41 annual albert l. tester memorial symposium41st annual albert l. tester memorial symposium april...

41st Annual Albert L. Tester

Memorial Symposium

April 6 - 9, 2016

"“A cornucopia of seabirds delight”" by Lindsay Veazey

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Thanks to our many volunteers!

Special thanks to our Speaker Judges:

Dolph Schluter Cynthia Hunter Kevin Bennett

Poster Judges:

Raphael Ritson-Williams Anthony Barley

Kaleonani Hurley Jonatha Giddens

Session Chairs:

Special contributions from:

2016 Tester Organizing Committee

Tayler Massey

Jamie Caldwell

Eva Schemmel &

Dr. Kevin Bennett

Dr. Cynthia Hunter

We also acknowledge the office staff of the Department of Biology for logistical assistance:

Audrey Shintani Pia Dizon

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"Sea-Saw" by Lillian Tuttle

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41st

Annual Albert L. Tester Memorial Symposium Sponsors

The Department of Biology gratefully acknowledges financial support

provided by:

Department of Oceanography

Department of Botany John A. Burns School of Medicine

College of Natural Sciences Sea Grant College Program

Student Activity and Program Fee Board Stern Foundation

Dr. Mark Hixon Dr. Amy Moran

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Past Symposia Invited Speakers

1976 A. A. Myrberg, Jr., University of Miami 1977 R. Glenn Northcutt, University of Michigan

1978 Karel F. Liem, Harvard University

1979 Edmund S. Hobson, SW Fisheries Center, Tiburon Laboratory

1980 Gareth Nelson, American Museum of Natural History

1981 Stephen Jay Gould, Harvard University

1982 Howard A. Bern, University of California, Berkeley

1983 Robert T. Paine, University of Washington, Seattle

1984 Joseph Connell, University of California, Santa Barbara

1985 George W. Barlow, University of California, Berkeley

1986 Jared Diamond, University of California, Los Angeles

1987 Lynn Margulis, Boston University

1988 Eric Davidson, California Institute of Technology

1989 Jonathan Roughgarden, Stanford University

1990 Corey S. Goodman, University of California, Berkeley

1991 John Maynard Smith, Univeristy of Sussex

1992 Robert Warner, University of California, Santa Barbara

1993 Stephen Hubbell, Princeton University

1994 Nancy Knowlton, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

1995 Mimi A.R. Koehl, University of California, Berkeley

1996 George L. Gabor Miklos, The Neurosciences Institute

1997 Stephen A. Wainwright, Duke University

1998 Kenneth B. Storey, Carleton University

1999 Robert E. Ricklefs, University of Missouri-St. Louis

2000 John A. Endler, University of California, Santa Barbara

2001 Steve Jones, University College, London

2002 Marc Mangel, University of California, Santa Cruz

2003 William G. Eberhard, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

2004 Phillip J. Motta, University of South Florida

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2005 Stephen R. Palumbi, Stanford University

2006 Scott F. Gilbert, Swarthmore College

2007 Paul Dayton, University of California, San Diego

2008 Tyrone B. Hayes, University of California, Berkeley

2009 Daniel Pauly, University of British Columbia

2010 Alex Badyaev, University of Arizona

2011 Monica Turner, University of Wisconsin

2012 Terry Hughes, ARC Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

2013 Fiorenza Micheli, Stanford University

2014 Sylvia Earle, National Geographic explorer-in-residence 2015 Jeremy Jackson, Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego

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Introduction

The Albert L. Tester Memorial Symposium is held in honor of Professor Albert Tester who, at the time of his death in 1974, was Senior Professor of Zoology at the University of Hawai'i. The faculty and students of the Department of Zoology proposed an annual symposium to honor Dr. Tester's encouragement of student research in marine biology. Today the Tester Memorial Symposium welcomes research from any scientific field.

Papers reporting original research on any aspect of science are solicited from students at the University and are presented at the Symposium. Contributions to the Albert L. Tester Memorial Fund of the University of Hawai'i Foundation are used to provide prizes for the three best papers, judged on quality, originality, research significance, and quality of public presentation. Judges include faculty members and the previous year's student award winners. Further, a distinguished scholar from another university or research institution is invited to participate in the Symposium as a judge and to present the major Symposium address.

“K-Bay” by Raphael Ritson-Williams

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41st

Annual Albert L. Tester Memorial Symposium

April 6-9, 2016

2016 Invited Speaker

Dr. Dolph Schluter

Wednesday, April 6th

, 4:00 – 5:00 PM: Distinguished Visitor’s Address

Campus Center Ballroom

"Genetic insights into speciation by natural selection"

Friday, April 8th

, 4:00 – 5:00 PM: Keynote Lecture- Biomed 103B

"The origin of species and the latitudinal biodiversity gradient”

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Dolph Schluter

Dr. Dolph Schluter is a professor

with the Biodiversity Research

Centre and Zoology Department at

the University of British Columbia in

Vancouver, Canada.

Dr. Schluter is the author of over one

hundred scientific publications and

several books. He won the Darwin-

Wallace Medal from the Linnean

Society of London and the Rosenblatt Award from Scripps Institute of

Oceanography. He is a fellow at The Royal Society of Canada and The Royal

Society of London. In addition, Dr. Schluter has served as President and Vice

President of several scientific societies, including the American Society of

Naturalists and the Society for the Study of Evolution.

Dr. Schluter was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California,

Davis and the University of British Columbia. He received his Ph.D. from the

University of Michigan in 1983 and a B.Sc from the University of Guelph in

1977. His earliest research was conducted on Darwin's famous finches in the

Galapagos Islands and he continued this research on other finches and small

seed-eating birds in Africa and North America. Throughout his career, Dr.

Schluter has studied recent adaptive radiation in a wide range of species and

ecosystems. He investigates the ecological forces that drive the rapid spread

and persistence of new species using experimental and observational studies.

His most famous work focuses on a mini-explosion of new species of

threespine sticklebacks in the lakes of British Columbia. However, his lab work

extends to speciation gradients in birds and mammals, range size evolution in

primates, ecological speciation in stick insects, mimicry in reef fish and

butterflies and signaling system evolution in electric fishes.

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“Kamaʻāina” by Lillian Tuttle

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Albert L. Tester

Senior Professor of Zoology

This Symposium is dedicated to Dr. Albert Lewis Tester, scholar and teacher, who died on November 27, 1974 in Honolulu, Hawai'i. He had an international reputation in several aspects of marine biology, and as an outstanding teacher. Dr. Tester was a delightful friend, a meticulous worker, and a valued colleague.

A native of Toronto, Canada, Dr. Tester received his doctorate from the University of Toronto in 1936. In 1931 he joined the Pacific Biological Station of the Biological Board of Canada. In 1948 Dr. Tester joined the Department of Zoology at the University of Hawai'i where he remained until his death. From 1955 to 1958, he was director of the Pacific Oceanic Fisheries Investigations of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Honolulu. In 1957 he served as chief of the Service's Division of Biological Research in Washington, D.C. and returned to the University of Hawai'i as Senior Professor of Zoology in 1958.

Dr. Tester studied the life history of tuna baitfish for a program designed to improve tuna fishing in the Pacific. Dr. Tester served on the Governor's Task Force on Hawai'i and the Sea, the Marine Resources Committee of the Pacific Islands Development Commission, and as chairman of the Department of Zoology.

Dr. Tester's most valuable work was in the field of elasmobranch biology and included studies in ecology, behavior, sensory biology of sharks, and aspects of shark attack and control. His major research interest in shark sensory systems resulted in significant morphological and behavioral studies of olfaction, vision, and the chemical senses. Dr. Tester intensively studied the acoustico-lateralis system (e.g., innervation and morphology of neuromasts and the cupula structure in the lateral line), and the inner ear (e.g., carcharinid sharks). From 1967 to 1969, Dr. Tester directed the Cooperative Shark Research and Control Program of the State of Hawai'i and was

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appointed to the Shark Research Panel of the American Institute of Biology Sciences in 1967.

Dr. Tester authored more than 100 publications and his excellent work was acknowledged with the University of Hawai'i Research Medal in 1974. While his scientific contributions are highly significant, many remember Dr. Tester best as warm and congenial, a dedicated teacher, active and respected participant in the university community, organist, hula dancer, and singer: the complete man.

By Arthur N. Popper, Claire Gilbert, and Perry W. Gilbert, modified from a tribute to Dr. Tester from American Zoologist, 1977, 17:289-291. 10

Selected Bibliography

Tester, A. L. 1935. The herring fishery of British Columbia--past and present. Bulletin of the Biological Board of Canada. 47:l-37.

Tester, A. L. and G. J. Nelson. 1967. Free neuromasts (pit organs) in sharks. In: (P.W. Gilbert, R.F. Mathewson, and D.P. Rall, eds.), Sharks, Skates, and Rays, p. 503-531, The Johns Hopkins Press, Baltimore, Maryland.

Tester, A. L. 1968. Olfaction, gestation, and the common chemical sense in sharks. In: (P.W. Gilbert, ed.) Sharks and Survival, p. 255-282, D.C. Heath, Boston.

Tester, A. L. and J. I. Kendall. 1968. Cupulae in shark neuromasts: Composition, origin, generation. Science 160:772-774.

Katsuki, Y., K. Yanagisawa, A. L. Tester and J. I. Kendall. 1969. Shark pit organs: Response to chemicals. Science 163:405-407

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Past Symposia

Best Paper Awards

1976 Tina Weatherby Dennis Gorlick Paul Atkins 1977 Charles van Riper Craig MacDonald Bruce Thompson 1978 Jon Hayashi James Wyban 1979 Gerald Heslinga Frank Perron 1980 Stephen C. Kempf Clyde S. Tamaru 1981 Carol N. Hopper Michael Walker 1982 Ronaldo Ferraris Evelyn Cox 1983 Thomas L. Smalley Sharon Hendrix 1984 Janice Bell Joan Canfield Cynthia Hunter Cedar Kehoe 1985 Karla McDermid Hing-Chung Lee Timothy Tricas

1986 James Howard Charles Madenjian Tom Hourigan 1987 Amy Ringwood Joyce Rundhaug Jeff Burgett 1988 Teresa Telecky Randall Kosaki Jay Jones 1989 Rachel Behnke Catherine Hurlbut Edward Metz 1990 Carol Reeb Bailey Kessing Kevin Hill 1991 Vanessa Gauger Gary Jahn Andrew Martin 1992 Greta Aeby Robert Feldman J. Koji Lum 1993 Kazue Asoh Deborah J. Gochfeld Andrea Fleig 1994 Kevin Beach Susan Murphy-Walker Richard L. Pyle

1995 Eric Vanderwerf Christopher Lowe Gwen Lowe Kabi Raj Neupane 1996 Scott Larned Patrick Hart Patricia Lee 1997 Angel Yanagihara Aaron Bush Ilsa Kuffner 1998 Elizabeth Nemeth Jessica Garb Jamie Foster 1999 Wendy Kuntz Lisa Privitera James Leary 2000 Kelly Benoit-Bird Timothy D. Male Jennifer Smith Jill Zamzow 2001 Buffy Cushman Timothy Fitzgerald Carl Meyer 2002 Matthew Parry David Phillips Amy Baco-Taylor

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2003 Brittany Graham Karen Maruska Donovan Studo 2004 Sarah McTee Sheldon Plentovich Heather Spalding 2005 Andreas J. Andersson Anuschka Faucci David Q. Matus 2006 William C. Koeppen Alison K. Stimpert Lindsay C. Young 2007 Todd A. Bianco

David T. Lin Joseph M. O’Malley 2008 Christopher Bochicchio Michael Boyle Matthew Pitts 2009 Toby Daly-Engel Adam Dewan Heather Marlow 2010 Christine Ambrosino Kira Krend Jacqueline Padilla-Gamiño 2011 Timothy DuBuc Cawa Tran Tamara Wong

2012 Jennifer Bufford Mary Donovan Emi Yamaguchi 2013 Matthew Iacchei Nyssa Silbiger Jonathan Whitney 2014 John Burns Maegen Walker Christie Wilcox 2015 Jamie Caldwell Tayler Massey Eva Schemmel

Photo by Chris Wall

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Wednesday, April 6th


12:30 Introduction to Symposium

12:45 Albert L. Tester Introduction – Dr. Cindy Hunter

Session I Chaired by

1:10 Global genetic Inventory of the silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis)

Derek Kraft

1:15 Deadly toxin from a culturally significant organism, Palythoa toxica

Ale'alani Dudoit

1:20 Comparison of normal and abnormal coral tissue using microskeletal traits in massive Porites

Corinna Hong

1:25 A population modeling approach to evaluate potential trade-offs between growth and quality of a culturally-significant plant in the Pacific Northwest, U.S.A.

Georgia Hart

1:30 Resolution of the evolutionary relationships of Myoporum stellatum and M. sandwicense in the Hawaiian Islands

April Cascasan

1:35 Gut morphology and its symbiotic microbiota evolved under food-sparse cave environment

Crystal Valdez

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Wednesday, April 6

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1:40 Blind cavefish as a new multi-genic model for psychiatric disease

Alexander Settle

1:45 Transmission beam characteristics of a Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus)

Adam B. Smith

2:00 Odontocete occurrence in the Maui Nui region investigated using passive acoustic monitoring and visual survey techniques

Marian Howe

2:15 Relative abundance of sound scattering organisms in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) is a driver for some odontocete foragers

Adrienne M. Copeland

2:30 BREAK

Session 2 Chaired by

2:45 Phylogenomic analysis of Pocillopora corals reveals evolution of brooding from broadcast spawning

Erika Johnston

3:00 Family affairs of horny sponges: A phylogenetic and morphological description of a new invasive-algae-associated Pacific species, Igernella hawaiiensis (Porifera, Demospongiae) with implications for the Igernella and Dendrilla genera.

Michael A. Wallstrom

3:15 Tracking thunder: the implications of Paraphyly in Lysimachia filifolia on taxonomic resurrection and conservation management

Jesse W. Adams

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Wednesday, April 6

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3:30 Phylogeny, evolution, and biogeography of the genera Radiogrammitis Parris and Oreogrammitis Copel (Polypodiaceae)

Vithanage N.S. Sirimalwatta

3:45 Detecting bias in phylogenetic inference: an empirical assessment of model performance

Emilie Richards

4:00 – 5:00 Distinguished Visitor’s Address Genetic insights into speciation by natural selection Dr. Dolph Schluter Our understanding of how new species form has undergone a major shift in recent decades, with natural (and sexual) selection now thought to play a predominant role. What are the genetics of this process, and how do genes improve our understanding of underlying mechanisms? I describe ongoing work to address these questions in a complex of young fish species (threespine stickleback) inhabiting lakes of the Pacific Northwest. I show with an experiment that many genes contribute to ecological and morphological differences between the species, with their net effects on phenotype leading to the evolution of reduced hybrid feeding performance. Many of these genetic differences are older than the species, and a ready supply of standing genetic variation likely facilitated rapid speciation by natural selection in this group.

Photo by Chris Wall

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Thursday, April 7

th


Session 3 Chaired by Dr.

8:55 Introduction and Announcements

9:00 Of markets and middlemen: investigating drivers of decline in increasingly exploited small-scale coral reef fisheries

Rachel Dacks

9:15 Bridging the gap from science to education

Raphael Ritson-Williams

9:30 A new perspective: assessing spatial distribution of coral bleaching with low-altitude remote sensing technologies

Joshua Levy

9:45 Design of an unmanned aerial treatment system for invasive species management

Roberto Rodriguez

10:00 The effects of oxygen supply when immersed on the thermal limits of the wave-zone echinoderm Colobocentrotus atratus

Sean Wilbur

10:05 Physiological and evolutionary responses to climate change in a keystone coral reef herbivore

Evan W. Barba

10:10 Effect of temperature and pH on metabolic rates of the red alga Gracilaria salicornia

Megan Onuma

10:15 Gene flow in the twilight zone: habitat specialization and population connectivity of Hawaiian mesophotic reef fishes

Michael Hoban

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10:20

Thursday, April 7

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Characterization of the amphipod visual system

Albert Chan

10:25 Shifts in opsin expression during the larval to adult transition in Pullosquilla thomassini (Crustacea, Stomatopoda)

Sitara Palecanda

10:30 COFFEE BREAK


10:45 Insight into goatfish early life history characteristics through the study of temporal and spatial recruitment dynamics of oama (juvenile M. flavolineatus and M. vanicolensis)

Keith Kamikawa

11:00 High throughput microsatellite genotyping contradicts that Acropora hyacinthus was extirpated on Palau and recolonized from Yap

Annick Cros

11:15 Mitochondrial genome evolution in sea urchins, with special focus on the Indo-Pacific species Tripneustes gratilla

Áki Jarl Láruson

11:30 Regal phylogeography: range-wide survey of the marine angelfish Pygoplites diacanthus reveals evolutionary partitions

Richard R. Coleman

11:45 Spatial and temporal patterns of origination in the coral genus Pavona

Claire J. Lewis

12:00 - 1:15 LUNCH BREAK

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Thursday, April 7th



1:15 Environmental drivers of variation in maternal investment and larval performance of Colobocentrotus atratus

Kanoe Morishige

1:30 Revisiting the impacts of bleaching on sexual reproduction of the stony coral Montipora capitata

Elizabeth A. Lenz

1:45 Phototransduction characterization in the Stomatopod, Alima pacifica

Mireille Steck

2:00 Plasticity in thermal tolerance of early life history stages of marine invertebrate larvae

Caitlyn Genovese

2:15 Gene regulation of sex-reallocation in a hermaphroditic fish (Lythrypnus dalli)

Jessica M. Maxfield

2:30-2:45 BREAK


2:45 Ocean acidification and irradiance effects on the energy reserves and calcification of the reef coral Pocillopora damicornis

Chris B. Wall

3:00 Symbiodinium diversity in Porites compressa following a natural bleaching event

Martha Newell

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Thursday, April 7

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3:15 Temperature, body size, and pycnogonid metabolism

Caitlin M. Shishido

3:30 Hiding in plain sight: molecular phylogenetics and morphological analyses reveal cryptic species complexes in Glossodoris sea slugs (Nudibranchia)

Shayle B. Matsuda

3:45 Assessment of Plakobranchus sp. (Sacoglossa, Opisthobranchia) kleptoplast diversity across the Main Hawaiian Islands

Rachael Wade

4:00-5:30 POSTER SESSION

Long term environmental change at two contrasting wetland sites on the Island of Hawai‘i Olivia Marohnic Species Specific Response to Regional Warming of the Antarctic Peninsula Lauren Yumol In the Wake of Fukushima: Cesium Bioaccumulation of Pacific Fish Hannah Azouz Asymmetrical mesopredator release: Moray eels inconspicuously predominate heavily fished reefs Julie Zill

Quantifying Herbivore Feeding Preferences Within and Across Reef Habitats: Do Species Matter? Scott Chulakote Development of outplanting methods for native species of Sargassum in Hawaiʻi Sarah Maile Vasconcellos

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Thursday, April 7

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POSTER SESSION CONTINUED Analyzing algal parameters as a function of nitrogen in submarine groundwater discharge, on two shores of Oʻahu Debbi Yoshimoto Does groundwater influence algal communities? Veronica Gibson Impacts of elevated nutrients on invasive and non-invasive macroalgae found in the diet of the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) Migiwa Kawachi Transcriptomic responses to symbiosis Silvia Moriano-Gutierrez The Expression of Non-Visual Opsins in Blind Cavefish Fujita Suguru Induced sensory units are not sufficient to lead the adaptive shift in the central nervous system Christian Macaspac Identification of cryptic siphonous green algae through molecular analysis and observation of developmental strategies Nozomi Shimizu Patterns of Oogonia and Spermatogonia Distribution in the non-partitioned ovotestis of the Hawaiian Endemic Goby Species, Eviota epiphanes Helena de Souza Brasil Barreto Histological Assessment of Spermatogenesis in Mice with Limited Y Chromosome Gene Contribution Victor Ruthig Calibration and Analysis of Coastal Oahu pH Data Eric Wadnal

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Thursday, April 7th


POSTER SESSION CONTINUED Investigating latent effects of the juvenile experience in corals under ocean acidification Ariana Huffmyer Harnessing Intraspecific Variation in Scleractinians to Selectively Breed Higher Tolerance Against Climate Change Stressors Elizabeth Lenz Effects of the 2015-16 El Niño on Near-shore Reefs and Local Communities in the U.S. Affiliated Island-States, Pohnpei and Chuuk Nicole Yamase Assessing algal (Symbiodinium) variability and variation across individual coral colonies (Montipora capitata) in Kaneohe Bay Shayle Matsuda Detection of Chronic Stress in Corals Exposed to Invasive Algae Mats

Victoria Sindorf

“A sea change” by Lillian Tuttle

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Friday, April 8

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8:55 Introduction and Announcements

9:00 Alterations in behavior relating to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in mice conceived by in vitro fertilization (IVF)

Chantell Balaan

9:15 Sox9 overexpression can sufficiently replace Sry in terms of function in spermatogenesis and adult male fertility

Egle A. Ortega

9:30 Histological verification of the efficacy of mouse models for human male infertility

Victor A. Ruthig

9:45 The DNA licensing protein ORC4 is required for polar body extrusion

Hieu Nguyen

10:00 Long-range wireless data transmission: A novel approach to subsea data collection

Garrett Blake Johnson

10:05 Microsatellite analysis of the Antarctic brittle star Ophioplinthus gelida (Ophiuroidea: Ophiuridae)

Erik Brush

10:10 Carbon isotope analysis of Hawaiian land snail shells for paleo-climate reconstruction

Carl Thompson

10:15 Star Wars: the crown-of-thorns awakens

Molly Timmers

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Friday, April 8th


10:20 What do we do now? Finding practical management strategies to

promote coral reef recovery following mass bleaching in the main Hawaiian Islands

Anne Rosinski

10:25 TA teaching styles impacts student achievement in a research-based undergraduate science course

Ariana S. Huffmyer

10:30 COFFEE BREAK


10:45 I come from the land down under: ecological niche modeling of hierarchical spatial scales to predict the range of an invasive skink in Hawaii

Thomas A.H. Smith

11:00 How invasive Indo-Pacific red lionfish interact with native fish parasites and cleaning mutualisms on Atlantic coral reefs

Lillian J. Tuttle

11:15 Effects of predator hunting mode and prey anti-predator responses on prey selection by invasive Pacific red lionfish (Pterois volitans) and native Atlantic coral-reef piscivores

Eric Dilley

11:30 10-pound crab, maximum size limit of Samoan crabs (Scylla

serrata) in Hawai'i Nin Gan

11:45 Social and reproductive behavior of a hermaphroditic and cryptobenthic reef fish, Eviota epiphanes, in Hawai`i

Brian Deis

12:00 LUNCH

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Friday, April 8

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1:15 Effects of colonization in both the developing and adult squid-vibrio symbiosis

Eric J. Koch

1:30 Design of an unmanned aerial treatment system for invasive species management

Christina Runyon

1:45 Sources of Vibrio coralliilyticus strain ocn008 in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii and the effect of decreased salinity on infection of the coral, Montipora capitata

Amanda Shore-Maggio

2:00 Investigating acute Montipora white syndrome: potential causative agents, environmental drivers, and the importance of coral health

Silvia Beurmann

2:15 BREAK

“1000 manini” by Eva Schemmel

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Friday, April 8

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Session 10 Chaired by Dr. 2:30 The implementation of rare events logistic regression to predict

the distribution of mesophotic hard corals across the main Hawaiian Islands

Lindsay Veazey

2:45 Intraspecific variability in the life history of coral reef fishes amongst photic and mesophotic communities in the central Pacific

Morgan Winston

3:00 Feeding ecology of abyssal and hadal fishes

Mackenzie Gerringer

3:15 Does elevation affect symbiont network dynamics? A gradient study of foliar fungal endophytes

Gerald M. Cobian

2:30-3:00 BREAK

Friday, April 8th

Biomed 103B

4:00-5:00 Keynote Lecture

The origin of species and the latitudinal biodiversity gradient Dr. Dolph Schluter

The latitudinal biodiversity gradient is the most conspicuous global pattern in species richness. In a large majority of higher-level taxa, many more species are found at tropical latitudes than in the temperate zone. Most evolutionary explanations for this global pattern are based on the idea that rates of origin of new species (speciation), and rates of new species accumulation (diversification), are highest at low latitudes. However, a review of existing evidence suggests that diversification rates are similar between latitudes, and that speciation rates might be highest in the temperate zone. I attempt to reconcile these ideas and observations with our understanding of the dynamic history of the gradient.

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41st

Annual Albert L. Tester

Memorial Symposium

Banquet and Ceremony

Graciously hosted by the

Waikīkī Aquarium

SATURDAY, April 9th, 6:00 - 9:30 PM

Buy Tickets in Biology Office

(Edmonson Hall 216)

FRIDAY 8 AM - 12 PM Drop off alcohol with name written on label in Biology Office (Edm 216)

SATURADY 6:00 PM Happy hour; enjoy Waikīkī Aquarium

6:45 PM Awards and Presentations

7:30 PM Dinner (catered by Da Spot) 9:30 PM Clean up Kokua

BYOB (by prior arrangement)

“Testing the Waters” by Shayle Matsuda

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41st Annual Albert L. Tester Memorial Symposium

Abstracts Contributed Talks and Posters

Jesse Adams Botany Tracking Thunder: The Implications of Paraphyly in Lysimachia filifolia on Taxonomic Resurrection and Conservation Management Authors: Jesse W. Adams, Mitsuko Yorkston, Wendy Kishida, Susan Ching Harbin, Kaile Costa Abstract: Members of Lysimachia subgenus Lysimachiopsis (Primulaceae) possess a limited suite of observed physical characters. Plasticity within these characters expressed in separate populations of the same species confounds the taxonomy of this group. Hawaiians recognized two different taxa one of which, Pua Hekili, translates to “Thunder Flower.” This name might be in reference to the sound of the waterfalls present on the wet, unstable cliffs faces one of these species inhabits. Subsequent taxonomists noted unique forms which have been recognized or reduced to synonymy. Conservation managers and field botanists have observed slight physical differences between Kaua‘i and O‘ahu populations of L. filifolia, a Federally Endangered and Plant Extinction Prevention Program (PEPP) species. In this study sequences generated from nuclear (ETS, ITS) and chloroplast (trnH-psbA intergeneric spacer) DNA regions are employed to assess species boundaries within and among these populations. Previously published

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sequences and data from this study were combined to visualize the relationships between the sampled populations of L. filifolia and other Hawaiian Lysimachia. Estimated phylogenies have indicated that the Kaua‘i and O‘ahu populations are paraphyletic and deserve separate recognition. This provides the opportunity for possible circumscription and resurrection of species within this complex. Hannah Azouz Geology & Geophysics In the Wake of Fukushima: Cesium Bioaccumulation of Pacific Fish Authors: Hannah R. Azouz, Dr. Henrietta Dulaiova Abstract: To this day there are global efforts in evaluating the effects in wake of the 2011 Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant disaster. The estimated 500 tons of contaminated wastewater that entered the nearby marine ecosystem (Watabe 2013) was dispersed into the Pacific Ocean and due to biological uptake in migratory fish species (Madigan 2012) and was detected as far as the West coast of US. Although the accepted intervention limit for cesium isotope intake is 300 Bq/kg of fish, only 50 Bq/kg concentrated in the human body causes irreversible damage to tissues of vital organs. The question we are left with is how much cesium is in the fish we consume, a thought the community of Hawai’i should consider since our fish products are caught in the Pacific Ocean. Fourteen most commonly consumed, locally bought fish samples were analyzed using gamma spectrophotometry to measure Fukushima-derived cesium 134 and cesium-137 isotopes. All fish samples had detectable cesium-137 and 5 out of the 14 samples had detectable cesium-134, an isotope indicative of Fukushima releases. The highest cesium-137 concentration in the examined species was the Alaskan Dover Sole carrying 3.6 Bq/kg. The highest concentrations occurred in high trophic level species with migratory patterns from Japan to Hawai’i or residing in the most northern Pacific Ocean. All activities are significantly below intervention limits but are informative to the community on what is being consumed. Results should also provide a basis for future work on cesium bioaccumulation in fish. (1) Watabe et al. (2013); (2) Madigan et al. (2012). Chantell Balaan Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology Alterations in behavior relating to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in mice conceived by in vitro fertilization (IVF)

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Authors: Chantell Balaan, Michael J. Corley, Yasuhiro Yamauchi, Tiffany Eulalio, Caroline Blanchard, Alika Maunakea, Monika A. Ward, Kaahukane Leite-ayho, Alina Pang Abstract: Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) may be associated with increased risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The most common ART is in vitro fertilization (IVF). In IVF gametes are co-incubated in vitro to achieve fertilization and resulting embryos are transplanted into mom's reproductive track. We investigated whether ASD-related behavioral aberrations in social interaction and repetitive behavioral patterns exist in progeny resulting from IVF as compared to normal mating utilizing the 3-Chamber test, Social Proximity test, and Grooming Assessment test. For IVF-derived and normal mating progeny, oocyte and sperm were from C57BL/6 mice. All resulting progeny were cross-fostered to CD-1 foster females. At post-natal day (PND) 25, pups underwent the 3-Chamber test to determine whether mice show preference for social stimulus. At PND 30/31, pups underwent the Grooming Assessment test to evaluate grooming behavioral patterns and Social Proximity test to evaluate forced social interaction in a more compact enclosure. Initial analysis revealed that behavioral aberrations were more prominent in males, displaying a sex preferential bias similar to that shown in human ASD diagnosis, so further analysis focused on males only. Results from the 3-Chamber test illustrate significantly higher preference for nonsocial stimulus when given the option in IVF-derived progeny versus normal mating. In both the Grooming Assessment and Social Proximity tests, no significant differences were elucidated upon analysis between the two groups. Whether or not IVF-derived progeny display all core symptoms of ASD remain inconclusive; however, the strong significance from 3-Chamber test suggest that further ASD-core related behavioral screening is necessary. Evan Barba Marine Biology Physiological and Evolutionary Responses to Climate Change in a Keystone Coral Reef Herbivore Authors: Evan W. Barba, Rob Toonen Abstract: As we step further into the Anthropocene, ecosystems will continue to change globally. Under climate change stressors, marine ecosystems have taken up approximately 90% of human produced heat and over 30% of anthropogenic greenhouse gases. These two changes in seawater chemistry, among others, have negative impacts on calcifying species and there is much interest from the scientific community in understanding how marine life will respond in the face of such rapid changes. This research will focus on both population and individual

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level responses to evaluate the potential for acclimatization and local adaptation to increased temperature and carbon dioxide levels in seawater. With a short generation time and a distinct five-day, non-feeding larval phase, the herbivorous collector urchin, Tripneustes gratilla, is an excellent candidate to investigate responses to future climate change scenarios from both a physiological and evolutionary and physiological standpoint. Using a manipulative breeding experiment followed by genetic and physiological assessment, we aim to determine the relative contribution of adaptive and acclimatization-based response mechanisms. Urchins from Electric Beach (low pH and temperature variability) will be crossed with individuals from Kāneʻohe Bay (variable pH and temperature regime). Post-fertilization, their progeny will be reared under full factorial pH x temperature conditions and assessed genetically, morphologically, and physiologically to characterize their performance. Understanding how key herbivores such as urchins will deal with predicted climate change is critical for our understanding of what future coral reef ecosystems will look like and the management options we have to conserve them. Silvia Beurmann Microbiology Investigating acute Montipora White Syndrome: Potential Causative Agents, Environmental Drivers, and the Importance of Coral Health Authors: Silvia Beurmann, Ashley M. Smith, Blake Ushijima, Christina M. Runyon, Sean M. Callahan, Greta S. Aeby Abstract: Disease is a threat to coral reefs and exacerbates the widespread impacts of climate change. Moreover, environmental stressors can increase prevalence of coral diseases. Outbreaks of the tissue loss disease acute Montipora white syndrome (aMWS) have occurred in Montipora capitata, a major reef-building coral in Kāneʻohe Bay, Hawai‘i, which may have been triggered by sewage runoff associated with rainfall and pre-existing stress from a chronic tissue loss disease (cMWS). One of the potential etiological agents of aMWS is Pseudoalteromonas sp. OCN003, a strain isolated from diseased M. capitata. Under controlled conditions, 20% of the healthy fragments exposed to OCN003 developed acute tissue loss within 3 weeks post-inoculation. When fragments already compromised by cMWS were exposed to OCN003, 60% of the fragments switched to acute tissue loss within 4 days post-exposure. Thus, OCN003 is more successful as a secondary pathogen in laboratory experiments. Infections of cMWS are observed year-round, while aMWS outbreaks have only occurred during the rainy winter months. Bacterial communities of samples from healthy and diseased M. capitata during an aMWS outbreak were analyzed with high-throughput sequencing. Sequences from the family Enterobacteriaceae dominated

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all samples, which were similar to species that inhabit the human gastrointestinal tract, suggesting sewage and/or freshwater input. This study describes the first Pseudoalteromonas sp. pathogenic to coral and possible bacterial communities consistent with anthropogenic stressors associated with a fatal coral disease. Erik Brush Zoology Microsatellite analysis of the Antarctic brittle star Ophioplinthus gelida (Ophiuroidea: Ophiuridae) Authors: Erik Brush, Kenneth M. Halanych Abstract: Antarctic benthic community structure, largely shaped by abiotic factors such as geographic isolation, glacial cycles, and iceberg scouring, is characterized by high diversity at lower taxonomic levels, but low diversity at higher taxonomic levels. Periods of isolation and extinction caused by glacial cycles have caused alpha diversity to decline while beta diversity has increased. When geographic barriers break-down, recolonization has introduced distinct species that are often phylogenetically and morphologically very similar. In combination with the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), the potential for circumnavigation exists, but escape from the continent is unlikely, leading to the accumulation of often misidentified cryptic species. Ophioplinthus gelida is one such model species of brittle star with a reported circumpolar distribution and close resemblance to others in its species complex. To determine whether or not a single homogenous population exists, specimens were collected during cruises in 2004 and 2006, DNA amplified at four nuclear microsatellite locations, and sequenced for fragment analysis. Statistical analysis was conducted in ARLEQUIN 3.5.1.3 to determine values of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium deviation, AMOVA, FST, RST, and Nm. Analyses showed evidence for population genetic structure of O. gelida (AMOVA, p<<0.01) and differences occurring on the Bransfield Strait (FST, p<<0.01), Antarctic Peninsula (FST, p<<0.01), and the sub-Antarctic islands comprised of Bouvet and the South Sandwich Islands (FST, p<<0.01). Evidence for distinct populations of O. gelida reported here are similar to phylogeographic distributions reported for other Antarctic invertebrates, demonstrating a potential common trend for the distribution and population structure of benthic species caused by oceanographic factors.

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April Cascasan Botany Resolution of the evolutionary relationships of Myoporum stellatum and M. sandwicense in the Hawaiian Islands Authors: April Cascasan Abstract: The aim of this study is to resolve the evolutionary relationship of two species of endemic Hawaiian Myoporum, M. sandwicense and M. stellatum. The Hawaiian common name is naio, and has alternatively been called the “bastard sandalwood” due to its historical substitution for sandalwood during early trade efforts in Hawai‘i. These species have been variously treated as a single wide-spread taxon (M. sandwicense) or with one morphologically distinct population broken out as a narrow endemic (M. stellatum). Myoporum sandwicense occurs in a diversity of habitats throughout Hawai‘i from coastal environments to mid-elevation wet forests and is the only species of Myoporum to occur at high altitudes. Myoporum stellatum occurs only on O‘ahu near Ewa plains-Barber’s Point vicinity and surrounding areas. With the validity of the species relationship called into question, ongoing activities such as outplanting events have mixed populations. A further threat to these populations is Klambothrips myopori that has been devastating populations of Hawaiian naio on other islands. Resolution of this relationship is needed in order to understand evolution within these important endemic species and to plan management and conservation efforts effectively. Individuals within populations of M. sandwicense and M. stellatum on O‘ahu will be collected and examined for morphological variation and compared. Individuals will also be examined for genetic variation using both population level markers such as SRAP (sequence related amplified polymorphism) and sequence variation based on gene regions found to be variable among populations and species. This will include both nuclear and chloroplast DNA. Albert Chan Biology Characterization of the Amphipod Visual System Authors: Albert Chan, Megan Porter Abstract: Talitrid amphipods have been found to use different wavelengths of light for different behaviors. Previous studies observed amphipods use short-wavelength light, 420 nm, to orient themselves in their environment in addition to resetting their circadian rhythms when exposed to long-wavelength light, 520 nm. However, no one has characterized the underlying visual pigments responsible for

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detecting these wavelengths. In this study, we identify the proteins expressed in a talitrid visual system. Characterization of the visual system of the talitrid amphipod Americorchestia megalophthalma was done using transcriptomics to identify the molecular components of phototransduction. In particular, we were interested in identifying the visual pigment proteins, opsin, and their relationship to the wavelength dependent behaviors. Total RNA extractions of retinal tissues were used for sequencing on an Ion Torrent. Trinity was used to assemble the paired-end reads data and create contigs. Phylogenetically-informed annotation modules implemented in Galaxy were used to identify phototransduction genes. Using these methods, we identified the expression of one medium-wavelength-sensitive and four long-wavelength-sensitive opsin transcripts. In addition to opsin, phototransduction genes for ion channels (TRP), g-proteins (Gqa), and arrestin were also found. Future studies will identify where each of the opsin transcripts is expressed in the A. megalophthalma retina. Scott Chulakote Marine Biology Quantifying Herbivore Feeding Preferences Within and Across Reef Habitats: Do Species Matter? Authors: Scott Chulakote, Celia Smith Abstract: Dominance by invasive algae on coral reefs has detrimentally impacted the health of many reef communities and their abilities to support biodiversity. In Hawai‘i, the ability of herbivorous fish to control large biomass of non-native macroalgae has been questionable. Yet feeding experiments conducted in a simulated reef tank suggested invasive macroalgae Acanthophora spicifera and Gracilaria salicornia were palatable to herbivorous fishes Zebrasoma veliferum, Acanthurus xanthopterus, and Kyphosus cinerascens. These results however, need to be corroborated with rigorous in situ feeding preference tests. Herbivory assays using in situ video will be conducted on south shore reefs on O‘ahu and Moloka‘i. Grazing experiments will quantify grazing pressure and preference within and across habitat sites on the reef flat and reef slope. Species-specific feeding preferences of herbivorous fish are also understudied and will be investigated in additional experiments. This study has the goal to tie herbivore identity with species-specific spatial-grazing patterns. If feeding preferences for invasive macroalgae can be coupled with specific herbivorous fish, then protection or stock enhancement of these species could be used to combat invasive algae. Among many steps leading to healthier reefs, identifying key, missing grazers for invasive algae and linking those grazers with spatial-grazing patterns may provide additional management strategies to control algal-dominated reefs in Hawai‘i.

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Gerald Cobian Botany Does elevation affect symbiont network dynamics? A gradient study of foliar fungal endophytes Authors: Gerald M. Cobian, Anthony S. Amend Abstract: Foliar endophytic fungi (FEF) form ubiquitous and intimate symbiotic relationships with every major plant lineage examined. These fungi are not pathogenic and have been show to play important roles in plant biochemistry, water conductance, and heat/drought tolerance. FEF community composition has been shown to be correlated with environment and host identity, but many of the studies showing these correlation have shallow environmental gradients and host differences are usually at the genus level or higher. A study in 2012 on Hawai‘i Island observed over 4200 FEF operational taxonomic units (OTUs) associated with the foundational species Metrosideros polymorpha along a steep elevation and precipitation gradient with very few OTUs shared among sites. To learn more about fungal community dynamics, we aimed to determine whether dispersal or selection assembly processes was more important in shaping FEF communities. Additionally, we investigated how spatial effects influence FEF community composition. We collected leaves from hosts of varying relatedness along an elevation gradient on Hawai‘i Island and along an orthogonal transect in which elevation was held constant. Using Illumina sequencing technology, we amplified the fungal ITS region of the rDNA to characterized fungal communities found within the leaves of our host plants. We expect this research will help address questions about how fungal communities are affected by various community assembly processes and serve as base-line data for future research on FEF community assembly processes. Richard Coleman Biology Regal phylogeography: Range-wide survey of the marine angelfish Pygoplites diacanthus reveals evolutionary partitions Authors: Richard R. Coleman, Jeffrey A. Eble, Joseph D. DiBattista, Luiz A. Rocha, John E. Randall, Michael L. Berumen, Brian W. Bowen Abstract: The Regal Angelfish (Pygoplites diacanthus; family Pomacanthidae) occupies reefs from the Red Sea to the central Pacific, with distinct color morphs in the Indian Ocean to Red Sea and Pacific Ocean. To assess population differentiation and evaluate the possibility of cryptic evolutionary partitions in this

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monotypic genus, we surveyed mtDNA cytochrome oxidase b and two nuclear introns (S7 and RAG2) in 547 individuals from 15 locations. Phylogeographic analyses revealed four mtDNA lineages (d = 0.006 – 0.015) corresponding to the Pacific Ocean, the Red Sea, and two admixed lineages in the Indian Ocean, consistent with known biogeographical barriers. Both S7 and RAG2 showed strong population-level differentiation between the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean (ΦST = 0.066 – 0.512). The only consistent population structure within these three regions was at the Society Islands, where surrounding oceanographic conditions may reinforce isolation. Coalescence analyses indicate a Pacific expansion (1.71 Ma) that gave rise to a Red Sea lineage (1.44 Ma) followed by a radiation of two lineages that currently occupy the Indian Ocean (0.93 – 0.72 Ma). Persistence of a Red Sea lineage through Pleistocene glacial cycles indicates a long-term refuge in this region. The affiliation of Pacific and Red Sea populations, apparent in cytochrome b and S7 (but equivocal in RAG2) invokes the possibility that the Indian Ocean was recolonized from the Red Sea, possibly more than once. Assessing genetic architecture in this widespread monotypic genus reveals cryptic evolutionary diversity that merits subspecific recognition. Adrienne Copeland Biology Relative abundance of sound scattering organisms in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) is a driver for some odontocete foragers Authors: Adrienne M Copeland, Whitlow W. L. Au, Amanda Bradford, Jeffrey Polovina Abstract: Previous studies in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) focused on shallower communities in and near reefs and did not investigate the organisms living in deeper waters that some apex predators rely on for food, e.g. some odontocetes forage at depths greater than 400 m. To examine the relationship between deep-diving odontocete predators and prey, a Simrad EK60 echosounder operating at 70 kHz collected acoustic abundance throughout the NWHI from May 7 to June 4, 2013. Visual and passive acoustic surveys for marine mammal presence were conducted concurrently with the echosounder. Two broad scattering layers were found, a deep layer from 370 to 670 m and a shallow layer from 0 to 270 m. The highest densities of both deep and shallow scattering organisms were associated with deep slopes of banks and atolls. Beaked and short-finned pilot whale sightings occurred in locations of high scattering density associated with slopes of atolls and banks. It is hypothesized that the high scattering organisms associated with these features are similar to the

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mesopelagic boundary community found in the Main Hawaiian Islands and support a food web representing the prey of the cetaceans. Annick Cros Zoology High throughput microsatellite genotyping contradicts that Acropora hyacinthus was extirpated on Palau and recolonized from Yap Authors: Annick Cros, Robert Toonen, Stephen Karl Abstract: The catastrophic loss of corals, particularly the Acropora, around the island of Palau following the 1998 El Niño had profound ecological and social impacts. The result of which included the formation of a network of marine protected areas (MPAs) with the goal of ensuring reef recovery and resilience to any such future events. MPA networks rely on population connectivity to persist, but measuring connectivity to support the design of marine protected area networks remains challenging because it is impossible to track pelagic larval dispersal in the sea. A detailed oceanographic model, developed to evaluate the current MPA network design, predicts larval dispersal between Palau and Yap and led to the conclusion that recovery of Acropora on Palau likely resulted from a pulse of larval recruitment from Yap. This result has been used to argue for cooperative MPA networks spanning Palau and Yap. We used high throughput microsatellite genotyping of the coral Acropora hyacinthus to show recovery in Palau did not come from a pulse of recruits from Yap. Instead, we find that that there was as much differentiation within Palau as between Palau and Yap, with significant population genetic structure among all of the 25 sites sampled around Palau. These results indicate that recovery most likely originated, at least in large part, from sites within Palau, and suggest high rates of localized self-recruitment. In light of these results there seems to be little effective dispersal among sites around Palau, arguing for increasing the number and size of MPAs within Palau. Rachel Dacks Biology Of markets and middlemen: investigating drivers of deline in increasingly exploited small-scale coral reef fisheries Authors: Rachel Dacks, Tamara Ticktin, Stacy Jupiter, Alan Friedlander, Cynthia Hunter Abstract: Many coastal communities in the Pacific are part of complex social-ecological systems that have relied on coral reefs for centuries. Recent pressures

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including changing climates and economies are threatening the resilience of these systems. This study seeks to better understand drivers of social-ecological resilience and how they are linked through asking: 1) What are the social drivers of fishing effort? and 2) How do markets influence artisanal fisheries (i.e., fishing pressure, gears, target species, distribution of catch)? Data were gathered in 20 Fijian villages using a mixed methods approach including household and fisher interviews, catch logs, and ecological surveys. Structural equation modeling was used to identify the significant drivers of fishing effort and examine links between drivers. We found that social factors (e.g., livelihood diversity, traditional ecological knowledge, resource sharing), although typically ignored in the fisheries literature, explain substantial variation in household fishing effort. Between 50-75% of household catches are used for subsistence, while the remainder is used for sharing and sale. Top predators and larger fish are targeted for sale, often using spears, while a wide range of species and sizes are used for household consumption. The results of this study stress the need to consider the human dimension in coral reef fisheries management and call attention to potential consequences of limited fisheries yields on social resilience. Helena de Souza Brasil Barreto Zoology Patterns of Oogonia and Spermatogonia Distribution in the non-partitioned ovotestis of the Hawaiian Endemic Goby Species, Eviota epiphanes Authors: Helena de Souza Brasil Barreto Abstract: Teleost fishes exhibit a dynamic range of sex determining systems and reproductive strategies. This diversity has been extensively explored in the literature, however, the vast majority of studies have focused on gonochoristic fishes (i.e. those with separate sexes). The precise mechanisms for sexual differentiation and maintenance remains poorly understood in hermaphroditic species. The aim of this research project is to identify the distributional pattern of gonial cells (oogonia and spermatogonia) in the ovotestis of the Hawaiian endemic hermaphroditic goby, Eviota epiphanes. In order to accomplish this goal, we propose to look at the expression patterns of both vasa and dmrt1 genes by immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis. These two genes are directly implicated in sexual determination and differentiation in many vertebrate taxa. We will be testing three competing hypothesis concerning the differentiation process of gonial cell types during transition from one gamete type (ova) to the other (sperm). We hypothesize that the number of appropriate gonadal cell increases through cell division during transition of gamete type. Alternatively, gonial cells may re-differentiate from one type to another (i.e. oogonia become spermatogonia and spermatogonia become oogonia) and/or PGCs are maintained in the ovotestis of

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hermaphroditic fishes and undergo differentiation during transition. The results of this study will provide us with a clear understanding of how sexual differentiation, specifically the generation of new and different gametes, is regulated in hermaphroditic fishes. Brian Deis Biology Social and Reproductive Behavior of a Hermaphroditic and Cryptobenthic Reef Fish, Eviota epiphanes, in Hawai`i Authors: Brian Deis, Kathleen S. Cole Abstract: Cryptobenthic reef fishes that reach <5cm as adults, account for a considerable amount of fish biodiversity on tropical reefs, but only recently have studies begun to elucidate the importance of the trophic role they may play in reef ecosystems. Eviota epiphanes, a small (2cm TL), cryptobenthic species of goby (family Gobiidae) has been documented as the most abundant fish on near shore reefs in Hawai`i. Eviota epiphanes (family: Gobiidae) is a reef fish native to the Hawaiian Islands, and has been hypothesized to be a serial hermaphrodite (i.e., able to alternate between sperm and ova production) (Cole 2010). In addition, elements of the courting behavior displayed by species in this genus are hypothesized to be phylogenetically informative (Sunobe 1998). My Master’s thesis involved quantitatively documenting the reproductive behavior (i.e., courting and spawning behavior), as well as behavior associated with change in sexual function for E. epiphanes. Individuals were collected around O‘ahu and observed in aquaria in pairs of adults. Behavioral observations and, when appropriate, the associated presence of eggs, were recorded daily. From these data I characterized reproductive and other social behaviors, and tested hypotheses proposed by Cole (2010) and Sunobe (1998). This research is the first in-depth look into the social and reproductive behavior of E. epiphanes and, as such, will contribute to the growing literature on the biology of cryptobenthic reef fishes. Eric Dilley Marine Biology Effects of predator hunting mode and prey anti-predator responses on prey selection by invasive Pacific red lionfish (Pterois volitans) and native Atlantic coral-reef piscivores Authors: Eric Dilley, Stephanie Green, Lillian Tuttle, Tye Kindinger, Cassandra Benkwitt, Kurt Ingeman

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Abstract: The invasive Pacific red lionfish (Pterios volitans) is a voracious predator capable of removing large proportions of native prey fish from Caribbean coral reefs. Although lionfish are known as generalist predators, they may in some cases selectively forage on prey with certain behavioral and habitat characteristics. To determine whether predator hunting strategies and prey anti-predator behavior affect the likelihood of prey selection, we conducted an observational mesocosm study on the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas. Three piscivore species and three prey species were studied to reflect a range of predator hunting strategies (roving, ambushing, stalking) as well as prey aggregative behavior (solitary, shoaling, schooling) and water column position (benthic, demersal, midwater). One predator and 4 individuals of each of the 3 prey species (12 prey total) comprised each trial. Trials were run for approximately 4 hours each during the morning or afternoon such that each contained a sunrise or sunset when predatory fishes are most active. Automated video was used to evaluate prey aggregation tightness, prey distances, and the orientation of prey relative to the predator. Lionfish were found to forage selectively on solitary benthic prey, whereas native grouper fed selectively on shoaling demersal prey. Separate gut content analyses and lionfish manipulation experiments confirmed that lionfish disproportionally consume and affect the abundance of solitary benthic prey. Ale'alani Dudoit Biology Deadly Toxin From A Culturally Significant Organism, Palythoa toxica Authors: Ale'alani Dudoit, Robert Toonen Abstract: Limu-make-o-Hana, (the deadly seaweed of Hana) is a Hawaiian phrase for a toxic organism that resides in the tide pools around Hana on the island of Maui. Hawaiian warrior’s would apply this organism to their spear’s during battle to “bring sure death” to their enemies. Studies revealed a new species of cnidarian zoanthid (colonial anemone), Palythoa toxica, which led to the discovery of palytoxin (PTX), one of the deadliest marine toxins ever discovered. Since then, PTX and various structural congeners have also been detected in other Palythoa species. Many zoanthids are popular among marine aquarium hobbyist and have been responsible for injuries and severe respiratory distress. Additionally, PTX has also been found in a variety of marine organisms living in close association with Palythoa colonies, including xanthid crabs, other crustaceans, gastropods, cephalopods, echinoderms, and fish. Although PTX has been known for more than 40 years, it has remained unclear as to what organism actually produces the toxin. The purpose of this research is to study the taxonomy and distribution of this culturally significant zoanthid and determine the source of the toxin by

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investigating both the original population of P. toxica on Maui and other locations around the Hawaiian Islands. Suguru Fujita Biology The Expression of Non-Visual Opsins in Blind Cavefish Authors: Suguru Fujita, Megan Porter, Masato Yoshizawa Abstract: In addition to the ‘binocular’ visual system found in many animals, non-visual opsins play outstanding physiological roles in response to light. The Mexican tetra, Astyanax mexicanus, is composed of ancestral-type surface dwelling eyed forms (surface fish) and cave dwelling blind forms (cavefish). Although the cavefish have lost functional eyes, however, they still change their activity based on light/dark conditions. In this study, we aim to identify what photopigments are playing a role in these documented non-visual light-driven behaviors. To accomplish this, we first have identified all opsin genes present in Astyanax using available databases and genomic resources. First, we acquired previously published cDNA sequences of 3 Astyanax opsin genes. Next we performed blast searches in Astyanax SRA transcriptomes in Genbank using 42 known zebrafish opsin gene sequences as queries. We pooled the top hits of 19 Astyanax transcriptome sequences from various tissues, and then blasted these sequences against the latest Astyanax genomic assemby. Since many contigs have been annotated, we can compare the synteny between Astyanax and zebrafish around opsin gene loci to confirm whether the Astyanax genome contains homologs of zebrafish opsin genes. Through these analyses, we have identified 11 Astyanax opsin homologs, thus far. With these opsin genes, we will soon begin a survey of opsin expression in pineal, deep brain, and skin tissues to identify potential non-visual photoreceptors in cavefish tissues. The opsin expression information from this project will provide evolutionary insight of the light sensing ability in cavefish. Nin Gan Marine Biology 10-pound Crab, Maximum Size Limit of Samoan Crabs (Scylla serrata) in Hawai'i Authors: Nin Gan, Dr. Julie Bailey-Brock Abstract: In 1926, the mud crab (Scylla serrata), known locally as Samoan crab, was deliberately introduced into Kāneʻohe Bay on the island of Oʻahu. Since then,

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the crab has proliferated throughout all the main Hawaiian islands, but few studies have ever been conducted on the Hawaiian population of Samoan crabs. Huge crabs have surfaced such as a massive 7.43-pound male and a 4.54-pound female crab that currently hold the state records, but reports of 8-10 pound crabs have even been heard from various fishermen. To investigate these claims, Samoan crabs have been caught from a total of 15 locations around the island of Oʻahu. Sex, carapace width (CW), and weight was measured from every single crab over 80-mm CW and growth curves were constructed for male and female crabs separately. It was found that the state record crabs would have had to have been 8.92 in (22.67 cm, male) and 8.64 in (21.95 cm, female) respectively, and that male crabs 8-10 pounds in weight could in fact exist between CW of 9.05-9.43 in (22.98-23.94 cm). It is suggested that these crabs are approaching the maximum size limit for Samoan crabs as a species. Caitlyn Genovese Biology Plasticity in thermal tolerance of early life history stages of marine invertebrate larvae Authors: Caitlyn Genovese, Amy Moran Abstract: Temperature is a key factor determining the physiology and distribution of marine species. As the rate of global climate change increases, the influence of temperature becomes more relevant; however, its effects can vary across different life-history stages. Benthic marine species with planktonic larvae may experience different thermal environments during development than as adults and, therefore may also exhibit stage-dependent tolerance to thermal stress. Early life stages may also differ in their acclimatory capacity. This research aims to compare thermal tolerances of larvae of the sea urchin Tripneustes gratilla, an ecologically important grazer present on Hawaiian coral reefs, and Hydroides elegans, a tube forming polychaete often found in fouling communities throughout the tropics. Sea urchin larvae from wild-caught adults were reared at 22 and 27C, and polychaetes from adults reared at 20C were separated into rearing temperatures of 20 or 25C. In order to more accurately predict the ecological consequences of climate change, sublethal and lethal effects of temperature will be investigated, including LT50 (urchins and polychaetes), oxygen consumption, and swimming/clearance rates of larvae (urchins only). Results from LT50 measurements suggest that early life-history stages of Tripneustes gratilla do not exhibit a difference in their temperature dependent mortality when reared at different temperatures. Hydroides elegans larvae also showed no difference in LT50 when reared at 20C or 25C, suggesting either larvae lack the capacity for thermal plasticity, or that the thermal environment of adults may limit the response of larvae to thermal stress.

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Future studies will examine the sublethal effects of increased temperature on larval performance and include a wider range of species (particularly corals) and adult thermal environments. These findings will provide insight into the capacity for acclimation and potential for adaption to future climate change scenarios. Mackenzie Gerringer Marine Biology Feeding ecology of abyssal and hadal fishes Authors: Mackenzie Gerringer, Thomas Linley, Brian Popp, Jeff Drazen Abstract: The snailfishes, family Liparidae (Scorpaeniformes), have found notable success in the hadal zone, comprising the dominant ichthyofauna in at least five trenches worldwide. Little is known about the basic biology of these deepest-living fishes, nor the reasons for their success at hadal depths. Using recent collections from the Mariana and Kermadec Trenches and neighboring abyssal depths, this study investigates the role that trophic ecology may play in structuring fish communities at the abyssal-hadal boundary. Stomach contents were analyzed from two hadal snailfish, Notoliparis kermadecensis and a newly-discovered species from the Mariana Trench. Amphipods comprised the majority (Kermadec: 95.18%, Mariana: 97.36% index of relative importance) of stomach contents in both species of hadal liparids. Decapod crustaceans, polychaetes (found in N. kermadecensis only), and remains of carrion squid and fish made up the remainder of contents. Compound specific isotope analysis of individual amino acids was also used to determine trophic level of these species. Diet analyses of abyssal species (families Macrouridae, Ophidiidae, and Zoarcidae) collected from near the trenches and from the literature are compared to those of the hadal liparids. These contained amphipods as well, however, macrourids had a higher diversity of prey items, with larger proportions of carrion and fish remains, a trophic plasticity that has been found in previous studies. Suction feeding fishes like hadal liparids may find an advantage to descending into the trench – where amphipods are abundant. More generalist feeders and scavengers relying on carrion, such as macrourids, might not see this same nutritional advantage.

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Veronica Gibson Botany Does groundwater influence algal communities? Authors: Veronica Gibson, Celia Smith Abstract: Submarine groundwater discharge(SGD) has recently been shown to influence nutrient and salinity levels on Hawai`i's coastlines substantially. In places where riverine inputs are negligible, SGD may be the sole source of nutrients to these coastal ecosystems. Persistent algal blooms on Maui have been linked to SGD borne nutrients. An emerging realization is the gap in our knowledge concerning the physiological response by marine plant species to daily fluctuations naturally produced by SGD, and to long-term, anthropogenic changes in SGD volume and chemistry. Further, how does algal physiology play into SGD's influence on benthic community composition? Results of a pilot study indicated that, when exposed to diurnal changes in salinity and nutrient availability, algal species have characteristic responses in water relations, photosynthesis, and biomass production. The physiological ability to cope with SGD conditions could be a key trait that allows for the proliferation of harmful algal bloom species under conditions of anthropogenic nutrient loading. In contrast, native species may be excluded under the same conditions. If this trait proves to be characteristic to particular alga, physiological performance may play an important role in determining benthic community composition. Georgia Hart Botany A population modeling approach to evaluate potential trade-offs between growth and quality of a culturally-significant plant in the Pacific Northwest, U.S.A. Authors: Georgia Hart Abstract: Plant populations are increasingly impacted by multiple ecosystem disturbances, but we know little about how these disturbances, and particularly their interactions, influence plant population dynamics. In the Pacific Northwest U.S.A., fire suppression, climate change and timber harvest have altered forested ecosystems, reducing the availability of some plants used for livelihoods, food, medicine and technology. Population dynamics modeling is a powerful tool to disentangle the factors driving population persistence and identify trade-offs between management approaches. Rarely, however, do demographic studies take into account the impact of management on plant qualities required by various

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stakeholder groups. Beargrass (Xerophyllum tenax Melanthiaceae) is a fire-adapted, perennial evergreen herb harvested as a multi-million dollar Non Timber Forest Product for floral arrangements that is also essential for Native American basketry, providing a white overlay for weavers across the Pacific where basketry forms a cornerstone of cultural identity. Indigenous weavers and NTFP harvesters have highly specific quality standards for harvestable leaves, but access to quality leaves is a growing concern. Here I will present methods and preliminary results drawing from field measurements of plant populations across burn severity classes, including leaf qualities of importance to harvesters. These data, in combination with a harvest experiment, will be used to build Integral Projection Models to evaluate the influence of disturbance on plant population dynamics and also to address potential trade-offs between abundance and quality. This work will contribute to a wider understanding of how natural resource management can address multiple stakeholder needs in the context of global change. Michael Hoban Marine Biology Gene flow in the twilight zone: habitat specialization and population connectivity of Hawaiian mesophotic reef fishes Authors: Michael Hoban, Brian Bowen Abstract: Across the Hawaiian archipelago, reef fishes exhibit different patterns of population connectivity, from largely open with few genetic breaks to highly structured with multiple localized subpopulations. However, as much as two thirds of the depth distribution of coral reefs remains largely unexplored, and fishes inhabiting mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs, ~30-150m) are potentially subject to different factors governing their population and dispersal dynamics. In particular, ecologically specialized species are predicted to show a greater degree of genetic differentiation because suitable habitat is patchily distributed. I propose to examine the effects of habitat specialization (depth range) on population connectivity in both shallow and MCE fishes throughout the Hawaiian Islands. Using closed-circuit technical diving, I will collect fishes from deep and shallow reefs along the island arc. I will sample closely related deep-specialist, shallow-specialist, and depth-generalist species in three families of reef fishes with different spawning strategies (Chaetodontidae, Pomacentridae, and Labridae) and examine their population connectivity using next-generation sequencing techniques (ezRAD). I predict that depth specialization will be associated with increased population structure and I hypothesize that exclusively deep populations will be more differentiated than either generalists or exclusively shallow populations, independent of spawning mode. Examining population connectivity and habitat specialization in deep reef fishes will help us determine management

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units for MCEs as well as evaluate MCEs’ sensitivity to disturbance and their potential to act as refugia for shallow species. Corinna Hong Biology Comparison of normal and abnormal coral tissue using microskeletal traits in massive Porites Authors: Corinna Hong, Cynthia Hunter, Peter Marko Abstract: Massive Porites evermanni and Porites lobata colonies in Hawai‘i have historically been observed with demarcated and raised growth anomalies (GAs). Following Hawai‘i’s mass coral bleaching event in September 2014, growth anomalies on Porites evermanni and Porites lobata colonies in Lanikai became more pronounced. Growth anomalies appear as noticeable masses of enlarged skeleton and tissue with larger and fewer polyps compared to the adjacent normal tissue. Some corallites in the growth anomaly region even contain additional septa. The purpose of this study is to quantitatively determine if there is a significant difference in corallite size between normal tissue and growth anomaly tissue. Porites evermanni and Porites lobata skeletons collected in Lanikai were photographed at 18x using a Nikon Coolpix 4500 attached to a stereo microscope. Ten corallites were measured from each sample using 24 X-Y coordinates mapped on landmark skeletal structures relating to septal length and overall corallite size. The ten sets of 24 coordinates were then averaged to obtain the best representation of corallite size for the sample. The morphometrics of the normal skeletons and the GA skeletons will be compared using ANOVA to determine if there is a significant difference in size. By mapping out points and measuring distances, a quantitative measure of variance between the two skeletal types can be determined. Based on collected background information, I expect a significant corallite size difference between normal and GA tissue. Marian Howe Marine Biology Odontocete occurrence in the Maui Nui region investigated using passive acoustic monitoring and visual survey techniques Authors: Marian Howe, Marc O. Lammers Abstract: Few studies have examined the factors that influence the distribution of odontocetes around the Hawaiian Islands. Of all the Islands, the Maui Nui (Maui, Moloka’i, Lanai and Kaho’olawe) region has been studied the least. Since Maui

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Nui is characterized by relatively shallow waters, depth may be a strong factor influencing odontocete use of the region. To assess the occurrence of odontocetes in and around Maui Nui, this study uses passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) methods and opportunistic visual sightings to establish odontocete presence at various sites. Ecological Acoustic Recorders (EARs) were deployed for several months between January 2015 and March 2016 at sites varying in proximity to shelf isobaths. In addition, a community sighting project was established in the region from June through November 2015, with local vessel operators providing information on dolphin sightings made from their vessels. EAR data was visually processed for dolphin signals using customized Matlab software, and species were identified using Real-Time Odontocete Call Classification Algorithm (ROCCA). Results from the acoustic and visual data analysis revealed that dolphin occurrence varied by species across the Maui Nui region with respect to deep waters. Such knowledge of the factors driving odontocete distributions ultimately helps guide conservation strategies to protect threatened and endangered species on a more global scale. Ariana Huffmyer Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology TA Teaching Styles Impacts Student Achievement in a Research-Based Undergraduate Science Course Authors: Huffmyer, AS, Lemus, J Abstract: Inquiry-based instruction in undergraduate science courses connects students to research and prepares them for careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Often, graduate Teaching Assistants (TA) with differing experience and teaching methods are responsible for leading hands-on laboratories. This study determined how differences in TA teaching methods and styles impact student achievement in an ecology research course at the University of Hawai‘i, Mānoa. In this course, TAs write their own weekly quizzes and teach material according to their personal teaching style. We observed TA teaching style by measuring the number of open and closed questioning, pacing, use of digital media, question wait time, and other indicators that are shown to affect student learning. We measured differences in student responses on concept surveys and analyzed quizzes with Bloom’s Taxonomy. Several characteristics of teaching style, including frequency and type of questioning, had positive associations with student scores and survey responses. Students received the lowest quiz scores and had no improvement in homework scores when asked to define or recall concepts on quizzes while students received higher quiz and homework scores when asked to analyze and synthesize concepts. These results indicate that TA teaching methods may have a stronger impact on student

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achievement than previously known. This research suggests universities should provide training for TAs to develop teaching methods that promote student achievement and encourage students to pursue careers in STEM. Investigating Latent Effects of the Juvenile Experiment in Corals Under Ocean Acidification Authors: Huffmyer, AS, Gates, RD Abstract: Ocean acidification (OA) hinders the ability of corals to construct skeletal frameworks that shape coral reefs. Fortunately, corals show variation in responses to OA, indicating there is a potential for coral resilience to stress in the natural environment. This research will document the latent effects of parental conditioning to OA conditions and will result in development of a “head start” program to boost coral resilience in juvenile life stages. The objectives of this research are to advance our understanding of the outcomes of manipulating the physical, nutritional, and microbial experience of juvenile corals and contribute knowledge that can be applied to coral reef restoration initiatives. We will collect and precondition adult Montipora capitata and Pocillopora acuta corals from two reef environments in Kāneʻohe Bay to high OA conditions. The highest performers will be selectively bred using assisted evolution techniques. Larvae that are a product of the selective breeding program will be reared in the same OA conditions as their parents and exposed to nutritional provisioning and microbial manipulation treatments. Over the course of juvenile coral development, we will assess performance under OA conditions, microbial community structure, skeletal strength, and lipid storage. Following this rearing program, we will out-plant corals to the parental reef sites and monitor the same indicators of performance over time. Studying the latent effects of parental conditioning to OA and manipulation of the juvenile experience will provide important insights on the potential for coral reefs to persist in the future. Garrett Johnson Marine Biology Long-range wireless data transmission: A novel approach to subsea data collection Authors: Garrett Blake Johnson Abstract: The world is quickly advancing into the 'maker movement', where individuals can rapidly turn an idea for a useful electronic device into a finished product via, assemble of off-the-shelf electronic hardware, CNC machines and 3D printers. This project serves as an example of an individuals capabilities for rapid

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prototyping. From conception to final product in a mere 6 weeks, I aim to develop a device facilitating wireless data transmission from the seafloor to an internet server. Parameters measured include pH, temperature and light. Loggers traditionally record measurements in a passive manner, where data is stored locally on the device subsea for a period of 3 - 12 months until the battery is near depletion. It is only then that the loggers data can be accessed via retrieval and plugging the device into a computer. This project aims to allow data collection from loggers in near real-time, allowing instant access to data by the user. Erika Johnston Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology Phylogenomic analysis of Pocillopora corals reveals evolution of brooding from broadcast spawning Authors: Erika Johnston, Zac Forsman, Sebastian Schmidt-Roach, Rob Toonen Abstract: Pocillopora corals are notoriously difficult to identify and classify morphologically and recent species delimitation studies have found that high levels of morphological plasticity often encrypt genetically defined taxonomical units. Here, we use RAD-seq to resolve phylogenetic relationships within the scleractinian genus, Pocillopora. We examined 15 coral holobiont libraries and found strong concordance in both the phylogenetic analysis of the holobiont dataset and reads that mapped to the Pocillopora damicornis transcriptome. We assembled nearly complete mitochondrial genomes (17.4 kb), a 4.6 kb segment of histone gene sequence, and a 7.3 kb segment of the ribosomal cassette sequence from our ezRAD libraries, which also show general concordance with previously published clustering of the mitochondrial clades, rather than the currently recognized morphospecies, indicating that there is not rampant hybridization or introgression between mitochondrial lineages. These results provide, for the first time, a rooted phylogenomic analysis of the genus Pocillopora, which suggests that broadcast spawning is ancestral with brooding being derived secondarily. These results also further support the use of the mitochondrial open reading frame marker as a species level marker for all clades with the exception of P. meandrina and P. eydouxi, which cannot be resolved with this marker. This analysis expands on previous genetic, morphologic, and ecological studies and corroborates that Pocillopora have more variable and convergent morphology than previously appreciated. Furthermore, show the applicability of RAD-seq approaches for phylogenetic analyses of zooxanthellate scleractinian coral, especially for taxa like Pocillopora, which are notoriously difficult to identify taxonomically due to extreme phenotypic plasticity and highly sympatric distributions, is robust.

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Keith Kamikawa Marine Biology Insight into goatfish early life history characteristics through the study of temporal and spatial recruitment dynamics of oama (juvenile M. flavolineatus and M. vanicolensis) Authors: Keith Kamikawa, Alan Friedlander Abstract: Goatfish were an important cultural and food resource for early Hawaiians and their value is still manifest today as one of the highly sought after reef fish in Hawai‘i’s recreational and commercial fisheries. The most common juvenile goatfishes, (oama) M. flavolineatus and M. vanicolensis, exhibit a pulse type recruitment to near shore areas during the summer months in Hawai‘i. This large recruitment event provides food for pelagic and near shore fish as well as food and sport for recreational anglers. Growth rate, habitat preference, hatch date, CPUE, and size/age structure were used to compare recruitment characteristics between species, locations, and years. Oama during 2015 grew faster, were heavier on average, and hatched later than fish during the big 2014 recruitment anomaly. M. vanicolensis are bigger, spawn earlier, and prefer different habitat types than their close relatives. Limited information exists on these juvenile fishes even though these species have a significant role in the coastal ecology and near shore fisheries. This project aims to shed light on the early life history characteristics of these goatfishes through the study of their unique recruitment patterns. Migiwa Kawachi Botany Impacts of elevated nutrients on invasive and non-invasive macroalgae found in the diet of the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) Authors: Migiwa S. Kawachi, Kyle S. Van Houtan, Celia M. Smith Abstract: Nutrient enrichment as well as loss of herbivores have led to a phase shift from coral to macroalgal reefs, at many sites in coastal Maui. Blooms of fast-growing invasive algae occur chronically in the areas near injection wells and some agricultural fields on that island. These blooms cause a dietary shift for the herbivorous green turtles, Chelonia mydas, that now eat more invasive algae. Such diets are also held to be a trigger for the green turtle disease, fibropapillomatosis, which occurs at high incidence on Maui. This study aims to examine the responses of macroalgae to excess nutrients, simulating eutrophic conditions found on Maui. We performed the manipulative growth experiments of

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four native, non-invasive species (Amansia glomerata, Codium edule, Laurencia nidifica and Pterocladiella capillacea), and four invasive species (Acanthophora spicifera, Gracilaria salicornia, Hypnea musciformis and Ulva lactuca), all of which are commonly found in the diet of this turtle. Three of the four invasive species, and two of the four native species, had enhanced growth rates when cultured in water with excess nitrogen. The growth of all eight species was not limited by phosphorus, as phosphorus enrichment did not have significant effects on their growth rates. Stable isotope analysis of field-collected algal tissues suggests that algae near injection wells incorporate more wastewater derived nitrogen in their tissue than algae from the control site. Management of land-based nutrient inputs is crucial for the health of marine herbivores and their coastal habitats. Eric Koch Zoology Effects of Colonization in both the Developing and Adult Squid-Vibrio Symbiosis Authors: Eric J Koch, Edward G Ruby, Margaret J McFall-Ngai Abstract: In a horizontally transmitted symbiosis, colonization has both rapid and long-lasting effects on host development. Establishment of a husbandry system capable of rearing the Hawaiian bobtail squid Euprymna scolopes to adulthood has allowed for examination of the symbiosis during both the developing and mature stages. In the initial stages, persistent, full colonization by the natural symbiont Vibrio fischeri has been shown to induce a refractory state where the host prevents secondary colonizations. Squid colonized by V. fischeri for as few as five days exhibited recolonization rates of 0% following antibiotic treatment to remove the initial symbiont. In contrast, initial colonization by a non-luminescent mutant, a lysine auxotroph, or being maintained in a nonsymbiotic state for the same duration resulted in colonization rates >85% after antibiotic treatment. These results indicate a colonization window dependent on full persistence of the initial symbiont that once closed is very effective at preventing potential secondary symbionts. The effects of colonization in the squid-vibrio symbiosis have also been examined in mature hosts that have been raised either colonized with V. fischeri or maintained aposymbiotic from hatching. Using GC-MS, a profile of the adult squid hemolymph showed how the levels of 122 metabolites are altered by colonization at three times of day. In parallel, RNAseq. identified what host genes are differentially expressed in the adult light organ due to colonization. By comparing two colonization states, we hope to identify how initial symbiotic interactions influence development for the entire life of the host.

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Derek Kraft Marine Biology Global Genetic Inventory of the Silky Shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) Authors: Derek Kraft, Melanie Hutchinson, Brian Bowen, Steve Karl, Demian Chapman Abstract: The goal of this research is to initiate a global genetic inventory of silky sharks, one of the three most important sharks in the fin trade, and the most common elasmobranch bycatch species in tropical tuna purse-seine fisheries around the world. This pelagic shark, formerly abundant in all tropical oceans, has declined by an estimated 85% in the last 19 years, and is now listed as near-threatened and declining by IUCN. A global inventory of genetic diversity will help elucidate more appropriate management units on a global scale. Further, the resulting DNA barcodes will allow identification of sharks in the fin trade specifically to both species and oceanic region, providing a much-need scientific foundation for management plans. In this effort we have already secured global sampling coverage with >1600 tissue specimens. To quantify genetic structure, we will use restriction site-associated DNA (ezRAD). Samples will be pooled by regional location and libraries prepared using methods developed by Toonen et. al 2013 and sequenced at the HIMB core facility. Thus far only two regions have been fully sequenced and analyzed. We have found significant divergence between the Red Sea and Brazil, which was expected. When complete this study will cover all major ocean regions around the globe. Once the genetic structure of silky sharks is resolved, data will be used to map gene flow around the globe and be used as a baseline to resolve the geographic origins of products in the shark fin market. Áki Láruson Biology Mitochondrial genome evolution in sea urchins, with special focus on the Indo-Pacific species Tripneustes gratilla Authors: Áki Jarl Láruson, Floyd A. Reed, David B. Carlon Abstract: The echinoid Tripneustes has historically served as a model species for theories on population divergence in the marine environment due to its impressive pan-tropical distribution. Consumed throughout the Indo-Pacific, additional interest has recently been sparked in the Hawaiian Collector Urchin, T. gratilla, as a biocontrol agent of invasive algae on coral reefs. While showing very little localized variation, analysis of microsatellite markers and mitochondrial

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sequences suggests that greater isolation exists within the Pacific Ocean than previously believed. A draft exome has allowed for the generation of a full mitochondrial genome sequence from T. gratilla, and is compared to mitochondrial genome assemblies across major echinoid orders. This increase in understanding of the evolutionary history and population structure across the distribution of Tripnesutes can aid in the long term employment of the sea urchin as a biocontrol agent and population genomic model. Elizabeth Lenz Marine Biology Revisiting the impacts of bleaching on sexual reproduction of the stony coral Montipora capitata Authors: Elizabeth A. Lenz, Jacqueline Padilla-Gamiño, Ruth D. Gates Abstract: Coral reefs in Hawaiʻi suffered two consecutive major bleaching events in 2014 and 2015 as a result of sea surface temperatures (SST) that, in places like Kāneʻohe Bay, Oʻahu, exceeded 27°C for 8 weeks and 15 weeks, respectively. In 2014, up to 73% of the corals on reefs in Kāneʻohe Bay bleached or paled and all dominant coral species displayed high levels of intraspecific variation in their bleaching responses. This allowed neighboring bleached and non-bleached individuals of Montipora capitata to be identified and tagged in 2014, so that in 2015 the size and number of eggs per bundle released in the field by these corals could be assessed. All tagged corals released egg-sperm bundles during the June, July, and August 2015 spawning season. There was no difference in the size and number of eggs per bundle released by bleached and non-bleached colonies; however, 40% more eggs were released in egg-sperm bundles in June as compared to July and August, and these eggs were 14% smaller. In July and August 2015, mean SST exceeded seasonal norms by 2°C and the 2015 bleaching event began. A comparison of the 2015 spawning data with 2005, 2007, and 2008 reveals that 2015 eggs were significantly larger and significantly fewer eggs were packaged in each bundle. These bleaching events provide an unprecedented opportunity to examine the long term implications of repeated bleaching on the reproductive success of corals, and in this long-term study, tagged M. capitata will continue to be monitored through the 2016 reproductive season and beyond. Harnessing Intraspecific Variation in Scleractinians to Selectively Breed Higher Tolerance Against Climate Change Stressors Authors: Elizabeth A. Lenz, Ruth D. Gates

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Abstract: Coral reefs provide invaluable ecological goods and services, yet stony corals are rapidly declining globally in response to natural and anthropogenic perturbations. As these disturbances persist, it is imperative for coral biologists to develop and implement effective problem-solving techniques, such as assisted evolution, that facilitate the success of tolerant reef-building corals. While Hawaiʻi is considered a subtropical oasis, two consecutive major bleaching events occurred due to temperatures reaching above 27°C for 8 to 15 weeks. In Kāneʻohe Bay, up to 73% of corals bleached or paled. Despite the severity of the bleaching event, we observed strong variability in bleaching responses in the two ecologically dominant corals, Montipora capitata and Porites compressa. We tagged bleached (B) and non-bleached (NB) colonies of both M. capitata and P. compressa at two patch reefs in Kāneʻohe Bay where pH fluctuations naturally differ. During the spawning season of M. capitata (Hermaphroditic: June – August) and P. compressa (Gonochoristic: May – September), we will assess gamete quality by measuring the number of eggs per bundle, size, lipid content, chlorophyll a concentration, density of Symbiodinium cells, and identify Symbiodinium spp. in the eggs and sperm motility. Then we will apply selective breeding by crossing gametes from BxB, BxNB, and NBxNB parents and compare reproductive physiology – fertilization success, survivorship, settlement, and growth. This study aims to establish an understanding of how sexual reproduction of reef-building corals in Hawai‘i are being impacted by climate change and develop solutions to promote higher tolerance against negative facets of climate change. Joshua Levy Biology A New Perspective: Assessing Spatial Distribution of Coral Bleaching with Low-Altitude Remote Sensing Technologies Authors: Joshua Levy, Erik Franklin, Cynthia Hunter Abstract: Coral bleaching is contributing to the decline of reefs globally. Efficient reef monitoring, which provides information for effective management and conservation strategies, is vital to better understand the extent and severity of bleaching on coral reefs. Current in situ and remote sensing reef assessment techniques are time, money, and personnel-intensive. Consistent surveys of large reef areas using traditional techniques are unfeasible, unavailable, or uninformative at the colony level. We present a new technique using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that targets an intermediate spatial scale while providing sufficient information at the colony level to understand how coral communities reacted and recovered during the 2015 bleaching event on patch reefs in Kāneʻohe Bay, O‘ahu. Overlapping images were collected at 4 reefs over 4 time

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periods and processed using Structure-from-Motion techniques to produce georeferenced and spatially accurate orthomosaics of reef areas. Mosaics were analyzed using manual or heuristic neural network classification schemes to identify benthic substrate. We found that bleached colonies had random and clumped distributions on patch reefs in Kāneʻohe Bay. Our work demonstrates that UAVs provide a low cost, efficient platform that can rapidly and repeatedly collect high-resolution imagery (1 cm) and map large areas of shallow reef ecosystems (5 hectares). We envision that similar low altitude aerial surveys would be incorporated as a standard component of shallow-water reef studies, especially on reefs too dangerous or remote for in situ surveys. Claire Lewis Biology Spatial and temporal patterns of origination in the coral genus Pavona Authors: Claire J Lewis, Peter B Marko Abstract: Indo-Pacific marine biodiversity increases from the periphery to the Coral Triangle (CT), the global center of all marine biodiversity. There are three main hypotheses for this pattern: the CT could be a center of origin, a center of accumulation, or a center of overlap. Although indirect molecular approaches, such phylogeography and phylogenetics, have contributed to our understanding of the biogeography of speciation in the tropical Pacific, only the fossil record provides direct evidence about the origin and spread of individual taxa. That said, interpretation of the fossil record can be challenging due to variable preservation quality and geographically unequal distribution of fossil-bearing rocks. Despite this, our analysis of available fossil data show a clear signal of many coral species forming in the Coral Triangle and spreading outwards into the Indian and Pacific Oceans through time. For example, in the coral genus Pavona, 10 of 13 Indo-Pacific species are first recorded within the CT. However, the identities of and the taxonomic relationships among these specimens were established before the use of modern coral systematic tools, such molecular sequences and micromorphological characters. We aim to test the basic patterns of CT origination in Pavona by re-evaluating the systematics of both living and extinct species of the genus by using a molecular phylogenetic approach to identify reliable morphological synapomorphies. As a first step in this analysis, we will present the preliminary phylogeny for the genus using RADseq a Next Generation sequencing methodology.

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Tuttle Lillian Biology How invasive Indo-Pacific red lionfish interact with native fish parasites and cleaning mutualisms on Atlantic coral reefs Authors: Lillian J. Tuttle, Mark A. Hixon Abstract: What makes invasive species successful, and how do they alter native populations and communities? We addressed these key questions within the context of the invasion of Atlantic coral reefs by Indo-Pacific red lionfish (Pterois volitans). To assess the role of parasites in this invasion, we compared infection rates of lionfish with sympatric carnivorous fishes at multiple locations in their invasive and native ranges. We found that invasive Atlantic lionfish had extremely few parasites when compared both to native Pacific lionfish and to native Atlantic fishes. Such “enemy release” may help to explain this successful invasion if lionfish consequently allocate more energy to growth and reproduction than to costly immune defenses. With few parasites to limit them, lionfish may consume ecologically important species, including cleaner gobies (Elacatinus spp.): ubiquitous, conspicuous fishes that clean parasites off other reef fishes. However, while lionfish will eat cleaner gobies during laboratory and field experiments, they quickly learn to avoid them, due to a previously undescribed skin toxin in these gobies. Additional field experiments further revealed no change in the growth, survival, and behavior of newly recruited cohorts of the cleaner goby (E. genie) in the presence vs. absence of lionfish. Thus, cleaner gobies are among the few inhabitants of invaded reefs that escape the jaws of lionfish. Given their broad and voracious appetites, however, invasive lionfish will continue to affect native reef communities via predation on other ecologically important fishes. Christian Macaspac Biology Induced sensory units are not sufficient to lead the adaptive shift in the central nervous system Authors: Christian Macaspac, Vânia Fernandes, Masato Yoshizawa Abstract: Animals evolve and enhance the sensory system to gather adequate information to survive and to reproduce. The Mexican tetra, Astyanax mexicanus, is composed of ancestral-type surface dwelling eyed form (surface fish) and cave dwelling blind form (cavefish), which evolved multiple regressive (eye and pigment) and constructive traits (mechanosensory system, taste buds, etc.) through adaptation process to a completely dark and food-sparse environment.

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Here, we describe pharmacologically enhanced mechanosensory superficial neuromasts (SN) in surface fish. Cavefish increased the SN number at the cheek region, which is responsible to increase cave adaptive-vibration attraction behavior (VAB)—tendency to come to the oscillating object (prey) in water. In zebrafish, the cranial SN number is controlled by Endothelin-signaling from nearby dermal bone. Our pharmacological assay using the inhibiters of Endothelin-signaling achieved the significant increase of the cheek SN number in surface fish. Our preliminary VAB assay on the SN-enhanced surface fish showed no detectable enhancement of VAB. In addition, the SN number was not increased in cavefish under the same pharmacological treatment. These results indicate that adaptive behavior is not directly accompanied with enhanced sensory system, and that the cavefish SN number may be saturated. In summary, Endothelin-signaling is suggested to be involved in the regulation of the Astyanax SN sensory system. This provides the basis for our future studies investigating the mutations in the Endothelin pathway, and the neural evolution, which rewired the increased sensory system, properly. Olivia Marohnic Geography Long term environmental change at two contrasting wetland sites on the Island of Hawai‘i Authors: Olivia Marohnic, David Beilman Abstract: Hawai‘i’s location makes it a vital site from which to collect records of past climate change, yet existing records are few and often suffer from resolution or dating issues. This research applies paleoecological tools to investigate biogeochemical changes in organic sediment cores from two montane wetlands on the Island of Hawai‘i: Maka‘alia in Ka‘u on the southern end of the island at 1311 m elevation and receiving ~2975 mm in mean annual rainfall (MAR), and Kohala near the northern point of the island, at 1156 m and ~2766 mm MAR. The Ka‘u site exhibits a transition to wetter conditions around 4000 years ago, evidenced by low bulk density of 0.11-0.17 g/cm^3, which suggests low rates of decomposition due to soil saturation. Onset of peat-forming conditions at the Kohala site occurred at the same time, indicated by very low bulk density values of 0.06-0.11 g/cm^3. Their dramatically different accumulation rates show that the sites operate under very different climate and ecosystem regimes, such that the agreement between them on the timing of this shift suggest a larger regional cause. A sharp increase in peat accumulation rates from 4000-2000 years ago at a montane bog on Moloka‘i supports this hypothesis as well. Collection of stable carbon isotope and carbon to nitrogen ratios for the two sites will provide further insight into potential reasons for this climatic change.

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Shayle Matsuda Marine Biology Hiding in plain sight: molecular phylogenetics and morphological analyses reveal cryptic species complexes in Glossodoris sea slugs (Nudibranchia) Authors: Shayle Matsuda, Terrence Gosliner Abstract: Advances in molecular systematics and morphological analyses have led to a significant increase in the discovery of cryptic species - species that may appear outwardly similar but are genetically and sometimes morphologically distinct - within previously defined taxa across Animalia. Cryptic species complexes are especially likely to be found in understudied marine organisms that rely heavily on color pattern for crypsis, camouflage and mimicry. Nudibranchs in the genus Glossodoris are brightly colored sea slugs that exhibit diverse and complex color patterns and live in some of the most biodiverse and threatened coral reefs on the planet. They are a model group for understanding cryptic diversity, and despite the growing body of higher order molecular phylogenies, there has been a lack of molecular research that includes sufficient individuals to identify discrete relationships at the species level. In this study, 80 individuals comprising 38 species in 12 genera were used to build the most robust phylogenetic tree of Glossodoris and related genera using mitochondrial genes cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and 16S, and nuclear 28S. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian Inference statistical analyses identified four cryptic species within Glossodoris, including three nested within Glossodoris cincta alone. The discovery of cryptic species within Glossodoris accentuates the likelihood that more species are hidden within previously defined taxa. Nudibranch biodiversity is likely much greater than currently estimated, and the discovery of cryptic species has profound implications for the evolution of color pattern and chemical defense sequestration as well as biomedical prospecting and conservation of biodiversity. Assessing algal (Symbiodinium) variability and variation across individual coral colonies (Montipora capitata) in Kāneʻohe Bay Authors: Shayle B. Matsuda, Ruth D. Gates Abstract: Corals participate in an obligate mutualistic symbiosis with dinoflagellates in the genus Symbiodinium, and it is the breakdown of this relationship under stress that cause coral to pale, or bleach, which can lead to massive die-offs. However, different types of Symbiodinium confer different physiological responses to stress within their host, and while one dominant type is typically found in each coral colony, some can host multiple clades (at the species and colony level). Current research examining the responses of the holobiont to

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anthropogenic climate change stressors sample fragments from multiple colonies. However, relatively few samples per colony have been used to identify which Symbiodinium are present across a colony. Montipora capitata is known to harbor both Symbiodinium clades C and D and is one of the most dominant reef-building corals in Kāneʻohe Bay, Hawai‘i. Its dynamic and diverse structural formations may provide specialized micro-environments better suited to particular clades, and therefore we hypothesize that there will be algal dynamic variability and variation between and across individual colonies. Montipora capitata colonies from two reefs in Kāneʻohe Bay (n=6) will be 3D-imaged and sampled at approximately 100 points per colony. Individual polyps will be collected with 3cc syringes in situ, and Symbiodinium clades identified through qPCR. Additionally, a subset will be sequenced for ITS2 for subclade identification. 3D models and sequence data will be analyzed and visualized using Structure-From-Motion Photogrammetry. Assessing the variation of Symbiodinium across coral colonies will provide greater insight into our understanding of the holobiont’s response to climate change. Jessica Maxfield Biology/Zoology Gene Regulation of Sex-Reallocation in a Hermaphroditic Fish (Lythrypnus dalli) Authors: Jessica M. Maxfield, Kathleen S. Cole Abstract: Functional hermaphroditism describes the ability to transition between ova and sperm production at some point in adult life, and has evolved independently numerous times across a broad range of teleost fish taxa. While many aspects of hermaphroditic sexual lability have been explored, we know very little about the genes that regulate functional shifts in gamete production. This study aims to better understand how a fish goes from producing eggs to producing sperm at the molecular and morphological level. This will be accomplished by using whole transcriptome sequencing (RNAseq) on the gonads and brain of a bidirectionally sex changing fish, Lythrypnus dalli, as it transitions from producing eggs to producing sperm. Sequencing many individuals at different transitional stages will create a gene expression timeline that will highlight critical sex regulatory genes and identify when they are important during the transition process. Gene expression data will then be correlated with morphological data (gonad histology) to visualize how gene expression regulates changes in gonad morphology and gamete production.

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Silvia Moriano-Gutierrez PBRC Transcriptomic responses to symbiosis Authors: Silvia Moriano-Gutierrez, Margaret McFall-Ngai Abstract: The light-organ symbiosis between Euprymna scolopes and the marine bioluminescent bacterium Vibrio fischeri offers an experimentally accessible model for understanding the events and signals underlying host-microbe symbioses. This partnership is highly specific, where only V. fischeri, against the background of other species in the seawater, is capable of forming a stable relationship. Using next-generation sequencing, we compared the gene expression under different conditions of different tissues of juvenile squids at 24 h of colonization. Three different tissues, apart from the light organ, were chosen for this study because their high vascularization and/or its immune function: gills, eyes and head including white body (specialized tissue were the immune cells develop). In addition, three different conditions were tested: juveniles exposed for 24 h to 106 environmental bacteria with (symbiotic WT) or without (aposymbiotic) the addition of wild-type V. fischeri (ES114) or non-luminous mutant strain (symbiotic Δlux). This database, increase the number of known transcripts for the E. scolopes reference transcriptome by ~70% over the previously constructed light organ transcriptome database. Kanoe Morishige Biology Environmental drivers of variation in maternal investment and larval performance of Colobocentrotus atratus Authors: Kanoe Morishige, Amy Moran Abstract: Hawai‘i’s intertidal shorelines are extremely vulnerable to rising ocean temperatures, human-induced habitat degradation, and harvesting pressure. Local communities practice customary harvest of invertebrates and algae in the intertidal zone. Contemporary pressures of overharvesting and observed climate change impacts on coastal ecosystems motivate communities to understand early life histories and population dynamics of resource marine species. This study investigates environmental factors that drive spatial and temporal variation in population dynamics, egg quality and larval fitness of Hawaiian urchins, Colobocentrotus atratus. Urchins were collected from a total of eight populations around O’ahu and Hawai’i Island in Spring and Fall 2015 and measured for test diameter. Fecundity and egg volume (nl) were calculated and replicate egg

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samples were stored for future biochemical analyses. There were significant differences in fecundity between sites; urchins from Kewalo were significantly less fecund than those at Black Point, Honokohau, Pupukea, and Opihikao. Difference in test diameter between sites explained ~ 33% of the variation in fecundity. Mean egg size was significantly higher in Keaukaha and Makapu’u in the Spring compared to Fall. Length had no significant effect on egg volume. Population surveys, algal surveys, and environmental parameters will be recorded in the future. This information will help to understand the environmental correlates of adult size, fecundity, and egg quality. Local communities can account for these factors when harvesting by area and season and can create a model of sustainable harvest for this and other taxa. Martha Newell Zoology Symbiodinium Diversity in Porites compressa Following a Natural Bleaching Event Authors: Martha Newell, Christopher Jury, Ingrid Knapp, Kerri Dobson, Robert Toonen, Andrea Grottoli, Peter Marko Abstract: Climate change has led to increases in coral bleaching worldwide. The question of why corals expel their symbiotic zooxanthellae (Symbiodinium) has been studied from the perspective of the coral host as well as the symbiont. While progress has been made toward understanding the physiological and cellular mechanisms that cause bleaching, Next-generation sequencing (NGS) permits further investigation of genetic explanations for variations in bleaching response across the entire genome. This work is focused on identifying genetic factors from the coral genome that are associated with bleaching variation, as well as the composition of Symbiodinium communities within corals during and after bleaching. To address the question of Symbiodinium clade composition, we compared Symbiodinium in colonies of Porites compressa that varied in their response during the 2014 bleaching event in Hawai‘i. Although other species of Porites have been shown to host thermally-tolerant clade D zooxanthellae, previous studies have found that P. compressa only host a single clade (C), even among colonies in habitats that have a history of high temperatures. For this work, we genetically analyzed colonies of P. compressa sampled from October 2014 through November 2015 from four sites in the Main Hawaiian Islands. Our approach is to use restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) to analyze genomes of the coral holobiont and identify symbiont clades, and we will discuss progress in using NGS to characterize symbiont diversity among colonies with different bleaching phenotypes.

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Hieu Nguyen Anatomy, Biochemistry, and Physiology The DNA Licensing Protein ORC4 Is Required for Polar Body Extrusion Authors: Hieu Nguyen, Nicholas James, Lynn Nguyen, Thien P. Nguyen, Cindy Vuong, Michael Ortega, W. Steven Ward Abstract: The developing oocyte extrudes half of the chromosomes two times to reduce the DNA content to 1N. The extruded chromosomes are in polar bodies, which have very little cytoplasm. We previously demonstrated that the DNA replication licensing protein, ORC4, forms a cage that surrounds the set of chromosomes that will be extruded in the polar body in both meiotic divisions of murine oocytes, but not the set of chromosomes that remains in the oocyte. In this work, tested whether the ORC4 cage was required for polar body extrusion (PBE). To disrupt the ORC4 cage, we designed six peptides that represented parts of ORC4, which are on the exterior face of the protein. We reasoned that the ORC4 cage required some form of polymerization of ORC4, either with itself or with another protein(s), and the peptides that faced the exterior of the protein might disrupt the ORC4 cage by competitive binding with the polymerization sites. We microinjected all 6 of the peptides individually into MII oocytes before their activation, and then observed the oocyte development. We found that two peptides prevented ORC4 cage formation and also inhibited PBE. The other four peptides had no effect on ORC4 cage formation or on PBE. These results suggest that ORC4 cage formation is required for PBE. We hypothesize that ORC4 interacts with the actin filaments at the PBE site to complete PBE. This research was supported by NIH HD060722 to WSW and Vietnamese Education Foundation (VEF) for Hieu Nguyen. Megan Onuma Marine Biology Effect of temperature and pH on metabolic rates of the red alga Gracilaria salicornia Authors: Megan Onuma, Paul Jokiel Abstract: Gracilaria salicornia is an invasive marine alga prevalent along the coasts of O’ahu. Many studies have established the effect of global climate change on a variety of organisms, but few have focused on algae. The predicted decline of corals due to increased temperature stress and ocean acidification suggests a possible large-scale phase shift to an algal dominated ecosystem. However, this relies on the ability of algae to withstand similar stressors. The

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study proposed here will test the effects of elevated temperature and decreased pH on the respiration and photosynthesis rates of G. salicornia. Rates of net photosynthesis and dark respiration will be measured over one hour of constant light and one hour of darkness, respectively, using oxygen evolution techniques. The effects of two factors- temperature (normal and high) and acidity (normal and acidic)- will be tested in a full factorial design. Metabolic rates are expected to increase with temperature and photosynthesis rates are expected to increase with increased acidity. Egle Ortega Anatomy, Biochemistry, and Physiology Sox9 overexpression can sufficiently replace Sry in terms of function in spermatogenesis and adult male fertility Authors: Egle A. Ortega, Victor A. Ruthig, Monika A. Ward Abstract: Disorders of sex determination affect one of 4500 individuals and are characterized by sex reversal and often infertility. During embryogenesis Y-chromosome encoded Sry acts as a molecular switch that initiates testicular development. Sox9, an autosomal gene, is the main target of SRY. It is established that mutations of Sry or Sox9 cause sex reversals in humans and mice. The effects and of Sry-to-Sox9 replacement have mostly been investigated during early development. My study is the first comprehensive analysis of an adult mammalian testis from males in which sex determination is driven by autosomal Sox9. I examined spermatogenesis and fertility of males with a deletion removing the endogenous Sry (YTdym1) and testis determination driven by Sox9 (XYTdym1Sox9) or Sry (XYTdym1Sry) transgenes. XYTdym1Sox9 males had ~2-fold higher expression of Sox9 in 11.5 dpc genital ridges and in adult testes. Testes from XYTdym1Sox9 males had reduced size, altered shape and vasculature, and an increased incidence of defects in seminiferous epithelium adjacent to coelomic vessel. Sperm analyses showed no differences between XYTdym1Sry and XYTdym1Sox9 males. Fecundity studies revealed that all males were fertile and yielded similar average numbers of pup/litters. When sperm function was tested in vitro, sperm from XYTdym1Sry and XYTdym1Sox9 males fertilized with similar efficiency. The majority of 2-cell embryos (>70%) developed to healthy blastocysts. Our findings support that males lacking Sry can be fertile. Transgenic Sox9 overexpression results in certain testicular abnormalities but this do not translate into fertility impairment. (Supported with NIH HD072380 and HCF 14ADVC-64546 grants to MAW).

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Sitara Palecanda Marine Biology Shifts in Opsin Expression During the Larval to Adult Transition in Pullosquilla thomassini (Crustacea, Stomatopoda) Authors: Sitara Palecanda , Albert Chan , Megan L. Porter Abstract: Stomatopods possess one of the most intricate visual systems in nature. Each of their independent stalked eyes has multiple spectral and polarization channels, with some species possessing up to 16 different photoreceptors and 33 different opsin proteins. Amazingly the complex retina responsible for these abilities is formed in a relatively short time during the last phase of larval development and is accompanied by a degeneration of the larval retina. For this reason, very little is known about visual systems in larval stomatopods. Using transcriptomic analyses, we aim to identify the opsin proteins expressed at multiple larval and adult developmental stages and use this information to form a better picture of how the stomatopod sensory system develops. Transcriptomes of retinal tissue from adult Pullosquilla thomassini, a species which possesses the most complex of stomatopod eye types, have been assembled using trinity. Preliminary data suggests that adult P. thomassini possess 10-12 mid-wavelength sensitive and 6 long wavelength sensitive opsins. In addition to opsin genes we have also found evidence for the expression of other phototransduction genes including Gqα, TRP channels, and arrestin proteins. With this information we are able to produce a full picture of the visual signaling cascade from beginning to end. The visual genes expressed in adult P. thomassini provide a template to which we can compare future transcriptomes of larval opsin expression. Continuing studies will incorporate transcriptomes from additional larval and embryonic stages to create a clearer picture of the developmental transitions in stomatopod vision. Emilie Richards Biology Detecting Bias in Phylogenetic Inference: An Empirical Assessment of Model Performance Authors: Emilie Richards, Becky Chong, Anthony Barley, Jeremy Brown, Robert Thomson Abstract: Accurately resolving the ‘Tree of Life’ depends critically on statistical models of sequence evolution. As is the case with all statistical inference, these models are only approximations of the actual evolutionary processes that they are

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meant to describe. When a model poorly describes a given dataset, the resulting phylogeny can be inaccurate. Defensible methods for choosing models are therefore a major priority for the field. Classic approaches for selecting models focus on identifying one model from a set of candidates that provides the ‘best fit’ to the data. For complex data, it is possible that all candidate models fit the data poorly, and thus the 'best fitting' model still provides biased results. Alternative methods that directly assess goodness of fit are increasingly being recognized as the means to address this problem, although this framework is still in its infancy within phylogenetics. Here we provide the first large-scale, empirical examination of this new framework for model selection in phylogenetics. We use phylogenies inferred from several hundred mitochondrial genomes to assess the performance of these new approaches in detecting poor absolute model fit. Our study provides clear examples of when these new methods prove useful. We also detect some unforeseen behaviors for larger, more complex datasets where these methods are most critically needed. These issues point the way forward for future development and improvement of this emerging framework for model selection in phylogenetics. Raphael Ritson-Williams Biology Bridging the Gap from Science to Education Authors: Raphael Ritson-Williams, Ruth Gates Abstract: People have changed the world in various ways, many of which threaten the natural functioning of ecosystems. Many habitats are threatened due to anthropogenic land development and climate change. Modern interdisciplinary science has huge potential to track these changes and predict the future of many ecosystems, but these data remain obscure in the scientific literature. This disconnect between scientists and the public is inhibiting management decisions that could be critical for conservation. Education of the public is necessary to mitigate environmental degradation and communicate the importance of local habitats and biodiversity. To bridge this gap we have developed 5 lectures to educate middle and high school students about diverse topics including; Climate Change, Hawaiian Biodiversity, Marine Biodiversity, Medicines from the Sea, and Coral Reefs. These lectures are rich in photographs and illustrations with accompanying background notes for each slide, which can be tailored to create a personalized presentation. These resources are downloadable as pdfs on the website www.raphswall.com/outreach. Our goal is to facilitate outreach to middle and high school classrooms to communicate environmental hot topics with an age group sure to influence the future of our planet.

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Roberto Rodriguez Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering Design of an Unmanned Aerial Treatment System for Invasive Species Management Authors: Roberto Rodriguez, Daniel Jenkins, James Leary Abstract: Successful invasive plant management strategies need a rapid-response capability to effectively eliminate newly discovered, incipient targets before they expand into uncontrollable infestations. Transformative technology in manned aerial herbicide treatment platforms have been developed for aerial reconnaissance and surveillance operations with the value-added capability for real-time target elimination. A translation of this capability to unmanned aerial systems (UAS) will result in further economization of operational resources and inherent operator risk reduction. We have designed a rapid deployable Herbicide Ballistic Technology (HBT) platform from an unmanned aerial system (HBT-UAS) to expand the capability of a precision, long range aerial plant target treatment in ground-based weed surveillance. The HBT-UAS would allow ground teams to efficiently engage inaccessible targets, e.g., colonizing cliff faces, using a line of sight telemetry guidance system for calculating, in real time, the target location for administering a precise treatment. This platform utilizes pesticide-filled projectiles that are discharged from a ventrally mounted electro-pneumatic applicator on a rotating gimbal. Preliminary data were generated using custom gimbal HBT platform mounted on a stationary suspension for calculating force-balance, optimized discharge pressures and precision of trajectory within a 10 m effective range using standard 0.68 caliber paintballs. Coordinated in-flight target engagement procedures will be developed, calibrated and vetted to be in compliance with Federal Aviation Regulations regarding agricultural aircraft operations. Anne Rosinski Marine Biology What Do We Do Now? Finding Practical Management Strategies to Promote Coral Reef Recovery Following Mass Bleaching in the Main Hawaiian Islands Authors: Anne Rosinski, Charles Birkeland, Ivor Williams, Kelvin Goropse, Tom Oliver, Jamison Gove, William Walsh Abstract: Hawai‘i’s coral reefs suffered extensive coral bleaching due to dramatically elevated ocean temperatures in 2014 and 2015. Although it is predicted that mass bleaching will become an annual phenomenon in Hawai‘i by

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2050, with associated extensive coral mortality, consensus on current strategies to promote coral recovery following bleaching events is decidedly limited. In 2016, the State of Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources launched an initiative to collect and aggregate the opinions of a global group of 170 coral reef scientists and managers with relevant research and experience. The survey results detail which management strategies are believed to be the most ecologically effective in promoting coral reef recovery and resilience following a mass bleaching event. This expert feedback is now being further analyzed by the Division of Aquatic Resources for application to potential administrative rulemaking. The project will continue with workshops as well as a literature analysis compiling real-world examples of the recovery strategies deemed effective by the expert group of scientists and managers. Christina Runyon Microbiology Epizootiology of Black Band Disease on Scleractinian Corals of Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i, USA Authors: Christina Runyon, Silvia Beurmann, Blake Ushijima, Thierry Work, Greta Aeby, Sean Callahan Abstract: Since its discovery in the Florida Keys in 1973, black band disease (BBD), a tissue loss disease that infects multiple coral genera in the Caribbean, Red Sea, and Indo-Pacific, has emerged as a serious threat to the reefs worldwide. BBD is a polymicrobial disease consisting of three main microorganisms: a filamentous cyanobacterium, sulfide-oxidizing bacteria, and sulfate-reducing bacteria. In 2011, the first potential outbreak of BBD was reported in the Hawaiian Archipelago off the Island of Kaua‘i. Histology of coral lesion samples from Kaua‘i revealed a mixed assemblage of cyanobacteria and filamentous bacteria associated with cell necrosis. Laboratory infection trials demonstrated that BBD lesion material infected 94.4% of exposed coral within 4 days of inoculation (n=18). Amplification and sequencing of 16S rRNA and dsrA genes from bacteria cultured from disease lesions identified a cyanobacterium similar to Pseudoscillatoria coralii, a sulfide-oxidizing Beggiatoa sp., and several sulfate-reducing bacteria; showing that the three common BBD constituents are present in lesion material from Kaua‘i. Surveys found BBD widespread on the north and east facing shores of Kaua‘i with disease prevalence ranging from 0.24% to 7.9%; it was observed to infect three reef-building Montipora species. In other regions, BBD prevalence increases with elevated water temperatures, and this trend was observed with BBD on the reefs of Kaua‘i. This first report of BBD in Hawai‘i which extends the geographic range of this disease.

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Victor Ruthig Anatomy Biochemistry and Physiology Histological Verification of the Efficacy of Mouse Models for Human Male Infertility Authors: Victor A Ruthig, Monika A Ward Abstract: The Y chromosome initiates male development and also carries genes necessary for initiating and maintaining spermatogenesis. A common cause of genetic male factor infertility are microdeletions in the azoospermic factor (AZF) region of the human Y chromosome. The severity of the infertility depends on the size and location of the microdeletion, and can be assessed histologically. In our previous work we performed analyses of spermatogenesis in infertile mice with Y chromosome deficiencies. We quantified the numbers of Sertoli cells and germ cells and expressed the efficiency of spermatogenesis progression as Sertoli/germ cell ratio (SGCR). We also investigated quantitatively and qualitatively, defects of seminiferous epithelium. In this project our goal was to perform similar analyses on testes from infertile men with azoospermia associated with Y chromosome deletions, and relate to our findings in mice. We obtained stained testes sections from infertile azoospermic men and from fertile men. Unlike mice, men have chaotic and inefficient spermatogenesis. Furthermore, a biopsy from a human testis often contains very limited amounts of tissue for quantitative assessment. We therefore developed an alternative method for quantitative spermatogenesis assessment, and counted cells per standard area. Out of 22 examined men, 11 were infertile, 2 of them had several AZF deletions and a Sertoli cell only (SCO) phenotype, 3 had fewer AZF deletions and were hypospermatogenic; both of which are the phenotypes we see in our mice. There were also similarities in germ cell abnormalities present in the testes of both species. (Supported by NIH-HD072380 and HCF-14ADVC-64546 to MAW). Histological Assessment of Spermatogenesis in Mice with Limited Y Chromosome Gene Contribution Authors: Victor A Ruthig, Torbjoern Nielsen, Yasuhire Yamauchi, Monika A Ward Abstract: Previously we reported that only two Y chromosome genes (Sry and Eif2s3y) placed in a context of a single X chromosome (XO) are needed to produce a male mouse that can sire offspring using assisted reproductive techniques. Sry is responsible for testis development and Eif2s3y initiates germ cell proliferation and differentiation. We subsequently demonstrated that the functions of Sry and Eif2s3y can be substituted by transgenic overexpression of their homologues encoded on other chromosomes, Sox9 and Eif2s3x,

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respectively. In order to assess the effects of minimal Y chromosome contribution on spermatogenesis, we examined stained testes sections from XOSry,Eif2s3y, XOSry,Eif2s3x, XOSox9,Eif2s3y and XOSox9,Eif2s3x males, and XY wild type males as controls. We quantified Sertoli cells, spermatogonia and round spermatids and assessed the normalcy of seminiferous epithelium. In all males, spermatogenesis was initiated and progressed through meiosis. However, transgenic males exhibited meiotic and post-meiotic arrests and variable testicular defects. Analysis revealed that transgenic males had significantly more abnormalities than XY males. Specifically, although apoptosis was rampant in all transgenics, it became significantly more common as less Y chromosome genes were present. At the same time the general appearance of the testis worsened, specifically in terms of the vasculature, which supports this tissue and is critical for stem cell niche, O2 supply and thermal regulation of spermatogenesis. There was a reverse trend with hypercondensed nuclei, which became less common as Y gene content decreased. Current work is to validate previous quantitative findings using immunohistochemistry. (Supported by NIH-HD072380 and HCF-14ADVC-64546 to MAW). Alexander Settle Biology Blind cavefish as a new multi-genic model for psychiatric disease Authors: Alex Settle, Mina Yoshida , Masato Yoshizawa Abstract: Multigenic psychiatric diseases such as autism and schizophrenia show complex gene-gene and gene-environment interactions and require a good multi-genic model animal, which can be tested under regulated conditions. The Mexican tetra, Astyanax mexicanus, contains two major forms: surface-dwelling eyed fish and cave-dwelling blind fish which have regressed eyes and pigment as well as autism/schizophrenia-like behaviors, including sleep-loss, obsession with certain stimulus, loss of socialness/schooling, and repetitive behavior. Here we describe detailed behavioral analyses and pharmacological responses to psychiatric drugs in cavefish. We first developed a multi-activity tracking system composed of dual cameras and free tracking software. Based on this system, 24hr fish activities, day/night rhythm, and sleep behavior were recorded. With the treatment of human psychiatric drugs, serotonin uptake blocker Fluoxetine and serotonin receptor blocker Clozapine, recovered sleep and reduced hyper activity in cavefish were observed with no change in surface fish behaviors. In 5-6 µM of Fluoxetine or Clozapine, cavefish activity slowed at night and showed sleep-like rest similar to surface fish. This behavioral change indicates a dose-dependent response, suggesting the existing similarity between human autism/schizophrenia and Astyanax cavefish “symptoms.” We have not detected any behavioral change with

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the Opioid blocker, Naltrexone indicating that Opioid-signaling is not likely involved. Together with current behavioral assessments to measure the obsession with certain vibrating stimuli and repetitive behavior, we suggest the Mexican blind cavefish, Astyanax mexicanus has significant potential to be a new multi-genic model for psychiatric diseases. Nozomi Shimizu Marine Biology Identification of cryptic siphonous green algae through molecular analysis and observation of developmental strategies Authors: Nozomi Shimizu Abstract: Siphonous green algae –the order Bryopsidales– are a diverse and sometimes dominant plant group in many coastal reefs and benthic communities. These algae often serve as primary producers and several genera produce carbonate, which supplement reef structure and sand deposition. Despite their importance, reproductive strategies and structures as well as complete life histories have not been fully described for about a third of the known genera. For example, reproductive structures of the invasive leather mud-weed Avrainvillea amadelpha remain unknown. When Rhipidosiphon javensis was put in culture, plants attained larger sizes, formed gametangia and released gametes allowing this development to be described for the first time. This study aims to identify diminutive siphonous green algae that remain undescribed through a molecular analysis and examination of developmental strategies. Small rubble pieces (n=36) will be randomly collected along the south shore of O‘ahu over the period from February to May, 2016. Collected substrates will be cultured in mesocosms, and the diminutive algae will be allowed to grow in size, leading to possible identification. The development of these newly emerged algae will be documented by photo analysis and will be subsequently processed through molecular analyses for ultimate identification, if sufficient tissues are available. Discovery of new taxa and/or reproductive structures of siphonous green algae should allow us to gain a better understanding of their life histories, the diversity in our marine flora, as well as the evolutionary relationships within and between species.

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Caitlin Shishido Zoology Temperature, body size, and pycnogonid metabolism Authors: C. M. Shishido, A. L. Moran, S. J. Lane, B. W. Tobalske, H. A. Woods Abstract: As global temperatures continue to rise, it is increasingly important to understand how key physiological processes such as obtaining oxygen from the surrounding environment are affected by environmental temperature. Body size is an important parameter because larger-bodied animals need more oxygen but may have a more difficult time obtaining it; thus, larger organisms may be disproportionately sensitive to warming, particularly in aquatic environments. We are investigating the interactions between temperature, size, and oxygen consumption in pycnogonids (sea spiders), a group that occurs in most marine environments and that contains spectacular examples of polar gigantism. We worked with temperate (Friday Harbor, WA) and polar (McMurdo Sound, Antarctica) pycnogonid species in the genus Achelia. To assess whether temperature and body size interact to influence metabolism, we measured oxygen consumption of animals from a range of body sizes that were exposed to a range of temperatures (12 to 28°C in Friday Harbor and -1.8 to 4°C in McMurdo Sound). In Friday Harbor and McMurdo, oxygen consumption increased with both temperature and body size but larger pycnogonids did not appear to be disproportionately affected by higher temperatures. NSF PLR- 1341485. Amanda Shore-Maggio Microbiology Sources of Vibrio coralliilyticus Strain OCN008 in Kāneʻohe Bay, Hawai‘i and the Effect of Decreased Salinity on Infection of the Coral Montipora Capitata Authors: Amanda Shore-Maggio, Greta Aeby, Sean Callahan Abstract: Identifying sources of coral pathogens and understanding environmental risk factors is important for predicting and mitigating coral disease outbreaks. In Hawai‘i, Montipora White Syndrome (MWS) is a tissue loss disease with numerous outbreaks occurring in Kāneʻohe Bay during the winter when heavy rain events are more common. The bacterium, Vibrio coralliilyticus strain OCN008, has been shown to cause acute tissue loss consistent with MWS. In order to identify sources of this pathogen in Kāneʻohe Bay, seawater, terrestrial freshwater/sediment, and marine organisms were sampled and tested for the presence of OCN008. In addition, manipulative experiments were conducted to determine if decreased salinity increased disease risk for corals by reducing the

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amount of bacteria needed to cause infections. OCN008 was detected in freshwater and several marine organisms, including gobies, corallivorous butterflyfish, coral-associated invertebrates, and the coral host (Montipora capitata). Manipulative experiments showed that exposure to decreased salinity did not create lesions in corals but the decreased salinity allowed OCN008 infections to occur at a lower dose (106 cell/mL vs. 108 cells/mL). OCN008 was found in multiple biotic and abiotic sources in Kāneʻohe Bay, suggesting that corals have many opportunities for exposure to this pathogen. We also found that adverse environmental conditions that lower salinity (e.g. heavy rainfall) could make M. capitata more susceptible to infection by V. coralliilyticus strain OCN008 and offer insight for predicting disease outbreaks in Kāneʻohe Bay. Victoria Sindorf Marine Biology Detection of Chronic Stress in Corals Exposed to Invasive Alagae Mats Authors: Victoria Sindorf, Robert Richmond Abstract: Invasive algae mats like those common in Kāne‘ohe Bay, O‘ahu, are known to negatively affect coral health and recruitment through a variety of mechanisms including shading, abrasion, oxidative stress, and allelopathic interactions. Algae-induced stress has thus far been documented through changes in photosynthetic efficiency and coloration (bleaching) of the coral, and these studies have been largely accomplished through experimental manipulation, inflicting acute stress on coral nubbins. Few studies have investigated the stress response of corals chronically exposed to algae-induced stress, and fewer have used molecular methods to demonstrate and quantify this stress. This study focuses on Porites compressa colonies in chronic contact with the invasive alga Kappaphycus alvarezii on naturally occurring patch reefs in Kāne‘ohe Bay, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i. Our findings demonstrate the ability of these methods to detect and monitor coral stress before outward signs of stress such as bleaching are evident, which will allow for more proactive management of at-risk coral reef ecosystems.

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Vithanage Nipuni Shalika Sirimalwatta Botany Phylogeny, Evolution, and Biogeography of the genera Radiogrammitis Parris and Oreogrammitis Copel. (Polypodiaceae) Authors: V.N.S. Sirimalwatta, Clifford W. Morden, Tom A. Ranker Abstract: Grammitid ferns (Polypodiaceae) have nearly 900 species in 33 currently recognized genera of epiphytic leptosporangiate ferns that are widely distributed throughout the world. Among them, almost all of the Neotropical and many Paleotropical genera have been resolved by recent molecular phylogenetic studies based on plastid genes. But, several Paleotropical genera (Radiogrammitis, Oreogrammitis, and Themelium) need additional study resolve the limits and phylogenetic relationships of clades. The objective of this study is to develop a detailed phylogeny of species treated in Radiogrammitis and Oreogrammitis using molecular and morphological data. From this, generic boundaries and relationships, evolution and biogeography will be examined. The initial analysis of genomic DNA from 35 different species, in Radiogrammitis and Oreogrammitis including Themelium and the outgroup Prosaptia, was done with eight nuclear markers. Out of eight, three nuclear markers (IBR3, gapCp, and pgiC) yielded DNA sequences for most of the samples tested. Maximum Likelihood analysis was carried out for and IBR3 dataset as implemented in RAXML in CIPRES using the HKY+G model, which was the best-fit substitution model for the sequences determined using jMODELTEST version 2.0. The topology of the ML tree recovered was similar to that generated from plastid data. Species in two different genera show polyphyletic relationships and species of Themelium also nested within the focal genera. Poor phylogenetic resolution among the species could be due to low variation in the IBR3marker or the low number of samples included in the analysis. Sample collections and fieldwork will be done to increase the taxa in the study and additional nuclear primers to generate longer reads will be designed and identified in the second phase of this study.

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Adam Smith Zoology Transmission beam characteristics of a Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus) Authors: Adam B. Smith, Laura N. Kloepper, Brendan P. Rideout, Jocelyn E. Lindner, Wei-Cheng Yang, I-Fan Jen, Paul E. Nachtigall Abstract: All odontocetes studied to date have shown highly developed biosonar systems. One species that remains little studied is the Risso's dolphin (G. griseus), which has evolved a unique vertical crease on the anterior of its melon. This crease is not found in any other odontocete species and its function is unknown. The placement of the cleft on the melon may indicate its function is related to the echolocation system of the animal. The current study measured echolocation beam characteristics of a trained, captive Risso's dolphin to provide a more detailed understanding of the acoustic systems of the species and investigate the potential acoustic function of the unique melon morphology of the species. Echolocation signals were recorded with an array of 16 hydrophones and the two dimensional echolocation beam shape was explored using frequency-dependent amplitude plots, while the animal's body position was monitored and analyzed in video recordings. Analysis revealed the echolocation beam was projected from the melon in a primarily single lobed and occasionally dual-lobed orientation in a similar fashion to the bottlenose dolphin and false killer whale. Beam directivity of Risso's dolphin was found to be greater than that of the harbor porpoise, bottlenose dolphin, and false killer whale. Furthermore, the relationship between frequency content, beam directivity, and head size for this animal deviated from the trend described for other species. These are the first measurements of the Risso's dolphin echolocation beam, and the first data indicating a potential acoustic function of the melon cleft. Thomas Smith Zoology I come from the land down under: ecological niche modeling of hierarchical spatial scales to predict the range of an invasive skink in Hawai‘i Authors: Thomas AH Smith Abstract: The delicate skink, Lampropholis delicata, represents an example of a successful invasive reptile with a single introduction, from a single source population with limited genetic diversity. All individuals across the main Hawaiian Islands share one haplotype with their introduction source in suburban Brisbane, Australia. The extent of the native range of the species, however spans the entire

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eastern coast of Australia, and includes 120 haplotypes. The source of the introduction represents a small geographic area with a narrow range of environmental conditions relative to its introduced range in the Hawaiian Islands. Nineteen environmental variables were obtained from BioClim and occurrence records were collected from VertNet for both the native and introduced ranges, and ecological niche models (ENMSs) were constructed using Maxent. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to use population, clade, and entire native distribution environmental data to 1) model whether conditions present at the source population accurately predict the niche of introduced populations and 2) use this prediction to evaluate potential range expansions. This study has implications for the long-term invasion assessment and management strategy of L. delicata across the Pacific Basin as well as implications for invasive systems of similar taxa where limited native geographic ranges or single introductions obscure the potential invasibility in a novel environment. Mireille Steck Marine Biology Phototransduction characterization in the Stomatopod, Alima pacifica Authors: Mireille Steck, Vittoria Roncalli, Matthew Cieslak, Andy Christie, Petra Lenz, Megan Porter Abstract: Adult stomatopods have complex eyes which include large, ocular midbands - consisting of 6 rows of ommatidia - specialized for color and polarization vision. Previous research of stomatopod adult eyes found more expressed opsin transcripts than expected based on photoreceptor diversity. During development, however, larval stomatopods transition from a retina with few photoreceptors to an adult retina with many photoreceptors. Yet, few studies have investigated the simple larval eyes, or the transition from simple to complex eye in this group of crustaceans. In an attempt to understand why this developmental shift occurs, transcriptomic analyses of three Alima pacifica larvae were done using dissected larval and adult retinal tissue from the double retinas of last-stage larvae. In contrast to other stomatopod species, A. pacifica have only two midband rows; this reduced adult eye will allow us to elucidate relationships between eye development, complexity, and related molecular components. RNA sequencing was performed with Illumina Sequencers and resulting raw reads were assembled in Trinity. Phototransduction genes were then identified using Phylogenetically-Informed Annotation. These analyses found 8 opsins expressed in larval tissue as compared to 10 identified in developing adult retinal tissue. Multiple transcripts for other phototransduction components, such as TRP channels, Gqα subunits and arrestins were also found. These data indicate opsin gene duplication events have occurred recently and frequently in A. pacifica and,

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that despite having fewer midband rows than many other species, there is still a high level of complexity in the phototransduction pathway of these animals. Carl Thompson Geography Carbon Isotope Analysis of Hawaiian Land Snail Shells for Paleo-Climate Reconstruction Authors: Carl Thompson Abstract: The climate is changing, but it what extinct the impact of this change will have on human well-being and quality remains difficult to determine due to the unknowns and uncertainties associated with climate change. Paleo-climatology is an effective method to eliminate some of the uncertainty and provide insight into how regions may have responded to major changes to climate changes in the past. Research over the last century attests to the fact that the Hawaiian Islands have undergone episodic transformation during its geological history. However, the terrestrial changes are not as well documented as the marine changes. Snail shells which have been preserved in the arid micro-climates of the Hawaiian Islands hold tremendous potential for providing information on prehistoric environmental conditions, and even helping to predict the pace and severity of future environmental change. There are a community of the snail’s assemblages, which are known to exist only in upper elevations within cloud forest. From observation, we can determine that the region has changed. By using the proposed techniques, it will be possible to determine the rate and degree of ecosystem transformation. Ka’ena Point shells can be used to infer ancient climate conditions using chemical isotope ratio comparison methods. They can be used to obtain isotopic data to inform us of paleo-climatic conditions in the Hawaiian Islands and elucidate mechanisms driving changes. Molly Timmers Biology Star Wars: the crown-of-thorns awakens Authors: Molly Timmers Abstract: One of the greatest threats to coral reefs is a population outbreak of the coral-eating crown-of-thorns sea star, Acanthaster planci. Outbreaks are defined by episodes of unsustainably high densities of sea stars, which can result in mass moralities of corals. Although there is on-going controversy regarding the cause(s)

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of outbreaks, one of the most accepted hypotheses, the nutrient enrichment hypothesis, proposes that outbreaks are driven from environmental and anthropogenic impacts that enhance phytoplankton biomass, a food source of larval sea stars. I propose to investigate drivers of near-shore nutrient enhancement, which can include land-based sources of population and coastal oceanography, to examine the population dynamics of this fecund broadcast spawner in the U.S. Pacific Islands. Crystal Valdez Biology Gut morphology and its symbiotic microbiota evolved under food-sparse cave environment Authors: Crystal Valdez, Kate Coyle, Reade Roberts, Masato Yoshizawa Abstract: Evolutionary specialization for use of different food sources is responsible for much of the phenotypic and species diversity. Intestinal development and homeostasis is the key to adaptation to different diets and is multifactorial, impacted by genetics, diet, and the microbial communities housed in the gut. Here we describe morphological and symbiosis evolution in the gut system of Mexican Astyanax fish. In Astyanax mexicanus, omnivorous, surface-dwelling ancestors were trapped in perpetually dark and food-sparse caves, and adapted to this environment over millions of years. We investigated gut morphology and gut microbiota in surface fish, cavefish and their F1 hybrid under two different diet conditions: nutrient rich-brine shrimp and lean spirulina algae. With the same brine shrimp diet, cavefish intestines appeared to be significantly wider and its microvilli are also significantly longer than those of surface fish. In addition, cavefish have fewer extra pouch-like structures called pyloric caeca, which are located at the junction between stomach and intestine and are thought to release digestive enzymes. These results, suggest the involvement of genetics in gut morphological changes. The sequencing of 16S ribosomal RNA genes revealed that the intestinal microbes are significantly different among surface fish, cavefish and F1 hybrid even under the same feeding condition. This also suggests the significant involvement of genetic factors rather than environmental factors. In summary, our collaborative project provides a foundation to analyze the evolution of the gut and its symbioses due to the shift of diet.

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Sarah Maile Vasconcellos Botany Development of outplanting methods for native species of Sargassum in Hawaiʻi Authors: Sarah Maile K. Vasconcellos Abstract: Invasive algae are threats to Hawaiian coastal ecosystems. As numbers of fish and urchins decline, resource managers control invasive algae by employing tools simulating massive herbivore grazing (Supersucker) or by releasing generalist grazers (Tripneustes gratilla). The goal of this study is to develop a new method that could lead to the ability to outplant native reef species in the once-dominant genus, Sargassum. In Spring 2016, a preliminary nursery trial was run at Ānuenue Fisheries Research Center (AFRC) State of Hawai‘i. Fertile Sargassum (limu kala) were collected and suspended in a water-filled outdoor mesocosm to allow for external fertilization. Resulting zygotes settled on 7.5 x 2.5 cm limestone tiles tied to plastic mesh, creating a 'limu module' (LM) that can be handled easily underwater. After four weeks, one LM was outplanted weekly for four weeks along the harbor side of AFRC. In past trials, germlings in mesocosms grew to 2 cm in height after three months, demonstrating the potential for germlings to grow on tiles. Findings from current trials will test differences in growth between germlings in the harbor nursery versus tank culture. Germlings are expected to grow more rapidly and acclimate to natural conditions in the nursery. Upon reaching a minimum height, 2.5-5 cm, individuals will be outplanted along a gradient of higher water-motion sites. Replanting limu kala to reefs is expected ultimately to enhance recruitment of native species and compete directly with invasive algae. Developing limu outplanting methods will enhance biocontrol methods in the effort to restore Hawaiian reefs. Lindsay Veazey Biology The implementation of rare events logistic regression to predict the distribution of mesophotic hard corals across the main Hawaiian Islands Authors: Lindsay Veazey, Erik Franklin, Christopher Kelley, John Rooney Abstract: Predictive habitat suitability models are powerful tools for cost-effective, mathematically robust ecological assessment. The aim of this study was to develop a predictive habitat suitability model for two genera (Leptoseris and Montipora) of mesophotic scleractinian corals across the main Hawaiian Islands.

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The mesophotic zone (30 - 180 m) is challenging to reach, and therefore historically understudied, because it falls between the maximum limit of SCUBA divers and the minimum typical working depth of submersible vehicles. Here, we implement a logistic regression with rare events corrections to account for the scarcity of presence observations within the dataset. These corrections reduced the coefficient error and improved overall prediction success (73.6% and 74.3%) for both original regression models. Predictions were translated to spatially independent habitat suitability maps of the main Hawaiian Islands at 25 m2 resolution. Our maps are the first of their kind to use extant presence and absence data to examine the habitat preferences of these two dominant mesophotic coral genera across Hawaiʻi. Rachael Wade Botany Assessment of Plakobranchus sp. (Sacoglossa, Opisthobranchia) kleptoplast diversity across the Main Hawaiian Islands Authors: RM Wade, Kimberly Conklin, Alison Sherwood Abstract: Plakobranchus sp. is a common algivorous sea slug found throughout the tropical Pacific. It is known for kleptoplasty – the stealing and retention of chloroplasts from its algal food sources. Plakobranchus exclusively sequesters chloroplasts from the highly diverse, siphonous green algal orders Bryopsidales and Dasycladales, and therefore can be used as an additional sampling tool to traditional surveying techniques to assess their diversity. Studies thus far have focused on the kleptoplasty of Plakobranchus populations in the Western Pacific, and only one site has been assessed in its easternmost populations in the Main Hawaiian Islands. This study aims to assess Plakobranchus’ kleptoplast diversity, and therefore siphonous green algal diversity, across the Main Hawaiian archipelago. Slugs were collected from 10 sites in winter and spring to capture archipelago-wide diversity and account for seasonal variability in both the slugs and algae. A portion of the chloroplast rbcL marker was amplified and sequenced for each slug in a multiplexed, high thoroughput sequencing run on an Illumina MiSeq platform. Molecular analyses of Plakobranchus’ kleptoplasts suggest that despite being collected from highly variable ecosystems (e.g. patch reefs, tidepools, etc.), comparable algal kleptoplast source diversity is found across sites. These results suggest that the Main Hawaiian Islands have what could be considered a ubiquitous community of diminutive, bryopsidalean algae. These communities have gone unnoticed in the past due to their small size and cryptic morphology. This study illustrates that investigation of plant-herbivore interactions can provide a richer understanding of ecosystem composition and dynamics as a whole.

Eric Wadnal Oceanography Calibration and Analysis of Coastal O‘ahu pH Data Authors: Eric Wadnal Abstract: Recently ocean acidification (OA) has received increased attention from scientists due to its potential adverse effects on marine ecosystems, so obtaining an accurate and precise pH measurement in the coastal ocean is critical. This project aims to obtain the most precise pH measurements possible using a pH spectrophotometer, and will use these measurements to correct time series data and determine the data’s reliability. Additionally, other parameters with time series data are used to analyze influences to coastal pH of O‘ahu. Data from three PMEL MAPCO2 buoys around O‘ahu were used for this project; two of the buoys are located on fringing reefs of the south shore and one on the barrier reef in Kāneʻohe Bay. For each buoy location, bottle samples were collected in situ at times corresponding to when the SeaFET (a pH instrument attached to the buoy) is programmed to measure pH in order to calibrate the time series data collected by the SeaFET. Spectrophotometrically measured pH differed from the SeaFET measurements by a small, yet significant value. Analysis of the pH data shows positive correlations between Dissolved Oxygen at both south shore buoys, as well as some relationship with chlorophyll and turbidity. The pH data collected at each of the three locations can be considered reliable based on the spectrophotometric measurements, and each is influenced by slightly varying factors. Chris Wall SOEST/CNS Ocean acidification and irradiance effects on the energy reserves and calcification of the reef coral Pocillopora damicornis Authors: CB Wall, W Ellis, R Mason, Dr. R Cunning and Dr. R Gates Abstract: Ocean acidification (OA) from increased concentrations of pCO2 in seawater is predicted to reduce calcification rates in reef corals, and may affect the storage and metabolism of physiologically important energy reserves (lipids, carbohydrates, proteins). Irradiance levels affect the bioenergetics of reef corals, and the effects of OA are modulated by coral light environment. However, the interactive effects of OA and irradiance on coral energy reserves are not well understood. This study used fragments of the reef coral Pocillopora damicornis from Kāne‘ohe Bay, Hawai‘i, to test for light (400 vs. 800 umol photons m-2 s-1) and pCO2 (439 vs. 812 ppm) effects on calcification, photopigment and symbiont densities, and the concentration of biomass energy reserves (total biomass, lipids, carbohydrates, protein). Fragments (N = 168) from seven adult coral colonies

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were exposed to treatments in 24 flow-through aquaria (n = 6 replicate tanks/treatment) for 23 d. Results revealed no effect of OA, irradiance, or their interaction on area-normalized coral calcification, symbiont density, and total biomass or biomass-normalized energy reserve concentrations. Chlorophyll a and chlorophyll c2 cm-2 were affected by irradiance, being greater in low-irradiance corals. These findings suggest OA does not interact with irradiance to affect the concentrations of energy reserve biomass in this ecotype of P. damicornis. Further, under ecologically relevant irradiances P. damicornis may be resistant to the OA-driven reduction in calcification reported for other reef corals. Michael Wallstrom Biology Family affairs of horny sponges: A phylogenetic and morphological description of a new invasive-algae-associated Pacific species, Igernella hawaiiensis (Porifera, Demospongiae) with implications for the Igernella and Dendrilla genera Authors: Michael A. Wallstrom, Áki J. Láruson, Floyd A. Reed Abstract: A previously undescribed species of keratose sponge closely associated with, and commonly found in, invasive algal mats on Oʻahu is identified. This new species, Igernella hawaiiensis, constitutes a second Indo-Pacific species of Igernella. We place this species into the larger phylogenetic context of the Dendrilla and Igernella genera which are divided between the families of Darwinellidae and Dictyodendrillidae respectively. The relative phylogenetic positions of these species underscore the currently inconsistent taxonomy of this species group. An updated key for the Igernella genus is provided and a call is made for future work to develop a general revision of the taxonomy of the Dendroceratida order of keratose sponges, as well as the need for follow-up work to understand the role of I. hawaiiensis in invasive species ecology and coral reef conservation in the Central Pacific. Sean Wilbur Zoology The effects of oxygen supply when immersed on the thermal limits of the wave-zone echinoderm Colobocentrotus atratus Authors: Sean Wilbur, Amy Moran

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Abstract: The thermal limits of marine ectotherms are hypothesized to be limited by oxygen demand. This limit arises from an animal’s metabolic demand outpacing oxygen supply and delivery with increasing temperatures. The application of this theory to the intertidal, where animals are exposed to extreme temperature ranges and emersion, will be important in our understanding of how oxygen delivery capacity can limit vertical distributions. We will test the upper thermal limit of attachment in a wave-zone obligate urchin, Colobocentrotus atratus, under both enriched and depleted oxygen conditions, to determine if these urchins are limited by oxygen availability in water when exposed to increased temperatures. To test if the performance of wave-exposed urchins is oxygen-limited at higher temperatures when submerged, we will expose them to

temperatures ranging from 24 to 40⁰ C in 2⁰ C increments at normal, enriched,

and depleted oxygen levels. The upper thermal limit will be determined by the temperature at which surface attachment fails under each of these conditions. The resulting thermal limits will determine if the availability of oxygen influences the ability of C. atratus to maintain attachment in water under thermal stress. If performance can be maintained at high temperatures by increasing oxygen supply, this will suggest that reduced performance at higher temperatures is largely caused by an oxygen limitation. Showing a decline in performance while thermally stressed, due to a mismatch between the oxygen supply in water and metabolic demand, would indicate wave-zone organisms are physiologically limited while submerged. Morgan Winston Marine Biology Intraspecific variability in the life history of coral reef fishes amongst photic and mesophotic communities in the central Pacific Authors: Morgan Winston, Brett Taylor, Mark Hixon, Erik Franklin Abstract: Many inhabitants of mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs), such as reef fishes, represent a lower depth distribution of their species as they are also found occupying shallow coral reefs in relatively close geographic proximity. Research on fishes associated with MCEs is sparse; hence there is a critical lack of knowledge of how reef fish found at mesophotic depths may vary from their shallow reef complements. We investigated intraspecific variability in growth, reproductive potential and energy partitioning of three Hawaiian endemics collected from shallow, photic reefs and MCEs throughout the Hawaian Archipelago and Johnston Atoll: the detritivorous goldring surgeonfish Ctenochaetus strigosus, and the planktivorous threespot chromis Chromis verater and Hawaiian dascyllus Dascyllus albisella. The von Bertalanffy growth function

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was used to establish species-specific growth models using otolith-derived ages, and energy investment towards reproduction and body condition was quantified using the gonado-somatic index and Fulton’s condition index. Body condition was higher for all species in shallow waters than MCEs, however reproductive investment appeared to vary between species with depth depending on dietary preference. Fish may also exhibit a faster growth rate in shallow waters than MCEs, while still achieving comparable life spans. This ongoing study addresses the life history of coral reef fish, a key component of both shallow and mesophotic reef communities, while providing structure for the development of conservation and fisheries management tools in understudied mesophotic environments. Nicole Yamase Botany Effects of the 2015-16 El Niño on Near-shore Reefs and Local Communities in the U.S. Affiliated Island-States, Pohnpei and Chuuk Authors: Nicole Yamase, Carl Noblitt, Tim Davidson, Dr. Celia Smith Abstract: Extreme ENSO events are rare—only three in the last 30 years—yet powerful agents of ecological change. In 2015, increased sea surface temperatures associated with the ongoing El Niño drove fine-scale coral bleaching and large-scale loss of coral reefs throughout the central Pacific. In the cooler western Pacific, sea levels have fallen to unprecedented low marks leading to coral reef exposure, mortality, and possible phase shifts in dominant biota. As a result, these environmental changes will have an impact on all islands and peoples in the western Pacific region. Studies that document the effects of these changes on the reefs and local communities are very limited. The objective of this study is to gather information by speaking to local fishermen and individuals of the local communities in two U.S. Affiliated island-states, Chuuk and Pohnpei, in the Federated States of Micronesia. These surveys will attempt to document how near-shore coral reefs and highly dependent fishing communities are affected by these environmental changes. This natural phenomenon will likely result in the loss of reef areas, which would be a widespread and devastating impact to the ecology, economy, and health of local subsistence-fishing communities and the nations of the Tropical Western Pacific. Understanding the effects of this extreme El Niño will allow us to build resilience not only for the local island communities, but the marine biota, as well.

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Debbi Yoshimoto Marine Biology Analyzing algal parameters as a function of nitrogen in submarine groundwater discharge, on two shores of Oʻahu Authors: Debbi Yoshimoto Abstract: Land-based sources of pollution impact the health of reefs leading to habitat changes and overall shifts in the biotic composition of coastal ecosystems. Increasingly groundwater flows in urban regions contains elevated nutrients released into coastal waters when submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) occurs. An elevated level of nutrients can enhance algae growth and cause an overabundance over weedy species in the benthic community and a loss in coral abundance. In this study, SGD has been evaluated singly and in combination with other factors that are known to influence the composition of a community. Benthic surveys were taken by spanning two transect lines for 50 meters and a quadrat photographed every five meters, near SGD sources and at control sites, along with collection of benthic algal tissues to test for nitrogen composition. This work was done at five study sites, two on the northeast shore: Heʻeia Kea Pier, Kāneʻohe Beach Park and three on the south shore: Kawaiʻkui, Wailupe, Kaʻalawai, regions known to be dominated by invasive Gracilaria salicornia and abundant SGD. Through testing nitrogen isotopes, quantifying percent benthic cover and evaluation of biological impacts of these already well characterized sites impacted by SGD, we will test the influence of SGD on algal growth and community composition. Comparisons among sites on Oʻahu will begin to provide a more comprehensive view of these interactions and allow resource managers to gain more understanding of the effects of SGD in coastal settings. Lauren Yumol Global Environmental Science Species Specific Response to Regional Warming of the Antarctic Peninsula Authors: Lauren Yumol, David Beilman Abstract: Ecosystems of the western Antarctic Peninsula (wAP) are currently experiencing one of the fastest rates of regional warming in the world. Aerobic moss-dominated peatbanks, which have the most flourishing vegetation in this ice-dominated region, were examined at several locations along the wAP to determine the effects of recent warming on plant growth conditions over space and time. Living plants of the dominant moss bank species, Polytrichum strictum, were

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collected from 13 sites between 64⁰ 09' and 67⁰ 35'S and a core was raised from

a P. strictum moss bank at 65⁰ 14’S. Stable isotope ratios were measured in

modern and fossil plant tissue. Modern plant δ13C values varied from -31.7 to -27‰ and were more influenced by within-site microclimate and tissue type than geographic position. Modern plant δ15N values range from -1.4 to +14.7‰ and showed little tissue effect. Over time, stratigraphic core results revealed that δ13C values between -30.3 to -26.1‰ over recent growing seasons are most depleted than anytime during the last millennia, and more depleted than can be explained by changes in atmospheric 13CO2. Enriched δ15N values of +10.0 to +12.8‰ in plant tissue deposited since 1555 cal year BP relative to more depleted values between +7.1 and +8.6‰ suggest a shift towards trophically-enriched animal inputs. The overall results of the δ13C values suggests P. strictum plants have experienced unprecedented growth conditions in recent decades and, as evidenced by δ15N values, there is a possibility that moss bank ecosystems have changed nutrient sources and amounts over time on the wAP. Julie Zill Marine Biology Asymmetrical mesopredator release: Moray eels inconspicuously predominate heavily fished reefs Authors: Julie Zill, Megan Donahue Abstract: Populations of apex predators have declined globally due to human activities. In the absence of sufficient top-down control, mid-level predators can increase drastically in number (termed “mesopredator release”), which may lead to a trophic cascade that severely impacts the bottom-level prey populations in an ecosystem. On densely populated, accessible coastlines of the Main Hawaiian Islands, few large piscivorous fish remain. Nonetheless, these habitats are not functionally devoid of apex predators; rather, on heavily fished reefs, fishermen have act as a top predator in the system. However, prey selectivity of humans differ from that of the natural predator assemblage, exerting high levels of top-down control on some targeted fishes and little pressure on non-target species, such as moray eels. Due to their cryptic nature, moray eels are underestimated in visual fish surveys. Consequently, almost no accurate data is available on eel abundances over space or time. Here, we developed a novel eel surveying technique that involves chum deployment on a defined transect to obtain a more accurate eel density estimate. We use this method to then examine how the eel biomass density relative to other reef fishes changes across a gradient of fishing intensity. We hypothesize that the reduction and replacement of natural apex

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predators with human predators has led to an asymmetrical release of moray eels from top-down control in heavily fished areas.

41 annual albert l. tester memorial symposium41st annual albert l. tester memorial symposium april...

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