Andrew Onato

Mrs. Nourrie

English 11 Section E

2/27/20

Outline

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

II. Total sources used: 8 from different forms of media including one personal interview.

III. Points to prove

A. 1st Point: Invasive seaweed degrades the health of coral

1. Source 1: Article

a) Quotes

(1) “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.”

(2) “When the algae overgrow the coral reef, they smother and kill

the corals by blocking the sunlight the organisms need to live.”

(3) “ They don’t just block sunlight. In some instances, they distort

sunlight. This hinders proper UV absorption and siphons

nitrogen from otherwise rich sources.”

(4) “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.”

(5) “Because of its mat-like structure, Gorilla Ogo also grows under

the coral formation, causing total suffocation and complete UV

blocking of the formation.”

(6) “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.”

b) Analysis

(1) 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.

(2) 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. 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.

(3) 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.

(4) 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.

2. Source 2: EBSCO

a) Quotes
 (1) “Although there has been some debate regarding the mechanisms

and causality of competition between algae and corals high algal

biomass has been shown to have a negative effect on coral

health”

(2) “On reefs subjected to anthropogenic disturbances such as

increased terrestrial nutrient inputs or the removal of grazers by

overfishing, algal growth rates may exceed grazing rates,

resulting in overgrowth of hard corals and other non-mobile

benthic invertebrates, and suppression of coral recruitment”

(3) “Introduced species of macroalgae are often not subject to

ecological controls that normally limit abundance in their native

range, such as high grazing pressure from native herbivores,

allowing them to become invasive, and accelerate coral-algal

phase shifts on coral reefs.”

b) Analysis

(1) In this EBSCO article, the main information that was being

“interpreted” was that of herbivorous species contributing to the

removal of invasive algae. Although this is the case, the author

has also mentioned the negative effects of invasive macroalgae

(seaweed) on the environment. From their findings and research

based in Kaneohe Bay on Oahu, Hawaii, they have found that

invasive seaweed has been shown to have a negative effect on

coral health by altering the synthesis within an ecosystem and

aren’t capable of being controlled.

(2) The article states that “Although there has been some

debate regarding the mechanisms and causality of competition

 between algae and corals high algal biomass has been shown to

have a negative effect on coral health” (Stamoulis). The claim

states that due to high algae biomass and the collapse of

competition between algae and coral has led to negative effects

of coral health in reefs. This means that, in short, invasive

seaweed harms coral. They back up this claim with research

conducted in Kaneohe Bay regarding certain seaweed species

and certain factors taken into consideration.

(3) In regards to what’s causing these algae populations to

stay, and how high populations of invasive algae degrade the

health of coral, the article states that “On reefs subjected to

anthropogenic disturbances such as increased terrestrial nutrient

inputs or the removal of grazers by overfishing, algal growth

rates may exceed grazing rates, resulting in overgrowth of hard

corals and other non-mobile benthic invertebrates, and

suppression of coral recruitment.”(Stamoulis).

(4) In other words, through this research, they have concluded that

because of the excess nutrients and pollution that we pump into

the waters through waste, along with other human factors such as

overfishing, invasive algae are able to grow in populations to a

point where they threaten and contain coral growth, leading to

coral death.

(5) Lastly, based off on research conducted in Kaneohe Bay,

the article supports the idea that invasive seaweed degrades the

health of coral as they state that invasive algae is not subject to

the natural limitation factors in a healthy prey vs predator

 system. As mentioned earlier in the article, the overgrowth of

algae causes harm to coral as they smother and “take over” their

natural habitat, making it harder for coral to repopulate and grow

if they haven’t died already. The article explains that

“Introduced species of macroalgae are often not subject to

ecological controls that normally limit abundance in their native

range, such as high grazing pressure from native herbivores,

allowing them to become invasive, and accelerate coral-algal

phase shifts on coral reefs.” (Stamoulis).

(6) As mentioned, invasive species of seaweed are most often not

controlled by any factors that exist within the environment they

are introduced in. Due to this reason, they are able to repopulate

with ease and uncontrollably, which in turn leads to the

detrimental effects of coral that comes with the overpopulation

of invasive seaweed within the environment.

3. Source 3: Article

a) Quotes

(1) “Coral reef ecosystems can be disrupted by stressors such as

storm events, effluent inundation, sudden temperature shifts, and

non-native invaders”

(2) “ [Avrainvillea amadelpha] is an invasive

green alga that has spread rapidly across the

island of Oahu, decreasing the biodiversity of

the benthos from shorelines to ∼90 m depth.

(3) “Disturbances can dramatically alter the community composition

of coral reef ecosystems. The replacement of coral cover by

 macroalgae is known as a “phase shift”, which can occur in

response to pressures such as storm events, coral disease

outbreaks, nutrient input, or removal of herbivores. Often, these

stressors occur simultaneously or in sequence as one stress event

lowers the threshold of coral resilience, thereby magnifying total

coral mortality”

(4) “Invasive species can become opportunistic when some

environmental change facilitates their spread and allows them to

outcompete native species. In Hawaii, eutrophication due to

runoff likely influenced the spread of the non-native and

invasive red alga Hypnea musciformis.”

b) Analysis

(1) There are many ways that coral is able to be disrupted, the article

explains. These may include “stressors such as storm events,

effluent inundation, sudden temperature shifts, and non-native

invaders.”(Veazey; Williams; Wade; Toonen; Spalding). What

makes this dangerous, however, is the fact that coral mortality

rates can significantly increase when these influences

simultaneously interact with each other. It is not rare that they

interact with each other as well, as the article explains that these

stressors on the environment usually act in tandem to deliver a

deadly blow to Hawaii’s coral.

(2) “Disturbances can dramatically alter the community composition

of coral reef ecosystems. The replacement of coral cover by

macroalgae is known as a “phase shift”, which can occur in

response to pressures such as storm events, coral disease

 outbreaks, nutrient input, or removal of herbivores. Often, these

stressors occur simultaneously or in sequence as one stress event

lowers the threshold of coral resilience, thereby magnifying total

coral mortality”.(Veazey; Williams; Wade; Toonen; Spalding).

(3) All of these stressors work together, and are often

influenced/caused by each other, to be such a devastating force

to the aquatic ecosystem. Oftentimes, this results in an

influx/development of invasive seaweed, allowing for them to

take over and deal even more damage.

(4) Invasive seaweed harms coral by smothering them of sunlight

with sheer numbers in a concentrated area. However, it is

possible that these seaweed would not have such population

numbers if not for a little help by other environmental factors.

The article explains that “Invasive species can become

opportunistic when some environmental change facilitates their

spread and allows them to outcompete native species.” (Veazey;

Williams; Wade; Toonen; Spalding).

B. 2nd Point: Invasive seaweed harms aquatic animals and wildlife

1. Source: TEDTalk

a) Quotes

(1) “Invasive species are animals that have been brought outside of

native range and have negative impact on new surroundings”

(2) “One of the top reasons for biodiversity loss”

(3) “⅕ of all animal extinctions are due soley to invasive species”

(4) “Huge agricultural loss and may even pose a risk to human

health”
 (5) “Economic losses due to invasive seaweeds in europe -12billion

euros/year”

(6) “American mink introduced to europe, threatened seabirds and

native european minks and have caused Extinction to water voles

and desman in europe”

(7) “European mink have been out competed for most of its native

range. In fact, it is now one of the most endangered European

mammals.”

(8) “Populations of certain species, when affected by American

mink, can be reduced in size by 50%”

b) Analysis

(1) From the surface, it seems as if this source is talking about

something completely non-related to the topic of invasive

seaweed. In this TEDTalk, Joanna Bagniewska talks about how

invasive species harm the environment and native animals that

they are introduced into. She talks about the American mink

being introduced into Europe, and devastating the native

population, outcompeting several native species for resources

and driving some into extinction.

(2) Although the American mink in Europe and invasive

seaweed species here in Hawaii are two completely different

living things, they create the same effects by disrupting the

native populations and causing harm to native animals and life.

This source is great synthesis to how one situation where

invasive species are introduced into the environment in one part

of the world share the same general effects in another.

 (3) Bagniewska states that invasive species are one of the

top reasons for biodiversity loss. This is one way in which

invasive species, whether plant or animal, are able to infiltrate a

native environment, and cause harm to the native animals and

wildlife. She explains that invasive species have a negative

impact on its new surroundings, and put great emphasis on the

negative. Comparing this situation in Europe to here in our own

state, invasive seaweed pose similar problems and create similar

effects to that observed by the American mink in Europe. Any

invasive species creates a loss in biodiversity due to unfair

competition/regulation of resources (invasive seaweed absorbing

most of the sunlight and leaving little to none for native coral),

as well as disrupts the food chain, and driving other species into

extinction.

(4) From this TEDTalk, Bagniewska has proven that any

invasive species placed in any non-native environment may have

the possibility of destroying native populations and altering the

environment in their favor. Invasive species harm wildlife due to

decreasing biodiversity, unfair competitive advantage for

resources, as well as the destruction of species populations

altogether. In simple terms, it harms the native animals and

wildlife, as stated by point 2 of this solutionary project.

2. Source 2: Video

a) Quotes

(1) “When an algae species such as the smothering seaweed species

starts to take over, then the organisms and marine life that are
 supported by the coral reef can actually be degraded to a point

where it’s a completely different system.”

(2) “This affects the whole bay, not just the coral species that we’re

looking at, which is what we want people to understand.”

(3) “It’s been around in the bay since the 1970s and since then it has

just increased to really high levels that have become really

destructive to the coral and the bay.”

b) Analysis

(1) This source supports point to prove number 2, which is invasive

seaweed harms aquatic animals and life. In the video, Stacey

Bierwagen from the Department of Land and Natural Resources

of Hawaii talks about how invasive algae is being handled in

Kaneohe Bay, as well as how their program is trying to

reduce/prevent them from growing populations. In the last half

of the video, they talk about the eradication program, however in

the first half, they talk about how important coral is to the

ecosystem of Hawaii, and the ability of invasive seaweed to

destroy/degrade the health of the coral and the entire ecosystem.

(2) What makes this source support the point to prove is

how they put emphasis on how invasive seaweed does not just

harm coral species alone, but rather impacts other fish and

organisms as a whole. For example, she explains that when an

algae species starts to take over, they damage and degrade the

health of coral, which in turn alters the entire ecosystem that

degrades the health of fish and other marine organisms. She puts
 emphasis on how it affects the entire bay, and not just the coral

within the bay alone.

(3) Invasive seaweed in Kaneohe Bay has been a problem

since 1970, and she explains how destructive and damaging the

invasive seaweed has been to the environment. Due to the

seaweed directly impacting the health of coral, this would in turn

indirectly impact and degrade the health of other marine species

that depend on it. Due to this reason, the presence of invasive

seaweed in Hawaii’s ecosystems not only harm coral, but harms

the marine life that depend on it.

3. Source 3: Personal Interview

a) Quotes

(1) “We’re losing the framework of the reef in the major way that

corals break wave energy and dissipate currents they create

sheltered environments on reefs for native species, juveniles of

native species, if we lose that, we can kind of be in trouble.”

(2) “That group that has crowded in and changed the dynamics of

herbivores, changing the nature of species that form the

framework of reefs.”

(3) “Plants that have extraordinarily competitive capabilities, they

can outgrow the natives, they may resist herbivory by grazing

from fish or urchins, and so you put that combination together,

invasive seaweed here in Hawaii means a plant that has really

weedy tendencies, has aggressive growth strategies, and is not

native.”

b) Analysis
(1) In an interview with Dr. Celia Smith of the University of Hawaii,

Dr. Smith talks and answers our questions about invasive

seaweed. In this interview, she also states what she knows about

invasive seaweed and how invasive seaweed harms the aquatic

animals and wildlife through altering the framework of Hawaii’s

reefs and the nature of the local species to the point where it is

completely altered.

(2) One of the ways she mentions that invasive seaweed harms

aquatic animals and wildlife is through the way seaweed

decimates the coral population. In the interview, she states that a

lot of seaweeds have different ways of harming aquatic life, such

as coral. One of these ways is through smothering and in turn

killing off these coral. Coral acts as a major “stopper” in terms of

wave breaks and creates a less dangerous shoreline for Hawaii’s

beachgoers.

(3) Coral also is the foundation of many reefs here in Hawaii, and if

those reefs were to be lost, there would be no shelter and

protection for younger species of fish who use the reef as shelter

to grow and develop. With coral gone, “We’re losing the

framework of the reef in the major way that corals break wave

energy and dissipate currents; they create sheltered environments

on reefs for native species, juveniles of native species, if we lose

that, we can kind of be in trouble.” (Dr. Smith).

(4) Another way invasive seaweed harms the aquatic animals and

wildlife is by the way they are able to alter and change the

dynamics of an ecosystem altogether. In the interview, Dr. Smith

 says that “That group (invasive seaweed) has crowded in and

changed the dynamics of herbivores, changing the nature of

species that form the framework of reefs.” (Dr. Smith). Invasive

seaweeds have the capability to change the way certain animal

species function and behave. By altering the way these species

behave, that puts the rest of the food chain that rely/depend on

these herbivorous species at risk. Invasive seaweed in a sense,

creates a domino effect that can be felt throughout the entire

ecosystem.

(5) invasive seaweed have the ability to outgrow, outcompete, and

overpower native species. Dr. Celia Smith states that invasive

seaweed are“Plants that have extraordinarily competitive

capabilities, they can outgrow the natives, they may resist

herbivory by grazing from fish or urchins, and so you put that

combination together, invasive seaweed here in Hawaii means a

plant that has really weedy tendencies, has aggressive growth

strategies, and is not native.” (Dr. Smith)

(6) In other words, invasive seaweed’s presence alone is enough to

harm native aquatic species. They harm other aquatic species by

outcompeting them for the nutrients that are needed by native

species to survive. For example, native coral and native seaweed.

These native species require sunlight to grow and survive,

however, due to there being no natural predators for invasive

seaweeds, their population may grow out of control as seen in

areas all across Hawaii. This in turn causes the invasive seaweed

to outcompete for natural resources, and “monopolize” the

 resources available. With this, the native species may struggle to

survive, while the invasives thrive and only continue to grow out

of control.

C. 3rd Point: Invasive seaweed is introduced into our environment through intentional, and

unintentional means.

1. Source: Journal

a) Quotes

(1) “At least 19 species of macroalgae have been introduced to

Oahu, Hawai'i, since 1950, and five of these have become

successful.”

(2) “Some of these plants were brought to Hawai'i from Florida or

the Philippines purposely for commercial aquaculture projects

that were later abandoned”

(3) “Another species was unintentionally introduced after a heavily

fouled ship originating in Guam arrived in Hawai'i. However, the

origin and source of many other apparently introduced algae

remain unknown.”

(4) “The most likely vector of transport is through ship fouling

and/or ballast water because many of these nonindigenous algae

were first collected in or around harbors and gradually dispersed

to neighboring areas. However, there is little information on the

current distribution patterns of these plants throughout the

Hawaiian Islands.”

(5)

(6) “Gracilaria salicornia’s origin populations is unknown but may

be tied to early harbor arrivals in Hilo from the Philippines. In

 the 1970s this species was transported intentionally from Hilo to

two locations on O'ahu (Waildki and Kane'ohe Bay) for

aquacultural projects that were later abandoned

(7) “Hypnea musciformis was initially introduced to Kane'ohe Bay,

O'ahu, in 1974 as part of an aquaculture project that was later

abandoned.”

(8) “Acanthophora spicifera was initially unintentionally introduced

to Pearl Harbor on the island of O'ahu in 1952 from a barge

originating in Guam.”

b) Analysis

(1) This source supports the point to prove as it provides the most

likely reasons as to how invasive seaweed species have been

brought about to the Hawaiian Islands based off of us numerous

surveys and research expeditions. The source answers where the

most prominent species of invasive seaweed here in Hawaii have

originated from, and how they were introduced to Hawaii’s local

ecosystem. They also provided instances in which they were

intentionally spread versus unintentionally spread.

(2) The source cites that at least 19 species of macroalgae

(seaweed) have been introduced to the islands of Hawaii since

the 1950s, with 5 of them successfully becoming a threat to

native aquatic life. They explain that the most likely form of

introduction of these invasive seaweed to Hawaii’s ecosystems is

through unintentional ship fouling or ballast water, basing off of

evidence from studies conducted regarding invasive algae. Ship

fouling is the accumulation of marine debris on the surface of a

 ship, and ballast water is water that is pumped throughout a ship

to maintain proper balance. The ballast water can be taken in and

drained out, which causes some species of seaweed to make their

way into the ship and hitch a ride until the ballast water is

drained out in a new body of water.

(3) They also mention the specific species involved, where

they originated from, and how they were introduced into the

local environment. For example, they mention that some of these

seaweed come purposefully for aquaculture products that were

later abandoned, such as the Hypnea musciformi species. They

also mentioned the introduction of invasive seaweed through

unintentional means, such as the Acanthophora spicifera species,

which were brought on accident to Hawaiian waters through a

barge originating from Guam.

(4) The cite has provided numerous specific examples of

individual seaweed species that have been introduced to the

Hawaiian ecosystem, as well as the methods that were used in

the introduction of these seaweed to Hawaii--through intentional

and unintentional means.