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This high school-level, place-based, inquiry-driven laboratory module familiarises students with techniques used to analyse animal behaviour while facilitating the development of the observational ...

This biology investigation on Pristipomoides filamentosus larval development, survival, and aquaculture research was developed with three educational objectives: to provide high school students with (1) a scientific background on the biology and science of fisheries as well as overfishing, its consequences, and possible mitigations; (2) exposure to field and laboratory techniques in marine science; and (3) practical skills in scientific inquiry and investigation. We teach this investigation at the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, where we have access to captive broodstock of the pink snapper, P. filamentosus. During this investigation students follow several steps scientists take to study aquaculture: collecting spawn from outdoor fish pens, quantifying the number of eggs, determining the percentage of fertilisation, and estimating the time of spawning and hatching. Additionally, students perform hypothesis-driven science activities with the embryos to test the effects of water quality on their develo...

As a result of shifting marine environmental conditions caused by global climate change and localized water pollution, marine organisms are becoming increasingly exposed to changing water quality conditions. For example, they are exposed to more extreme salinity fluctuations as a result of heavier rainfall, melting polar caps, or extreme droughts. Additionally, polluted coastal runoff into near-shore marine habitats has become more prevalent, carrying contaminants such as fertilizer from farmland or golf courses and other manmade harmful chemicals. At the Marine Science Research Learning Center at the Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology, we focus on teaching hypothesis-driven and inquiry-based labs to stimulate students’ scientific thinking and to increase interest in the fields of marine biology and environmental science. In this lab, we raise awareness of marine pollution and allow students to experiment with the consequences of reduced water quality on sea urchin fertilization success and earl...

This bioacoustics activity combines concepts in invertebrate taxonomy, animal communication, and acoustical physics while providing a unique opportunity for physics and biology teachers to collaborate and introduce their students to an exciting, interdisciplinary research field. Here, we propose a lab- and field-based activity that uses hydrophones to explore how shrimp snapping behavior changes in response to different stimuli and introduces students to the process of scientific inquiry. Using free software, students use spectrograms to visualize and analyze their experimental data. Furthermore, we propose potential modifications to the lab for classrooms without easy access to marine environments or snapping shrimp.

Hawai'i is a unique and special place to conduct environmental science inquiry through place based learning and scientific investigation. Here, we describe and evaluate a unique professional development program for science teachers in Hawai'i that integrates the traditional approach of providing training to improve content knowledge, with the overarching theme of scientific inquiry and investigation through short duration research experiences. Ten middle and high school teachers primarily from Hawai'i public high schools participated in the four week, full time professional development course, producing novel place-based lesson plans to execute in their home classrooms. Pre and post analyses of teacher reported confidence levels in teaching ten environmental and marine science topics showed significant improvements after the course. In addition, teachers continued professional relationships with scientists and instructors of the program through synergistic activities including partnering in grant proposal submissions, participating in related university offered programs for K-12 audiences, and facilitating student research internships with university scientists. Despite the overwhelming positive evaluations by teachers of the value and efficacy of the program, lack of funding and access to equipment were reported as anticipated limitations to implementing their newly gained knowledge in the classroom. Nonetheless, the program's success demonstrates that both teachers and scientists can benefit from a course of this nature, and using this framework, other organizations might adapt elements of the course to provide a similar place-based program in their respective back yards.

An ecosystem-based management research partnership between the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology and Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, specifically with the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve and, later, the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, provides a case study to analyze integration of scientific research into management plans through collaborative communications. Ecosystem-based management seeks input from disparate stakeholders and requires effective communication systems for the public, science, and management partners that bypass differences in organizational culture and communication styles. Here, we examine a successful partnership within the framework of ecosystem-based management to survey and evaluate cultural differences, understand what facilitates collaborative communication, highlight factors that impede a successful partnership, and identify areas for improvement. Effective communication has been achieved through an analysis of the organizations cultures and structures to better define communication links. Although specific differences were noted in organization and style, successful integration was accomplished through techniques such as the development of symposia and semiannual reports. This paper will explore the organizational culture analysis and structure evaluation, which are components of a larger study. This science management integration project is an example of how organizational analysis can lead to recommendations for improved communication and integration of science and management.

Insular adaptive radiations in which repeated bouts of diversification lead to phenotypically similar sets of taxa serve to highlight predictability in the evolutionary process [1]. However, examples of such replicated events are rare. Cross-clade comparisons of adaptive radiations are much needed to determine whether similar ecological opportunities can lead to the same outcomes. Here, we report a heretofore uncovered adaptive radiation of Hawaiian stick spiders (Theridiidae, Ariamnes) in which different species exhibit a set of discrete ecomorphs associated with different microhabitats. The three primary ecomorphs (gold, dark, and matte white) generally co-occur in native forest habitats. Phylogenetic reconstruction mapped onto the well-known chronosequence of the Hawaiian Islands shows both that this lineage colonized the islands only once and relatively recently (2-3 mya, when Kauai and Oahu were the only high islands in the archipelago) and that the distinct ecomorphs evolved independently multiple times following colonization of new islands. This parallel evolution of ecomorphs matches that of "spiny-leg" long-jawed spiders (Tetragnathidae, Tetragnatha), also in Hawaii [2]. Both lineages are free living, and both have related lineages in the Hawaiian Islands that show quite different patterns of diversification with no evidence of deterministic evolution. We argue that repeated evolution of ecomorphs results from a rugged adaptive landscape, with the few peaks associated with camouflage for these free-living taxa against the markedly low diversity of predators on isolated islands. These features, coupled with a limited genetic toolbox and reduced dispersal between islands, appear to be common to situations of repeated evolution of ecomorphs.

This study examines species in a relatively diverse lineage of Ariamnes spiders in the Hawaiian archipelago, where they appear to have undergone adaptive radiation, with several species generally co-occurring at any one locality. The lineage was initially described by the single species A. corniger Simon 1900. The Hawaiian representatives of this lineage are characterized by variably elongate abdomens and are mostly free-living, at least as adults, although a number have been found to occur, at least facultatively, as kleptoparasites on the webs of other spiders. These spiders are all nocturnal. Their phylogenetic affinities with other representatives of the genus outside the Hawaiian Islands are unclear. Ten new species are described here: A. kahili, A. huinakolu, A. makue, A. uwepa, A. poele, A. melekalikimaka, A. alepeleke, A. laau, A. waikula, and A. hiwa. These species, together with the single described species Ariamnes corniger, include all known representatives of the lineage in the Hawai...

The endemic Hawaiian grouper, Epinephelus quernus, is a commercially important species experiencing intense fish- ing pressure in part of its distributional range. We examined population genetic structure with 398 base pairs of the mitochondrial control region across a large portion of the range of E. quernus, spanning approximately 2000 km of the Hawaiian archipelago. Examination of genetic diversity shows that Gardner Island, situated midway along the island chain, harbours the most diverse haplotypes. F-statistics and Bayesian estimates of migration also reveal the mid-archipelago as genetically differentiated, where the first significant break among adjacent pairs of populations lies between the islands of Nihoa and Necker. Most island comparisons beyond Necker and Gardner to the north- west and among the lower five islands to the south-east show little to no genetic differences. Evidence of historical population expansion across the islands was also found by Maximum Likelihood analyses. The results suggest that management should be structured to reflect the genetic differentiation and diversity in the mid-archipelago, the pat- terns of which may be associated with oceanic current patterns. © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2004, 81, 449-468. ADDITIONAL KEYWORDS: control region - Hawaiian archipelago - migration - population growth - population structure.

Inquiry-driven and place-based education can be a powerful way to improve science literacy in students, simultaneously changing their perceptions about the environments in which they live, their individual roles in conservation, and by extension, their views of higher education and possible careers in science. However, authentic scientific inquiry opportunities that are outdoors and/or associated with the marine environment have limitations related to risk liability, funding availability, complicated logistics to get students to study sites, and time away from other classes for all-day field trips. Emerging technologies utilizing the internet and the concept of ‘telepresence’ can provide a means to overcome many of these obstacles by ‘bringing the place to the classroom’. In a pilot program executed by the Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa and in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sea Grant's Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Laboratory, we demonstrate the application of using cutting edge ocean engineering technology, in the form of a mini autonomous submarine vehicle, to expose students to ‘outdoor’ marine science experiences they otherwise might be unlikely to get. The AUV is controlled interactively through the internet, transmitting data and images in real time directly to students in the classroom. HIMB scientists developed marine science lessons that harness the capabilities of the AUV, emphasizing the process of scientific inquiry and investigation. The lessons were also designed to relate science topics to broader environmental issues affecting Hawai'i's ecosystems. In this paper, we provide a brief overview of the pilot project and present preliminary student evaluation results that provide evidence for the potential of this approach in science education in Hawai'i and beyond.

Integration of ecological and genetic data to study patterns of biological connectivity can aid in ecosystem-based management. Here we investigated connectivity of the Hawaiian grouperEpinephelus quernus, a species of management concern within the Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI), by comparing genetic analyses with simulated larval dispersal patterns across the species range in the Hawaiian Archipelago and Johnston Atoll. Larval simulations revealed higher dispersal from the MHI to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) than in the opposite direction and evidence for a dispersal corridor between Johnston and the middle of the Hawaiian Archipelago. Genetic analyses using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region sequences and microsatellites revealed relatively high connectivity across the Hawaiian Archipelago, with the exception of genetically distinct populations and higher mtDNA diversity in the mid-Archipelago. These analyses support the preservation of the mid-archipelago as a source of genetic diversity and a region of connectivity with locations outside the Hawaiian Archipelago. Additionally, our evidence for directional dispersal away from the MHI lends caution to any management decisions that would rely on the NWHI replenishing depleted MHI stocks.

The availability of variable genetic markers for groupers (Serranidae) has generally been limited to mitochondrial DNA. For studies of population genetic structure, more loci are usually required; particularly useful are those that are nuclear in origin such as microsatellites. Here, we isolated and characterized 9 microsatellite loci from the endemic Hawaiian grouper Epinephelus quernus using a biotin-labeled oligonucleotide-streptavidin–coated magnetic bead approach. Of the 20 repeat-containing fragments isolated, 15 had sufficient flanking region in which to design primers. Among these, 9 produced consistent polymerase chain reaction product, and 6 were highly variable. These 6 loci were all composed of dinucleotide repeats, with the number of alleles ranging from 6 to 18, and heterozygosities from 33.3% to 91.7%. The high levels of variability observed should make these markers useful for population genetic studies of E. quernus, and potentially other epinephelines.