Submitted by Nya Wynn on the 2022 winter session program in Hawaii sponsored by the Department of Biological Sciences…
This week, we flew into Honolulu! This was my first time traveling out of the tri-state area and so far Hawaii has not been a let down! The thing I wanted to write about experiencing this week was being able to compare the rich diversity of marine life in multiple different areas in Oahu.
The first place we snorkeled was Hanamua Bay. It was really hard figuring out how to maneuver through the corals, but once I got it, I was able to see so many fish like Crocodile Needlefish, Hawaiian Sergeant, various triggerfish, and many more. Then, later in the week, we snorkeled at Kaneohe Reef. This was an easier spot to snorkel than Hanauma and we were able to see a lot of different fish in the new marine environment. Here we saw Moorish Idols, White Spotted Surgeonfish, various types of butterfly fish, and so many green turtles! Getting back to the beach or boat and being able to talk with our group and get excited about everything we all saw was so much fun as well!
After snorkeling, we reconvened as a class to discuss the similarities and differences between each location. In Hanauma, there was a lot more wave action, strong currents, and coral scattered across the bay. This led to bigger fish that did not stay in one place; most fish didn’t have a specific place because the bay had so many scattered corals. In Kaneohe Reef, however, we were farther out in the water so there was minimal wave action or strong currents, and we were snorkeling around just one large coral reef, not various scattered corals. This allowed us to see the specific niches of each fish and their specific roles within the reef system. The fish here were also much smaller because they had smaller spaces to hide in compared to the fish at the bay who could span the entire bay and be able to find a hiding spot. I never thought I’d be having this much fun, but learning so much.
