{"id":122095,"date":"2020-07-07T07:54:28","date_gmt":"2020-07-07T17:54:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=122095"},"modified":"2020-08-07T12:41:57","modified_gmt":"2020-08-07T22:41:57","slug":"algae-species-discovered-infesting-nw-hawaiian-waters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2020\/07\/07\/algae-species-discovered-infesting-nw-hawaiian-waters\/","title":{"rendered":"Algae species discovered infesting <abbr title=\"northwestern\">NW<\/abbr> waters has been identified"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 2<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><div class=\"responsive-video-wrap-post\"><figure class=\"wp-block-embed wp-block-embed-youtube is-type-video is-provider-youtube epyt-figure\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><div class=\"epyt-video-wrapper\"><iframe  id=\"_ytid_56742\"  width=\"676\" height=\"676\"  data-origwidth=\"676\" data-origheight=\"676\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lF3_m-wq_BA?enablejsapi=1&origin=https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu&rel=0&autoplay=0&cc_load_policy=0&cc_lang_pref=&iv_load_policy=1&loop=0&fs=1&playsinline=0&autohide=2&theme=dark&color=red&controls=1&disablekb=0&\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  no-lazyload\" title=\"Algae species discovered infesting NW Hawaiian waters has been identified\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/figure><\/div>\n<p>A newly-identified, fast-growing species of algae poses a major threat to coral reefs and the ocean ecosystem. It was previously discovered in Papah\u0101naumoku\u0101kea Marine National Monument by a team of researchers from the University of <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Hawai&#699;i<\/span>, Western Australian Herbarium, College of Charleston and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (<abbr>NOAA<\/abbr>).<\/p>\n<p>Newly-named <em>Chondria tumulosa<\/em> by <abbr title=\"University of Hawaii\">ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½<\/abbr> researchers, the alga has no known origin and has been observed smothering entire reefs and the corals, native algae and other organisms that live in one of the northern atolls. It also has a &ldquo;tumbleweed-like&rdquo; growth and appears to easily detach and spread.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_122096\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-122096\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/manoa-botany-nuisance-algae-after-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"diver swimming next to algae \" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-122096\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/manoa-botany-nuisance-algae-after-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/manoa-botany-nuisance-algae-after-130x73.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/manoa-botany-nuisance-algae-after.jpg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-122096\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The new species of algae at Pearl and Hermes Atoll. (Photo courtesy: <abbr>NOAA<\/abbr>\/National Marine Sanctuaries)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;I think this is a warning of the kinds of changes that are to come for the northwestern Hawaiian Islands,&rdquo; said <abbr>ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½<\/abbr> M\u0101noa <a href=\"https:\/\/natsci.manoa.hawaii.edu\/\">College of Natural Sciences<\/a> Interim Associate Dean and Professor <strong>Alison Sherwood<\/strong>, the lead researcher on the project. &ldquo;We have, not until now, seen a major issue like this where we have a nuisance species that\u2019s come in and made such profound changes over a short period of time to the reefs.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>It was not widespread when first detected by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.noaa.gov\/\"><abbr>NOAA<\/abbr><\/a> divers in 2016 but a 2019 visit to the same area revealed that it is now covering up to several thousand square meters at the Pearl and Hermes Atoll.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_122097\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-122097\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/manoa-botany-nuisance-algae-before-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"fish swimming in the sea\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-122097\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/manoa-botany-nuisance-algae-before-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/manoa-botany-nuisance-algae-before-130x73.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/manoa-botany-nuisance-algae-before.jpg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-122097\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">&ldquo;Before&rdquo; area near Pearl and Hermes Atoll. (Photo courtesy: <abbr>NOAA<\/abbr>\/National Marine Sanctuaries)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;Until we understand whether it is native or introduced, and until we better understand what is driving this outbreak, it is critically important that research divers and research ships do not inadvertently transport this species to other islands,&rdquo; said Randall Kosaki, <abbr>NOAA<\/abbr> research coordinator at Papah\u0101naumoku\u0101kea Marine National Monument. &ldquo;Thus, all of our dive gear was soaked in bleach, and all of our dive boats were sprayed down with bleach prior to returning to Honolulu.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The findings were featured in a <em>PLOS ONE<\/em> article, &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/journals.plos.org\/plosone\/article?id=10.1371\/journal.pone.0234358\">Taxonomic determination of the cryptogenic red alga, <em>Chondria tumulosa<\/em> <abbr>sp<\/abbr>. <abbr>nov<\/abbr>., (Rhodomelaceae, Rhodophyta) from Papah\u0101naumoku\u0101kea Marine National Monument, <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Hawai&#699;i<\/span>, <abbr>USA<\/abbr>: a new species displaying invasive characteristics<\/a>.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2>&lsquo;Nuisance&rsquo; not &lsquo;invasive&rsquo;<\/h2>\n<p>Although <em>Chondria tumulosa<\/em> displays invasive characteristics, researchers are calling it a &ldquo;nuisance alga&rdquo; because they have not identified it as being introduced from another region.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The main Hawaiian Islands are impacted by several well-known invasive seaweeds, but reports of nuisance algae in Papah\u0101naumoku\u0101kea Marine National Monument are far fewer, and none have been present at the level of abundance seen in this new alga,&rdquo; Sherwood said.<\/p>\n<h2>Next steps<\/h2>\n<p>Researchers will conduct mapping and molecular analyses, and will develop mitigation strategies to assist in the development of appropriate management actions.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This is a highly destructive seaweed with the potential to overgrow entire reefs,&rdquo; College of Charleston Assistant Professor Heather Spalding said. &ldquo;We need to figure out where it\u2019s currently found, and what we can do to manage it. This type of research needs trained divers in the water as quickly as possible. The sooner we can get back to Papah\u0101naumoku\u0101kea Marine National Monument, the better.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><em>&#8212;By Marc Arakaki<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The alga may overgrow the reef, and smother corals, native algae and other organisms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[1058,368,308,109,1363,568,158,9],"class_list":["post-122095","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research","tag-algae","tag-botany","tag-college-of-natural-sciences","tag-coral-reefs","tag-manoa-research","tag-natural-science","tag-publication","tag-uh-manoa","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122095","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=122095"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122095\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":124493,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122095\/revisions\/124493"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=122095"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=122095"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=122095"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}