An eleven year study of the structure and stability of the coral reef fish community in Honokohau Harbor, Kona, Hawaii
Brock RE. 1983. An eleven year study of the structure and stability of the coral reef fish community in Honokohau Harbor, Kona, Hawaii
Honokohau Harbor on the Kona, Hawaii, coast was constructed in two phases spaced eight years apart. An eleven year study of the colonization of marine fishes to the newly created Phase I harbor suggested that colonization was rapid and attained an equilibrial state at about 80 species after 50 months. The species equilibrium was probably heavily influenced by the quality of available habitats, for with the completion of the second phase, the diversity (numbers of species and inviduals) of coral reef fishes decreased and remained so two years later. With this decrease came longer water residence times, lower water quality, loss of solid substratum and increased human use of the harbor facilities. All have served to lower the quality of habitats available to coral reef fishes. The suboptimal conditions of the harbor have resulted in favoring an assemblage of fish species hat probably have generalized habitat requirements. These six opportunistic species (Acanthurus triostegus sandvicensis, Ctenochaetus strigosus, Aulostomus chinensis, Thalassoma duperryi, Parupeneus multifasciatus and Abudefduf abdominalis) could be expected to colonize and persist in similar suboptimal habitats elsewhere in the Hawaiian Islands. This report examines the colonization process of fishes recruiting to Honokohau Harbor in the extreme habitat disruption that occurred after nine years of recruitment.
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- Brock, Richard
- Date of Issue
- 1983
- Units
- KAHO
- Keywords
- Animal Studies, Aquatic Science, Biodiversity, Coastal-Marine Systems, Colonization, Contaminants/Hazardous Materials, Fish, Management, Monitoring, Observations, Presence (Biodiversity), Recreation/Aesthetics, reef fish community, Water Quality