MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii -- Coral reefs earned the nickname "the rain forests of the sea," due to their incredible biological diversity. Unfortunately, as with other rain forests worldwide, the reefs' habitat is under attack at an alarming rate.
"Recently - mostly over the past five years - alien species of algae have been introduced onto the coral reefs, causing significant damage along many of the islands' coral reef beds," explained Dave Gulko, coral reef biologist from the Division of Aquatic Resources, Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Reef and algae experts spoke at an environmental workshop here at the Environmental Protection and Compliance Department building May 28. Beginning with slide presentations on the various types of seaweed found in the waters surrounding Oahu, the workshop educated students on the biological marine life in the Kaneohe Bay area.
"Hawaii is home to 15 percent of the nation's coral reefs," Gulko explained. "That is more than any other state in the U.S."
During his presentation, Gulko primarily discussed the importance of Hawaii's eco-structure and why it is so imperative that the coral reefs in this area are protected and saved.
According to Gulko, Hawaii is biologically rich with various creatures and other organisms. Oahu has many native species, organisms that can be found around this island and nowhere else.
Out of the millions of organisms found on Hawaiian coral reefs, nearly 25 percent are native to Oahu, therefore making the island an extremely important ecosystem for marine biology.
Gulko added, not only are these organisms important for science, but also they are important to Oahu's economy, which affects the local community as well as the thousands of tourists who visit the island every year.
Although many people enjoy the beauty of the reef beds, he continued, many others are unaware the reefs are in danger of extinction and are disappearing at a rate faster than rain forests.
Experts from the Waikiki Aquarium, the University of Hawaii and the Nature Conservancy, joined representatives from the state's Department of Land and Natural Resources for the workshop, funded by the Environmental Protection Agency. For some time, these experts have been conducting their environmental awareness program known as "Aliens on the Reef" in diverse organizations.
The group has traveled to various places around the island of Oahu and shared knowledge of the damage caused by invasive seaweeds (algae) in Hawaii. During its brief stop here, the group not only presented a plethora of information to ocean enthusiasts that attended the class, but also led a hands-on field trip to Hale Koa Beach.
To visually provide a better understanding of the direct effects of the algae, the class geared up for the shoreline. A caravan of cars headed to Hale Koa Beach where the experts explained to students what to observe before giving them free range of the beach to explore and see what they could find. Nearly every student found an organism that they had seen before, but had never realized was dangerous to the environment.
Programs involved in the clean up and disposal of these foreign organisms have recently been established in the Oahu area. Community outreach and public awareness organizations removed more than 60 tons of "Gorilla Ogo," a type of algae, from Queen's Surf Beach in Waikiki. After the volunteers collected the materials, they were recycled and turned into mulch.
"We are constantly looking into more ways to help out the Oahu area," Gulko said. "With the help of the community, we are slowly removing the aliens species from the island's beautiful coral reefs. We hope to continue to make the public more aware of the situation, and we are doing our best to restore the island back to its rich, biologically diverse ecosystem that so many people enjoy."