 |
 |
Intertidal Monitoring Team Uses New Monitoring Methods in Papahānaumokuākea
Blackfoot ʻopihi in a tidepool at Nihoa. Credit: Hoku Johnson/NOAA
During a 12-day expedition to Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in 2013, researchers used a new method to count ʻopihi (Hawaiian limpet) along the rocky shorelines of Nihoa, Mokumanamana and French Frigate Shoals.
In addition to doing traditional intertidal monitoring transects, the team used a rapid ʻopihi assessment app developed by Christopher Bird, PhD. from Texas A&M University Corpus Christi. The application allowed team members to count the number of ʻopihi within their outstretched arms along a given stretch of shoreline and record the numbers, along with GPS-derived latitude and longitude, into the Android app. This new method allowed researchers to quickly assess ʻopihi abundance and location.
Team members count ʻopihi using traditional transects. Credit: Kehau Springer
The team counts ʻopihi at Mokumanamana while Dr. Chris Bird (right) enters the data into a self-made Android app. Credit: Kehau Springer
ʻOpihi at La Perouse Pinnacles at French Frigate Shoals were not as numerous as previously thought for this location, although they were found to be bigger, with higher and more peaked shells as compared to ʻopihi at other survey sites. At both Mokumanamana and Nihoa, ʻopihi were quite numerous, in the tens of thousands, compared to the 3,000 found at La Perouse Pinnacles.
This year also marked the first time the team extracted DNA from ʻopihi and other species while on-site (previously, tissue samples were taken back to a land-based lab for processing). Isolating DNA in-situ yields a much longer strand of DNA, providing more genes for analysis. From this, researchers are seeking insight into how well these intertidal species adapt to climate change. This research on the genetics of different ʻopihi will lead to a better understanding of how human harvesting affects populations and how ʻopihi move around different geographic areas.
The team takes tissue samples of ʻopihi for DNA analysis. Credit: Sam ʻOhu Gon/The Nature Conservancy
An emphasis was also placed in maintaining cultural connections with Papahānaumokuākea, which holds sacred significance to Native Hawaiians. A number of Native Hawaiian community leaders and cultural practitioners joined the expedition to continue re-establishing the genealogical connection to a place that was inhabited by their ancestors. In addition to collecting quantitative scientific data, the team made observations about what's happening in the skies and in the ocean. Doing this on repeat trips allows participants to note differences in rainfall patterns and abundance of different intertidal species like limu (seaweeds) and haʻukeʻuke (shingle urchins) from month to month.
The team also made observations of limu (algae) and haʻukeʻuke (helmet urchin) in the intertidal zones. Credit: Kehau Springer
The team also made observations of limu (algae) and haʻukeʻuke (helmet urchin) in the intertidal zones. Credit: Kehau Springer
Read the press release.
Listen to the story on Hawaiʻi Public Radio.
Read more about intertidal monitoring activities in the Monument.
See more pictures here.