Coral Reef Ecosystem Data from the 2010-2011 Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area, West Maui, Herbivore Enhancement as a Tool for Reef Restoration Project (NODC Accession 0082869)

This research targets the Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative (HCRI) Priority Area A: Kahekili, Maui: Herbivore Fisheries Management Area (KHFMA). The project goal was to evaluate the efficacy of this new management action by developing a detailed algal production/herbivore consumption budget. The KHFMA was established in an effort to promote herbivore grazing and thus reverse the decline in coral cover on the reef through increased algal consumption. Because it may take several years for monitoring programs of fish and benthic communities to detect changes associated with the recent protection from fishing at KHFMA, additional data are needed to identify benchmarks of success. By developing a growth/consumption budget for the algal and herbivore communities at KHFMA, this will enable the determination how much algae is currently being grazed and how many more herbivores would be needed to actually begin controlling algal abundance at Kahekili. Observations of fish and urchin consumption of algae were made during 2010-2011 at KHFMA. Additional observations were made at Lanai Lighthouse, which is the SW corner of the island of Lanai and Canoe Beach, which is just south of KHFMA, in 2009. Laboratory experiments were conducted at the Maui Ocean Center in 2010-2011.