Quantifying thresholds for reef resilience using high resolution monitoring data in Hawaii

Quantifying thresholds for reef resilience using high resolution monitoring data in Hawaii Quantifying thresholds for reef resilience using high resolution monitoring data in Hawaii The Hawaii Monitoring and Reporting Collaborative (HIMARC) and the State of Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) will support resilience-based management statewide and at priority reef sites in Hawaii by identifying thresholds of herbivory that determine the resilience of reefs to local and global disturbances. DAR is undertaking a resilience-based approach to management through the Holomua: Marine 30x30 initiative, including statewide fisheries rules for herbivores. The goal of managing herbivorous fish populations is to increase the resilience of nearshore marine areas to disturbances by bolstering and/or maintaining herbivory, a key ecological process for reef resilience. This project aims to answer a critical question for both the implementation and future evaluation of these management initiatives: how many herbivores is enough to maintain and/or bolster reef resilience? The project includes 3 activities: (1) quantifying herbivory threshold(s) for a calcified reef state based on a statewide spatial analysis, (2) investigating how the herbivore biomass threshold(s) relate to change in coral cover before and after the 2014-15 coral bleaching event, and (3) evaluating priority site locations based on findings from (1) and (2). Project outcomes will be integrated into all four pillars of the Holomua: Marine 30x30 initiative, and will be disseminated broadly through public outreach and education.