Land-based Pollutants in Hawaiian Reef Fishes
Eileen Nalley, Julie Zill, Megan Donahue (UH Mānoa, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology)
1. Develop baseline information on the presence of land-based pollutants in reef fishes and nearshore marine sediment
2. Identify areas of concern for ecological impacts and human health impacts
3. Determine the pathway of contaminant transmission (e.g., stream to sediment to fish that eat detritus)
4. Provide information to community members and fishermen about the concentration of industrial pollutants (i.e., metals and PCBs) in their target fishes
Figure 1. Industrial development around Kakaʻako waterfront park on Oʻahu (PC: unknown)
Figure 2. Industrial development around Sand Island recreation area on Oʻahu (PC: unknown)
Figure 1. Industrial development around Kakaʻako waterfront park on Oʻahu (PC: unknown)
Figure 2. Industrial development around Sand Island recreation area on Oʻahu (PC: unknown)
Figure 3. Agriculture and urban development around Hanapepe Bay, Kauaʻi (PC: Google Earth)
Figure 4. Refuse along the shoreline in Hanapepe Bay, Kauaʻi (PC: J. Zill)
Figure 3. Agriculture and urban development around Hanapepe Bay, Kauaʻi (PC: Google Earth)
Figure 4. Refuse along the shoreline in Hanapepe Bay, Kauaʻi (PC: J. Zill)
1. Sites are selected on Oʻahu and Kauaʻi based on expected impacts and community interest (Figures 5 & 6)
2. Fish samples are collected at each site (ideally kole & manini + 3 other species representing different trophic levels)
3. Sediment samples are collected at each site
4. Fish tissues (muscle & liver) and sediment samples are analyzed for metals using ICP-MS and a subset of samples are analyzed for PCBs
5. Sites with high levels of contamination are identified in Year 1, and in Year 2 samples of sediment, water, algae, invertebrates, and fish are collected for analysis to determine pollution pathway
6. Results are shared with community members and resource managers
- Urbanization, industrialization, militarization, and intensive agriculture have all affected coastal ecosystems and watersheds in the Hawaiian Islands (Figures 1-4)
- Land-based pollutants can be transported to the nearshore marine environment through runoff in watersheds or through groundwater
- Metals and PCBs have been identified in local streams but little is known of their presence or impacts on Hawaiian coral reefs
- Many reef fishes including commonly targeted surgeonfish (e.g., kole & manini) directly or indirectly consume detritus that may contain pollutants
