Fish Habitat Partnerships Making a Difference in Kiholo Estuary-Fishpond Complex, Hawaii
from the National Fish Habitat Partnership's 2015 Through a Fish's Eye Report
Summary
Partnership - Hawaii Fish Habitat Partnership Anchialine pools represent an inland waterbody type that is widespread but threatened throughout the Hawaiian Islands and is a key habitat type of concern to the Hawaii Fish Habitat Partnership. Anchialine pools, also known as fishponds in Hawaii, are near the coast and are land-locked bodies of water that have connections both to the sea, typically by high tides, as well as to local freshwater. These systems have been used for thousands of years for fish production by Native Hawaiians. The majority of remaining fishpond pools are located on the Kona coast and southern coastlines of the Big Island, the southeast coast of Maui, and on several small and widely separated coastal sites [...]
Anchialine pools represent an inland waterbody type that is widespread but threatened throughout the Hawaiian Islands and is a key habitat type of concern to the Hawaii Fish Habitat Partnership. Anchialine pools, also known as fishponds in Hawaii, are near the coast and are land-locked bodies of water that have connections both to the sea, typically by high tides, as well as to local freshwater. These systems have been used for thousands of years for fish production by Native Hawaiians. The majority of remaining fishpond pools are located on the Kona coast and southern coastlines of the Big Island, the southeast coast of Maui, and on several small and widely separated coastal sites on Oahu. In Hawaii, fishponds function as coastal estuaries, which are very limited in the volcanic island topography of Hawaii, and provide habitat for native plants and fauna estuarine species including fish, marine and aquatic invertebrates, and birds; and may be managed to provide a dependable source of fish products separate from wild stocks. Currently, there are six endemic anchialine pool shrimp (prawns) that are considered to be threatened or endangered.
Many fishponds were filled in the past, and remaining pools continue to be affected by development, particularly resort and golf course construction along the Kona coast of the Big Island. Withdrawal of groundwater for domestic or irrigation use, polluted runoff, and non-native plants and fish are a continuing threat to these unique and rare systems.
One such site is Kiholo on the northern shore of the island of Hawaii. Kiholo is part of a larger coastal area that was once coveted by Hawaiian chiefs for its productive nearshore reefs and offshore fisheries, its fishponds and anchialine pools and remains a culturally important site. Kiholo is a fishpond estuary with abundant marine life, includes two large, interconnected freshwater spring-fed pools containing numerous native fish species,
hapawai (mollusk) and ʻ
opae (shrimp). At Kīholo, between three and five million gallons of
submarine groundwater flow to coastal waters through the fishponds each day, supporting populations of green sea turtles, estuarine fish and marine fish species associated with coral reef habitats.
Since 2011, partners, led by the Nature Conservancy and spurred to action by the Hawaii Fish Habitat Partnership, have worked to return the Kīholo fishpond to a sustainable and productive system that provides habitat for estuarine species and to monitor indicators of success. Guided by historical information and an inclusive approach to restoration, partners and hundreds of volunteers have removed: invasive fish species that have reduced native species; invasive vegetation around the ponds to reduce decaying leaf litter; and sedimentation that has built up within the ponds. The Conservancy is measuring the effects of these efforts on water quantity and quality as well as fish abundance, biomass and recruitment. Additionally, the Nature Conservancy convened a network of coastal fishpond managers in Hawaii to share knowledge and support regional fishpond restoration and conservation initiatives.
For additional information on the efforts of The Nature Conservancy and partners to conserve fishpond estuaries, please visit the following:
The U.S Geological Survey (USGS) is partnering with the National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP) to produce the 2015 report entitled, "Through a Fish's Eye: The Status of Fish Habitats in the United States 2015". The information contained within this item is a product of NFHP. The Bureau is neither responsible nor liable for the accuracy or the use of the scientific content within this item. This content is considered preliminary pending subsequent review and approval.