Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument Reef Assessment and Monitoring Cruise July 23 – August 21, 2011

Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM) conducted the 2011 Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP) research cruise to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) from July 23 to August 21 aboard the NOAA ship Hiʻialakai. The islands visited were: Nihoa Island, Necker Island (Mokumanamana), French Frigate Shoals, Gardner Pinnacles, Maro Reef, Laysan Island, Lisianski Island, Pearl and Hermes Reef and Midway Atoll.

HPU scientists preparing for the deployment of the CTD at Mokumanamana. The objective of this project was to measure and characterize the carbon system in the coastal waters of the Monument to establish a baseline against which future environmental change can be detected and measured. The CTD was used to continuously record oxygen, temperature, pH and salinity data, while Niskin bottles were triggered at discrete depths for water sample collection. In the ship’s wet lab, shipboard measurements of dissolved oxygen and pH were performed immediately after each cast for instrument calibration and future comparisons against post-cruise analytical measurements. Photo by S. Godwin

The expedition supported SCUBA diver rapid ecological assessments (REAs) of reef fish, corals, other invertebrates, and algae; surveys of coral bleaching and disease; retrieval of deep water Ecological Acoustic Recorders (EAR) through the activation of acoustic releases; SCUBA diver sampling and research activities to assess bioerosion by marine organisms, disease and parasite prevalence within coral reef organisms and microbial source tracking; and shipboard operations for water sampling using a Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth (CTD) array focused on the carbonate chemistry of coral reef habitats. The scientific party consisted of personnel from NOAA: National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) - Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), University of Hawaii faculty and students from Leeward Community College campus (LCC), Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB), and the Hilo campus; and Hawaii Pacific University (HPU), Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum (BPBM), State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR-DAR) and Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand (VUW).

Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP)

As part of mandates from the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, efforts to create structured monitoring began in the NWHI through the initiation of the RAMP. Since 2000, NOAA-PIFSC/CRED and the PMNM have conducted annual RAMP cruises to the NWHI with partners from the State of Hawaii, US Fish and Wildlife Service and a variety of academic institutions, with leadership alternating between PIFSC/CRED and PMNM since 2002.

Apex predator species, such as this Galapagos Shark (Carcharhinus galapagensis) are a common site when conducting surveys. Photo by S. Godwin		Reef organisms considered rare in Hawaii were recorded during the course of coral surveys. This sea slug Glossodoris atromarginata is rarely seen in Hawaii but was recorded at Mokumanamana. This species specializes in feeding on sponges. Photo by S. Godwin
RAMP team conducting coral surveys. Divers conducted rapid ecological assessments (REAs) using stratified sampling of reef fish, corals, and other invertebrates at 149 sites. The RAMP is for the purpose of conducting ecological assessments employing standardized methods to improve understanding of the spatial and temporal processes influencing the health of coral reef ecosystems throughout the archipelago. Photo by J. Helyer		A dive team deployed small (5x5x2 cm) calcium carbonate blocks at 3-5 existing NOAA-CRED Calcification Acidification Unit sites. The dive team used a mobile sensor array to measure the fine-scale environmental variation associated with each block. After installation, the dive team surveyed for urchins using belt transects, took water samples associated with each deployed block using syringe filters, and collected pieces of coral rubble at each site to inventory organisms that are considered responsible for natural bioerosion processes. Photo by M. Donahue
RAMP diver conducting fish surveys. Photo by B. Hauk		A dive team conducted coral and fish disease surveys and plankton tows at 45 sites to determine disease prevalence within the PMNM. Photo by M. Donahue
Reef fish species tend to be highly abundant throughout the PMNM. Surgeonfishes like the ones shown are herbivores and are an important component of coral reef communities. Photo by S. Godwin		Papahānaumokuākea is characterized by the high abundance of coral in many areas. This is an image from Neva Shoals, which is close proximity to Lisianski Island. Photo by S. Godwin