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The loss of native biodiversity and continuing nonindigenous species introductions in freshwater, estuarine, and wetland communities of Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaiian Islands

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Abstract

The benthic invertebrates and fishes of the estuarine, lower stream areas, and wetlands of Pearl Harbor were sampled from 1997–1998 as a companion study to marine inventories conducted in Pearl Harbor. The first comprehensive assessment of the area found that nonindigenous species comprise the dominant portion of the biota. A total of 191 aquatic species in 8 phyla were identified in the estuarine reaches of Pearl Harbor. Nonindigenous species dominated and comprised 48% of the species, whereas only 33% were native and 19% were cryptogenic. Two new nonindigenous species to Hawaii were found during this study: a species of fang-toothed blenny (Omobranchus ferox) and an estuarine hydrobiid snail (Pyrgophorus cf.coronatus) introduced from the Philippine Islands and the Caribbean, respectively. No single geographic region predominates as a source of aquatic species introductions into the Pearl Harbor area, although more species come from the Americas than other areas. Fifty-seven percent originated from the Americas, 30% from Asia and the Pacific, 5% from Australia/New Zealand, 5% show a world-wide distribution, and fewer than 3% of species originated from Africa. The majority of nonindigenous species appear to arrive from five major sources: intentional and accidental aquarium releases; intentional biocontrol releases; intentional food source releases; ballast water or hull fouling releases; and brought in with airplanes. Non-native species will likely continue to increase in the freshwater and estuarine portions Pearl Harbor because of the wide variety of sources from which introductions take place.

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  1. Bishop Museum, Hawaii Biological Survey, 1525 Bernice Street, 96817, Honolulu, Hawaii

    Ronald A. Englund

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Englund, R.A. The loss of native biodiversity and continuing nonindigenous species introductions in freshwater, estuarine, and wetland communities of Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaiian Islands. Estuaries 25, 418–430 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02695984

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