Evaluating the potential of an endemic Hawaiian soft coral, Sarcothelia edmondsoni, as a bioindicator of anthropogenic influence

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorOleson, Kirsten L.
dc.contributor.authorTsang, Anita
dc.contributor.departmentNatural Resources and Environmental Management
dc.date.accessioned2021-09-30T18:16:44Z
dc.date.available2021-09-30T18:16:44Z
dc.date.issued2021
dc.description.abstractBioindicators, organisms which reflect an ecosystem’s health or condition, are frequently used in natural resource management and monitoring as an early warning sign for ecosystem degradation, allowing managers to recognize and address the issue at hand. Octocorals, soft corals belonging in the subclass Octocorallia, are used globally in coral reef monitoring protocols as an indicator of poor coastal water quality and nutrient contamination from human sources. Sarcothelia edmondsoni, an endemic Hawaiian octocoral, has had unusual high abundances in heavily polluted or developed areas around the main Hawaiian Islands, however, inadequate empirical evidence of how octocorals respond to environmental stressors hinders their use as an ecological indicator for coral reefs here in Hawai‘i. This study comprises a thorough evaluation of S. edmondsoni as a bioindicator following the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Evaluation Guidelines for Ecological Indicators, and included assessments of the octocoral abundance on spatial and temporal scales. To examine the temporal variation of S. edmondsoni, I conducted repeated benthic surveys on O‘ahu and Kaua‘i to quantify and track changes in populations. Environmental variables such as rainfall, temperature, stream discharge, and distances from shore were also collected to examine possible effects on octocoral abundance. To explore the spatial variability of S. edmondsoni, quantitative data was extracted from existing natural and anthropogenic land use spatial datasets to investigate correlations with species abundance on O‘ahu, Kaua‘i, and West Hawai‘i. Natural and human land use factors included precipitation, human population, density of underground injection wells, and percent coverage of agricultural land, development, and impervious surfaces. Significant positive correlations were found with human population, impervious surfaces, development levels, and distance from shore, which represents the extent of human impacts nearshore. In addition, S. edmondsoni meets indicator criteria as it is relevant to management concerns, is easy to incorporate into existing monitoring methodologies, displays a response gradient relative to level of stress, and provides a direct linkage to management decisions. This supports the use of S. edmondsoni as a bioindicator of anthropogenic influences, which will be an important management tool for the conservation and protection of Hawai‘i’s coral reef ecosystems.
dc.description.degreeM.S.
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10125/76439
dc.languageeng
dc.publisherUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa
dc.subjectEnvironmental management
dc.titleEvaluating the potential of an endemic Hawaiian soft coral, Sarcothelia edmondsoni, as a bioindicator of anthropogenic influence
dc.typeThesis
dc.type.dcmiText
dcterms.spatialHawaii
local.identifier.alturihttp://dissertations.umi.com/hawii:11166

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Tsang_hawii_0085O_11166.pdf
Size:
3.93 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download

Collections

M.S. - Natural Resources and Environmental Management