Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences

Wessman Research Group Carol Wessman Research Group
    Wessman Home  |   People  |   Projects  |   Contact
RESEARCH GROUPS @ CIRES >

AMEF Project:
Hawaii | India
News/Events
References
Related Links
Contact Us

Ecological Success of Alien Species

The actual research was conducted by Hunter and Smith, 2003. Related web-site is accessible at http://www.hawaii.edu/ssri/hcri/rp/reports_by_principal_investigator-hunter.htm

 

Habitat/species: Research goals and aspects of alien species biology summarized ... September 08, 2005

Current Information

  • Control sites West Hawaii reefs (Tissot and Hallacher in prep). A link to the report is available on the Website http://www.coralreefnetwork.com/research/hawaii.htm
  • Tropical algae both physical and chemical defenses -- level at which this alien/invasive plants are palatable to Hawaiian grazers -- effect of the local herbivore community and the preference of that community for algal prey species.
  • 1950 -- 19 species of macro algae been introduced in Oahu reefs
  • 5 major alien algal species surveyed:
  • Acanthophora spicifera -- most common alien algal species
  • Hypnea musciformis -- second most common
  • Avrainvillea amadelpha -- discrete distribution
  • Gracilaria salicornia -- most disjunct distribution
  • Kappaphycus -- limited distribution

Hotspots: Ecological surveys of Alien Algae

  • 5 main Island of Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, Oahu [Kaneohe bay] and Kauai
  • Reproductive biology of Alien algae -- fragmentation or cloning reproduction; examination in an aquarium.
  • Species known to occur where nutrients level is high: Inorganic nitrogen can be used by algae -- (1) nitrate and (2) ammonium.
  • Determine level at which non-native algal species or native invasive species currently pose a threat to Hawaiian coral reef ecosystem.

Goals

  • Distribution and relative abundance of alien species of algae throughout the main Hawaiian Island [fisheries management areas].
  • Identify new pre-existing invasive algal blooms
  • Set alien/invasive algal database
  • Understand the reproductive biology of these organism
  • Determine common reef grazers
  • Examine algal nutrient

Strategies

  • The issues of alien and invasive algae in Hawaii are dynamic ones. Clearly each species is unique and each employs its own set of strategies that lead to ecological success of a variety of habitats.
  • A diverse and multidisciplinary approach needs to be integrated into the development of management plans.