Kaneohe Bay Research Articles

Complete genome sequence of Vibrio fischeri strain H905, a planktonic isolate among squid symbiotic congeners.

Here we describe the genome sequence of Vibrio (Aliivibrio) fischeri H905, a non-symbiotic isolate from Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. Despite its close phylogenetic relationship to squid symbiont strains, H905 is not adept at colonization. Its genome serves as a valuable comparator, illustrating the complex evolutionary dynamics within V. fischeri clades.

Spatiotemporal estimation of fresh submarine groundwater discharge across the coastal shorelines of Oahu Island, Hawaii

Abstract The integrated hydrological model is a powerful tool that is used to assess the temporal distribution of fresh groundwater discharge especially in coastal areas. The coastal regions of Hawaii are examples of crucial natural resources for the Hawaiian economy and general ecological health. To fully comprehend the intricate interactions between coastal hydrology processes and ecosystems, it is necessary to evaluate the fresh submarine groundwater discharge (FSGD) at the Heeia shoreline using an integrated hydrological modeling technique. Under steady-state settings, the results showed that the present daily average of FSGD is around 0.43 m3/days across 1 m of the shoreline. However, we showed that the FSGD values were considerably impacted by climate change, groundwater head of the coastal aquifer, recharge rate, and sea level rise, particularly by the end of the 21st century. The post-development FSGD fluxes were 1.5–3.5 times greater than the freshwater transported by the Heeia stream, demonstrating the considerable contribution of the FSGD to the coastal zones of Heeia. The results also showed an exponential association between the FSGD and the groundwater level for the coastal unconfined aquifer.

Hawaii Coastal Seawater CO2 Network: A Statistical Evaluation of a Decade of Observations on Tropical Coral Reefs

A statistical evaluation of nearly ten years of high-resolution surface seawater carbon dioxide partial pressure (pCO2) time-series data collected from coastal moorings around O’ahu, Hawai’i suggest that these coral reef ecosystems were largely a net source of CO2 to the atmosphere between 2008 and 2016. The largest air-sea flux (1.24 ± 0.33 mol m-2 yr-1) and the largest variability in seawater pCO2 (950 μatm overall range or 8x the open ocean range) were observed at the CRIMP-2 site, near a shallow barrier coral reef system in Kaneohe Bay O’ahu. Two south shore sites, Kilo Nalu and Ala Wai, also exhibited about twice the surface water pCO2 variability of the open ocean, but had net fluxes that were much closer to the open ocean than the strongly calcifying system at CRIMP-2. All mooring sites showed the opposite seasonal cycle from the atmosphere, with the highest values in the summer and lower values in the winter. Average coastal diurnal variabilities ranged from a high of 192 µatm/day to a low of 32 µatm/day at the CRIMP-2 and Kilo Nalu sites, respectively, which is one to two orders of magnitude greater than observed at the open ocean site. Here we examine the modes and drivers of variability at the different coastal sites. Although daily to seasonal variations in pCO2 and air-sea CO2 fluxes are strongly affected by localized processes, basin-scale climate oscillations also affect the variability on interannual time scales.

Occurrence and distribution of UV-filters and other anthropogenic contaminants in coastal surface water, sediment, and coral tissue from Hawaii

The occurrence of UV-filters in the environment has raised concerns over potentially adverse impacts on corals. In this study, the concentrations of 13 UV-filters and 11 hormones were measured in surface seawater, sediment, and coral tissue from 19 sites in Oahu, Hawaii. At least eight UV-filters were detected in seawater, sediment, and coral tissue and total mass concentrations of all UV-filters were <750 ng L−1, <70 ng g−1 dry weight (dw), and <995 ng g−1 dw, respectively. Four UV-filters were detected in water, sediment, and coral tissue at detection frequencies of 63–100%, 56–91%, and 82–100%, respectively. These UV-filter concentrations generally varied as follows: water, homosalate (HMS) > octisalate (OS) > benzophenone-3 (BP-3, also known as oxybenzone) > octocrylene (OC); sediment, HMS > OS > OC > BP-3; coral, OS ≈ HMS > OC ≈ BP-3. BP-3 concentrations in surface seawater were <10 ng L−1 at 12 of 19 sites and highest at Waikiki beach (e.g., 10.9–136 ng L−1). While BP-3 levels were minimal in sediment (e.g., <1 ng g−1 dw at 18 of 19 sites), and ranged from 6.6 to 241 ng g−1 dw in coral tissue. No quantifiable levels of 2-ethylhexyl 4-methoxycinnamate (also known as octinoxate) were recorded in surface seawater or coral tissues, but 5–12.7 ng g−1 dw was measured for sediment at 5 of 19 sites. No hormones were detected in seawater or sediment, but 17α-ethinylestradiol was present in three corals from Kaneohe Bay. Surfactant degradation products were present in seawater, especially at Waikiki beach. These results demonstrate ubiquitous parts-per-trillion concentrations of UV-filters in surface seawater and is the first report of UV-filters in coral tissue from U.S.A. coastal waters. These data inform the range of environmentally-relevant concentrations for future risk assessments on the potential impacts of UV-filters on coral reefs in Oahu, Hawaii.

A dual band algorithm for shallow water depth retrieval from high spatial resolution imagery with no ground truth

For shallow water depth retrieval from high spatial resolution satellite images, although numerous empirical models have been developed, it remains impossible to estimate shallow water depths without collection of required ground truth depth. To address this limitation, a new physically based dual band algorithm is developed to estimate shallow water depths using blue and green bands from high spatial resolution multispectral image with no ground truth. The dual band log-linear model is first analytically formulated, which then is used for shallow water depths retrieval by solving all unknown model parameters based on different types of sampling pixels directly extracted from the multispectral image. The adjacent pixel pairs from the intersecting edges of different bottom types across various depths over shallow water area, are employed to calculate the optimal band rotation coefficient unit vector by minimization method. On the basis, the bottom parameter is estimated through the pixels from the coastline. Additionally, the pixels from various depths of same bottom type are also employed to achieve the blue to green band ratio of diffused attenuation coefficient. The sum of the diffuse attenuation coefficients of green band for upwelling and downwelling light is estimated by QAA and Kd algorithms. To evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm, the GeoEye-1 image covered Jinqing Island and the Chinese Gaofen-2 image across Kaneohe Bay are chosen to achieve shallow water depth by using the proposed algorithm after geo-rectification and atmospheric correction. The validations using the actual water depths show the overall root mean square errors (RMSEs) for the derived water depths are 1.18 m for Jinqing Island and 1.34 m for Kaneohe Bay respectively. Compared to the Lyzenga empirical model, the developed approach can generally achieve slightly better results for shallow water depths with no ground truth data. Finally, the effects of the variation in the model parameters to water depth retrieval are discussed and analyzed.

Air‐Sea Gas Exchange and CO2 Fluxes in a Tropical Coral Reef Lagoon

AbstractCoral reefs are found predominately in tropical and subtropical areas and are sites of active carbon cycling. Knowledge of gas transfer velocities is necessary for carbon cycle studies in coral reef environments, and past studies in these environments have used wind speed/gas exchange parameterizations intended for the open ocean. In order to determine the relationship between wind speed and gas exchange, and to assess the suitability of open ocean wind speed/gas exchange parameterizations for this environment, two 3He/SF6 tracer release experiments were conducted during two separate years in a tropical coral reef lagoon in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. The results show that because water depth is relatively deep in much of Kaneohe Bay, some parameterizations intended for the open ocean can be used to predict gas transfer velocities in that environment. The bay was a source of CO2 to the atmosphere during both studies, and the residence times of water in the bay during the two studies differed by a factor of two.

The 1987–1989 Phytoplankton Bloom in Kaneohe Bay

A remarkable bloom of phytoplankton occurred in the southeast sector (SE) of Kaneohe Bay from 1987 through 1989. During the bloom, concentrations of chlorophyll a at the former site of the Kaneohe municipal wastewater treatment plant outfall averaged a little more than 2 mg m–3 for a period of 40 months. The increase of chl a was accompanied by a roughly twofold increase in the percentage of chl a accounted for by cells retained on a 35-micron filter, a drawdown of silicate concentrations from roughly 10 μM to 3–4 μM, an increase of nitrate concentrations from roughly 0.5 to more than 3 μM, and an increase of phosphate concentrations from roughly 0.2 to 0.5 μM. Extraordinarily heavy rains on 31 December 1987 led to flooding and land runoff that briefly raised chl a concentrations in the bay to as high as 17 mg m–3, but the bloom in question developed more than one year before the 1987 New Year’s Eve flood. It was not caused by unusually heavy rainfall: the average rainfall during 1987–1989 was only 10% above the long-term average. Instead, the bloom appears to have been caused by a leak in the sanitary sewer line that was previously used to discharge secondary treated sewage into Kaneohe Bay. Ultimately, leaks in the sanitary sewer lines maintained by the City and County of Honolulu led to legal action and a consent decree that required upgrading and the renovation of the wastewater collection system.

Influence of salinity and sedimentation on Vibrio infection of the Hawaiian coral Montipora capitata.

Environmental cofactors alter host-pathogen interactions and influence disease dynamics by impairing host resistance and/or increasing pathogen virulence. Terrestrial runoff is recognized as a major threat to coral reef health. However, the direct links between runoff and coral disease are not clear. Montipora white syndrome (MWS) is a coral disease that occurs in the Hawaiian archipelago, can be caused by various bacterial pathogens, including Vibrio species, and is linked to conditions associated with heavy rainfall and runoff. The objective of this study was to determine whether a short-term hyposalinity stress (20 ppt for 24 h) or sedimentation stress (1000 g m-2 d-1) would influence bacterial infection of the coral Montipora capitata. Hyposalinity increased M. capitata susceptibility to infection by 2 MWS pathogens, Vibrio coralliilyticus strain OCN008 and Vibrio owensii strain OCN002. Specifically, hyposalinity allowed OCN008 to infect at lower doses (106 CFU ml-1 compared with 108 CFU ml-1) and reduced the amount of time before onset of OCN002 infection at high doses (108 CFU ml-1). In contrast, short-term sedimentation stress did not affect M. capitata infection by either of these 2 pathogens. Although several studies have found a correlation between runoff and increased coral disease prevalence in field studies, this is the first study to show that one aspect of runoff (reduced salinity) enhances bacterial infection of coral using manipulative experiments.

Vagrancy in paradise: documentation of the chevron butterflyfish Chaetodon trifascialis in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaiian islands

The chevron butterflyfish Chaetodon trifascialis is an obligate corallivore found on Indo-Pacific coral reefs. The typical northern extent of the distributional range of the chevron butterflyfish overlaps with the occurrence of one of its preferred corals Acropora cytherea on reefs of French Frigate Shoals in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Here I document the occurrence of a single C. trifascialis in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu outside its typical range and discuss the role of biogeographic vagrants as potential colonizers that provide direct evidence of inter-island larval connectivity in the Central Pacific Ocean.

A Lab-On-Chip Phosphate Analyzer for Long-term In Situ Monitoring at Fixed Observatories: Optimization and Performance Evaluation in Estuarine and Oligotrophic Coastal Waters

The development of phosphate sensors suitable for long-term in situ deployments in natural waters, is essential to improve our understanding of the distribution, fluxes and biogeochemical role of this key nutrient in a changing ocean. Here, we describe the optimization of the molybdenum blue method for in situ work using a lab-on-chip analyzer and evaluate its performance in the laboratory and at two contrasting field sites. The in situ performance of the LOC sensor is evaluated using hourly time-series data from a 56-day trial in Southampton Water (UK), as well as a month-long deployment in the subtropical oligotrophic waters of Kaneohe Bay (Hawaii, USA). In Kaneohe Bay, where phosphate concentrations were characteristic of the dry season (0.13 ± 0.03 M, n=704), the in situ sensor accuracy was 16 ± 12 % and a potential diurnal cycle in phosphate concentrations was observed. In Southampton Water, the sensor data (1.02 ± 0.40 µM, n=1267) were accurate to ± 0.10 µM relative to discrete reference samples. Hourly in situ monitoring revealed striking tidal and storm derived fluctuations in phosphate concentrations in Southampton Water that would not have been captured via discrete sampling. We show the impact of storms on phosphate concentrations in Southampton Water is modulated by the spring-neap tidal cycle and that the tenfold decline in phosphate concentrations observed during the later stages of the deployment was consistent with the timing of a spring phytoplankton bloom in the English Channel. Under controlled laboratory conditions in a 250 L tank, the sensor demonstrated an accuracy and precision better than 10 % irrespective of the salinity (0-30), turbidity (0-100 NTU), dissolved organic carbon concentration (0-10 mg/L) and temperature (5-20C) of the water (0.3-13 M phosphate) being analyzed. This work demonstrates that the LOC technology is mature enough to quantify the influence of stochastic events on nutrient budgets and to elucidate the role of phosphate in regulating phytoplankton productivity and community composition in estuarine and coastal regimes.

Chondrophycus anabeliae (Rhodomelaceae, Ceramiales), a new species in the Laurencia complex from the Mexican Caribbean

An ongoing phycological survey of the Laurencia complex in the Mexican Caribbean revealed an undescribed species belonging to Chondrophycus. The new species exhibits vegetative and reproductive structures typical of the genus, except for the presence of a slightly compressed thallus, a translucent outermost cortical cell layer with conspicuous cell wall projections, and tetrasporangia produced from a particular cell with the formation of one additional fertile periaxial cell. The phylogenetic position of this taxon was inferred based on chloroplast-encoded rbcL gene sequence analyses from 54 taxa and using three Rhodomelaceaen taxa as outgroups. The Mexican Caribbean species formed a monophyletic and fully supported clade within the Chondrophycus assemblage, but diverged at 5.8% from the most closely related taxon in the clade, whereas it diverged at 7.5% from the morphologically more closely related species C. dotyi from Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaiian Islands, indicating that the Mexican Caribbean species is morphologically and genetically distinct from other Chondrophycus species, and supporting its treatment as a new species.

Acoustic characterization of a wave energy converter

As progress toward the commercial deployment of wave energy converters accelerates, it is important to ensure that these renewable energy systems do not have unintended, adverse environmental consequences. While the sound from wave energy converters is unlikely to cause acoustic injury to marine animals, it may affect their behavior. Here, we present measurements from a point-absorber wave energy converter at the U.S. Navy Wave Energy Test Site in Kaneohe Bay, HI. Measurements of wave converter sound are obtained for a range of sea states using a combination of free-drifting near-surface measurements and stationary bottom packages. The relative effectiveness of these systems are contrasted and the unique challenges associated with acoustic measurements at energetic sites discussed. For example, fixed measurements are found to be substantially contaminated by flow-noise (non-propagating sound) during long-period ocean swell, while free-drifting measurements require significant post-processing to avoid convolving flow-noise or self-noise with wave converter sound. Preliminary results of parabolic equation modeling is also presented and used to interpret spatially distributed measurements.

Porewater CO2–carbonic acid system chemistry in permeable carbonate reef sands

Porewater was collected from highly permeable, carbonate-rich, sandy sediments at two locations on Oahu, Hawai'i, CRIMP-2 on the Kaneohe Bay barrier reef and Ala Wai on a fringing coral reef nearshore to the Ala Wai canal and urban Honolulu. Samples were collected at the sediment–water interface and from porewater wells installed at sediment depths of 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 20, 30, 40, and 60cm. Total alkalinity and dissolved inorganic carbon were enriched, relative to the overlying water column, and ratios of TA:DIC at the two sites (0.80 and 0.93) suggest that aerobic respiration and sulfate reduction – both coupled with carbonate mineral dissolution – in the oxic and anoxic layers, respectively, are the major controls on the biogeochemistry of the sediment–porewater system. The porewater was approaching thermodynamic saturation with respect to aragonite with increasing depth (Ω=1.2–3.5) and was found to be undersaturated with respect to all phases of magnesian calcite (Ω=0.3–0.9) containing greater than 12mol% MgCO3. In addition to microbial controls on porewater diagenesis, transient physical events in the water column, such as swells and changing bottom current speeds, appear to exert a strong influence on the porewater chemistry due to the highly permeable and porous nature of the sediments. Profiles collected before and after swell events at each location show an apparent flushing of the porewater system, replacing low pH, high DIC interstitial waters with seawater from the overlying water column. Based partially on the results of our porewater analysis, we hypothesize that future changes in surface water DIC and pH resulting from ocean acidification (OA) could have a very significant impact on the dissolution rates of metastable skeletal and abiotic carbonate phases of varying magnesian calcite compositions (Mg-calcite) and aragonite. This is especially important in sandy reef sediments like those of this study, which are greatly influenced by the overlying water column. As the carbonate mineral saturation state of the overlying water column continues to decrease due to OA, an increase in carbonate mineral dissolution is expected and the high advective rate of water exchange between the porewater of sandy sediments and the overlying water column, as observed in this study and others, along with increased rates of dissolution of metastable carbonate phases, could lead to significantly higher future rates of mass transfer of TA and DIC between the sediments and the overlying water column. This may result in a deficit of the CaCO3 balance in some reef ecosystems and a decrease in accretion rates. Analysis of our porewater work in conjuction with previous studies of the porewater chemistry of Kaneohe Bay, Oahu in both siliciclastic-rich and siliciclastic-poor carbonate sediments leads to the conclusion that the porewaters of the former are more strongly buffered with respect to pH than those of the latter due to reverse weathering reactions. Thus carbonate-rich sandy sediments of reefs with little terrestrial influence and aluminosilicate detritus may become more susceptible to calcium carbonate loss due to the enhanced environmental and microbial dissolution of carbonate substrates expected due to OA.

Diversity of parasitic fungi associated with phytoplankton in Hawaiian waters

ABSTRACTParasitic fungi infect large phytoplankton species in freshwater, playing a fundamental role in their host's health and habitat range. However, those associated with the marine phytoplankton community remain largely unknown. This study investigated the infectivity and biodiversity of phytoplanktonic parasitic fungi in three ecosystems of Hawaiian waters, with contrasting trophic statuses – oligotrophic (Waikiki Beach), mesotrophic (Kaneohe Bay) and eutrophic (Ala Wai Canal). The occurrence of fungal parasites (e.g. attached spores) was primarily associated with diatom cells (i.e. the most vulnerable populations) as well as various pelagic fungal forms (i.e. zoosporic, yeast and mycelial), suggesting the coexistence of different fungal lifestyles. Phylogenetic analysis categorized our retrieved fungal sequences from six clone libraries into five taxonomic orders that belonged to the phyla of Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, along with culturable fungal endophytes and pathogens from diverse host resources. The great majority of these sequences (∼93%) were associated with three taxonomic orders of Ascomycota (Pleosporales, Hypocreales and Saccharomycetales). There was greater infectivity and diversity of fungal species in eutrophic (Ala Wai) waters compared with oligotrophic (Waikiki Beach) waters, and both factors were significantly (P < 0.05) correlated to nutrient P levels at the sampling sites. This is the first report of the occurrence and phylogenetic diversity of phytoplankton-associated fungi in Hawaiian waters and may bring new insights into our understanding of marine fungal communities.

Potential bleaching effects on coral reproduction

Bleaching profoundly impacts coral reproduction, often for years after an event. However, detailed reproductive characteristics of coral after bleaching have not been broadly described, especially as they relate to cryopreservation. Therefore, in the present study we measured several reproductive characteristics in coral in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, for two species, namely Fungia scutaria and Montipora capitata, during the bleaching period of 2014 and 2015. We examined spawning periods, egg morphometry, sperm concentration, fresh and cryopreserved sperm motility exposed to different concentrations of dimethyl sulfoxide, time of first cleavage, larval survival with fresh and cryopreserved spermatozoa, infection success and settlement success. Many of these reproductive parameters were reduced in 2015, especially sperm motility. Once the reduced-motility spermatozoa from 2015 post-bleach were cryopreserved, there was a steep decline in post-thaw viability and this would prevent any substantive further use of these samples in reproduction for conservation benefit. Worldwide, as bleaching events become more frequent, the ability to bank and conserve coral ex situ may be significantly reduced. Thus, it is imperative that while genetic diversity is still high in these populations, intensive efforts are made to bank coral species during non-bleaching periods.

Frequency and Energy Difference Detection of Dolphin Biosonar Signals Using a Decomposition Algorithm

A set of dolphin echolocation signals previously collected from an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin in Kaneohe Bay, Hawai’i are decomposed using a matching pursuit algorithm to further investigate the role of four types of echolocation signals outlined elsewhere [1]. The method decomposes the echolocation signals into optimal linear expansions of waveforms, which are Gabor functions defined in a dictionary. The method allows for study of the changes in frequency content within a dolphin’s functional bandwidth during discrimination tasks. We investigate the role of the functional bandwidth in terms of the signal energy levels and echolocations task performance. Furthermore, ROC analysis is applied to the relative energies of the matched waveforms to determine probability of discrimination. The results suggest that dolphins may discriminate by inspection of the relevant frequency differences between targets. In addition, the results from the ROC analysis provides insight into the role of the different classes of dolphin signals and of the importance of modification of the outgoing echolocation clicks, which may be fundamental to a dolphin’s ability to identify and discriminate targets.

Barcoding Techniques Help Tracking the Evolutionary History of the Introduced Species Pennaria disticha (Hydrozoa, Cnidaria)

The Christmas tree hydroid Pennaria disticha is listed as one of the most common introduced species in Hawaii. Firstly reported in Kaneohe Bay (Oahu) in 1928, it is now established throughout the entire archipelago, including the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, a U.S. National Monument and World Heritage site. The Hawaiian population of P. disticha has also been reported as being the source of further introductions to Palmyra Atoll in the U.S. Line Islands. Using a phylogenetic hypothesis based on a 611 base pair fragment of the mitochondrial 16S barcoding gene, we demonstrate that P. disticha is a complex of cryptic species, rather than one species with cosmopolitan distribution. We also show that in Hawaii there are three species of Pennaria, rather than one introduced species. Two of these species share haplotypes with specimens from distant locations such as Florida and Panama and may have been introduced, possibly from the Atlantic Ocean. A third species could either represent a lineage with nearly cosmopolitan distribution, or another introduced species. Our dataset refutes the widely accepted idea that only one lineage of P. disticha is present in Hawaii. On the contrary, P. disticha in Hawaii may be the outcome of multiple independent introductions of several morphologically undistinguishable cryptic lineages. Our results uncover an unsuspected complexity within the very common hydroid P. disticha, and highlight the need for routine use of molecular tools, such as DNA barcoding, to improve the identification and recognition of non-indigenous species.

Spawning event of Pherecardia striata followed by washed up individuals in Hawaii

Pherecardia striata (Kinberg 1857) is a polychaete worm of the family Amphinomidae. Amphinomids are known as ‘fireworms’ due to the discomfort and itching sensation if touched. P. striata is an active predator that can swallow pieces of fish and live prey such as small crabs, shelled gastropods, and other worms and even be hand fed in aquaria (Glasby and Bailey-Brock 2001). This is a large species reaching up to 20 cm in length in Hawaii and distributed throughout the IndoPacific (Bailey-Brock 1987). In Hawaiian shallow coral reefs, this species is known to spawn on a summer night, an event most likely triggered by a full moon. The spawning event was photographed on the night of July 25, 2005 in Coconut Island, Kaneohe Bay (Darlyne Murawski pers. comm.) and featured in Holland (2007) in a special issue of National Geographic. On the morning of August 17, 2014, dozens of individuals of Pherecardia striata were found dead at Kahanamoku Beach, 21.281602, -157.838943 (Fig. 1). Nearly ten years before, on August 6, 2004, about 200 individuals were found in a nearby beach (Ala Moana Beach , 21.288693, -157.847722) as reported in a local newspaper (Fujimori 2004). Although spawning events for this species are known to occur annually, heavy rains may have caused the massive deaths of individuals reported in 2004 and 2014. Predictions on spawning events of marine worms are very exact for the palolo worm (Palola viridis Gray in Stair, 1847) that spawns at the third quarter of the moon in October or November. This event is highly celebrated as the worms are eaten raw in the South Pacific. The three spawning events recorded for Pherecardia striata are documented herein for the third quarter of the moon of July or August and can be further investigated and celebrated by night divers and tourists.

Influence of local environmental variables on the viral consortia associated with the coral Montipora capitata from Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, USA

AME Aquatic Microbial Ecology Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsSpecials AME 74:251-262 (2015) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/ame01743 Influence of local environmental variables on the viral consortia associated with the coral Montipora capitata from Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, USA Scott A. Lawrence1, Shaun P. Wilkinson1, Joanne E. Davy1, William N. S. Arlidge1, Gareth J. Williams2, William H. Wilson3,5, Greta S. Aeby4, Simon K. Davy1,* 1School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealand 2Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 8602 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, California 92037, USA 3Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, 60 Bigelow Drive, PO Box 380, East Boothbay, Maine 04544, USA 4Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, PO Box 1346, Kaneohe, Hawaii 96744, USA 5Present address: Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, The Hoe, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK *Corresponding author: simon.davy@vuw.ac.nz ABSTRACT: Coral-associated viruses are a component of the coral holobiont that have received attention only relatively recently. Given the global increase in the prevalence of coral disease, and the lack of positively identified etiological agents for many diseases, these virus consortia require increased investigation. Little is known about the viruses that are naturally associated with coral reefs and how they are affected by the local environment. In the present study, a short-term analysis of viral consortia associated with the coral Montipora capitata in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, USA, was carried out to determine the environmental factors influencing their composition. Coral surface microlayer (CSM) and seawater samples collected at 4 sites with a range of environmental characteristics were analyzed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and relative abundances of virus-like particle (VLP) morphotypes were correlated with environmental measurements. Relative proportions of several CSM-associated VLP types, including phages and filamentous VLPs, were correlated with water temperature, turbidity and chlorophyll a levels. In seawater samples, turbidity and temperature showed the strongest correlation, altering the proportion of Podoviridae-like, Geminiviridae-like and putative Archaeal viruses, among others. Overall VLP consortium composition differed significantly between the CSM and seawater only at the more degraded sites, suggesting that human activity may be affecting coral reef-associated virus consortia. KEY WORDS: Corals · Virus · Environmental drivers · Turbidity · Chlorophyll Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Lawrence SA, Wilkinson SP, Davy JE, Arlidge WNS and others (2015) Influence of local environmental variables on the viral consortia associated with the coral Montipora capitata from Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, USA. Aquat Microb Ecol 74:251-262. https://doi.org/10.3354/ame01743 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in AME Vol. 74, No. 3. Online publication date: March 24, 2015 Print ISSN: 0948-3055; Online ISSN: 1616-1564 Copyright © 2015 Inter-Research.

Increased use of non-native algae species in the diet of the Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) in a primary pasture ecosystem in Hawaii

The Green Turtle, Chelonia mydas, has modified its feeding behavior over the past 36 years to include the increasing abundance of non-native algae growing in the greater Kaneohe Bay area of Oahu, Hawaii. Changes in diet of the Turtles are correlated with an increase in abundance of non-native algae. Turtles are eating 135 species of marine vegetation including the following seven non-native species: Acanthophora spicifera, Hypnea musciformis, Gracilaria salicornia, Eucheuma denticulatum, Gracilaria tikvahiae, Kappaphycus striatum and Kappaphycus alvarezii. Non-native algae now represent 0.64 proportion of the Turtle diet. The present study for the additional 8 years 2005–2012, shows the utilization of non-native species for food has increased 24% since the last study that included 28 years 1976–2005. Average time for the Turtles to make the shift to non-native species is 10–12 years for the more invasive species and 20–30 years for the slower growing species. During this same time period the numbers of C. mydas, body size, and growth rates have also increased, partly due to the increased abundance of the additional non-native food items. This study verifies that the trend of Turtles eating higher amounts of non-native algae in Kaneohe Bay is now stronger than first reported in 2009.