所需额外补充的食草动物数量。2010-2011年，研究团队于KHFMA内开展了鱼类与海胆的藻类摄食观测工作。2009年，研究团队还分别在拉奈岛西南角的拉奈灯塔海域，以及紧邻KHFMA南侧的独木舟海滩完成了补充观测。2010-2011年，研究团队于毛伊岛海洋中心开展了室内实验。