Research Log #3 - Solutionary Project 2020

Date: February 13,2020

Name: Andrew Onato

Essential Question: How is invasive seaweed harmful for Hawaii’s aquatic environment?

Three Points to Prove:

#1: Invasive seaweed degrades the health of coral

#2: Invasive seaweed harms aquatic animals and wildlife

#3: Invasive seaweed is introduced into our environment through intentional, and unintentional
means.

Point that this Source Proves: #1

Excerpts (These should provide insight into the Point to Prove):

“The Hawaiian Islands have an invasive algae problem. The eight major Hawaiian Islands harbor more
than 60 percent of the coral reefs found in the waters surrounding the United States. Non-native algae
species infect these reefs. They spread aggressively. This deters local marine life from building their
habitats in the coral.”

“When the algae overgrow the coral reef, they smother and kill the corals by blocking the sunlight the
organisms need to live.”

“ They don’t just block sunlight. In some instances, they distort sunlight. This hinders proper UV
absorption and siphons nitrogen from otherwise rich sources.”

“In the span of roughly 50 years, the [smothering seaweed] has taken over various coral reefs located in
Oahu’s Kane‵ohe Bay. Now, invasive algae, not coral, dominate some areas of Kane ‵ohe Bay.”

“Because of its mat-like structure, Gorilla Ogo also grows under the coral formation, causing total
suffocation and complete UV blocking of the formation.”
“Most of Hawaii’s alien algae grows on living coral reefs. Kappaphycus in Kaneˋohe Bay is increasing at
a rate of 10 percent a month and as a result, areas of exposed coral are decreasing. And when the algae is
removed, the coral beneath is sick or dying.”

Analysis (How does this source support the Point to Prove?):

This source explains how each of the 5 most prolific invasive seaweed species in the Hawaiian
Islands affects the health of coral in reefs across the state. The site mentions how the Hawaiian Islands are
home to over more than 60% of the coral reefs surrounding the waters of the United States, and how non
native seaweed species infect and destroy these reefs. More importantly, they explain how these invasive
species cause detrimental effects to the coral in reef environments.

The site explains that invasive algae, due to its uncontrolled increase in population, can overgrow
a coral reef. This is due to the algae species being non-native to the area, which means they have no
natural predators or factors to keep their population numbers in check. When this invasive seaweed
overgrows a coral reef, it causes adverse effects to the coral that live on the reef. They smother and kill
the corals by blocking out the sunlight that these coral need to live. It is also mentioned that these
seaweed species aren’t just capable of blocking out sunlight completely, but are also able to distort
sunlight which in turn causes the coral to receive less UV light needed for them to properly survive.

This source also explains how specific invasive seaweed species causes harm to corals in a coral
reef environment here in Hawaii. Some locations on Oahu, such as Kaneohe Bay, have been dealing with
smothering seaweed species over the past 50 years. In that span, the coral reef has been transformed from
being coral-dominated, to algae-dominated, which decreases animal diversity and devastates the native
fish population. They mention that most of Hawaii’s invasive seaweed grows on living coral reef, and as a
result, some species populations increase at a rate of 10% a month. This leads to areas of exposed coral
being decreased, and more coral that are dying/killed underneath it.

This source has provided the answers as to how invasive seaweed introduced into our
environment harms coral in coral reefs. Throughout the source, they have mentioned how invasive
seaweed causes devastation to coral in Hawaiian reefs, and how that devastation is only expected to grow.
They cite specific examples of different species that infect and kill coral in their own unique way, and
how various locations across Oahu are being affected by these invasive seaweed.

Work Cited (correct MLA format)

Vandyke, Katherine. "Invasive Algae Are Damaging Hawaii's Coral Reefs." US Represented, 23
May 2018, www.usrepresented.com/2018/05/21/algae/. Accessed 20 Feb. 2020.
This is a reputable and reliable article because

Although US Represented is an e-magazine dedicated to free speech and creative expression, this article
has been derived from many reputable sources, primarily the Hawaii DLNR, and NOAA.

Journal

This is the third research log completed in this English Solutionary project. In this log,

the form of media I have decided to use was a website. So far, I have already used a journal
(online), and TEDTalk youtube video. Although I expected this form of media to be the easiest

to find, I was not able to find a source that easily. All of the sources I found were either not of

local origin, did not give information to prove my point, had inadequate information, or only

slightly touched upon the subject. However, I was successful in finding a source that

incorporated all the facts and details regarding invasive seaweed’s harmful effects on coral from

different websites all in one website. Although it came from a “free-speech” website, which

makes it less reliable, the information has come from a variety of reputable sources. These

sources included the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration. After backtracking where the information in this source came

from, I have come to the conclusion that this source is reputable and accurate enough to be used

for this research log. It was a challenge trying to find and pick the right source, however, I ended

up finding success when finding this website. The primary problem with the previous websites

was that they gave too little information, or a vague and one sentence answer as to how invasive

seaweed affects the coral in Hawaiian waters. In the next coming weeks, my partner and I plan

on scheduling an appointment for interviews with people from either UH Manoa’s marine

science division, Waikiki Aquarium, or Sea Life Park, if any are available. We also plan on

signing up for community service opportunities via 808Cleanups, and have already planned a

personal cleanup sometime later this month, either next week Saturday or early March.