Day+3

=__**Journal Entry #3**__ = 2 Ulua Fish 31 Convict Tangs 8 Puffers 4 Parrot Fish 2 Needle Fish 6 Orangespine Unicornfish 7 Bluespine Unicornfish 2 Manybar Goatfish 1 Yellow Goatfish 6 Humuhumunukunukuapuaa 7 Moorish Idol
 * Fish Count 3:**

Instead of my usual fish count and then record of data, I decided to take two trips in order to remember more specific species and accurate number counts.

 Today was somewhat cold because of the wind, but the thermometer stated it was 87º F. We went earlier in the morning, so it was kinda dim and cloudy overhead. Throughout the time there it slightly drizzled and at times rained over the bay making it harder to see through the water. Tide was low today and when we took a fish count on the far left side of the bay, our knees would sometimes bump the bottom when swimming. There were strangely more fish out on this side of the bay, although Christine claims it has to do with coming early. Perhaps the niche differences on this side verses the middle? She also pointed out two ulua fish chasing this smaller fish (butterfly fish?) while we were looking underwater. Sadly, I didn't have my camera ready at that moment, so no shot was really taken. Here's some other temperatures we took: Water 1 foot out -- 80.2 F 15 feet out -- 79.8 F Close to the rocks (really far) -- 77.5 F As //Christine// and //Mitch// referenced, the water gets colder as you get farther out The pH of the water (acidity) was 8.1
 * Observations:**

Q: Why are there less fish in areas with less coral? Is it for food, shelter or both? //Answer/Inference: Seeing as there are many predators such as eels in Hanauma Bay (I personally haven't seen an eel), fish have developed/evolved in ways that will keep them and their species alive. This includes eating from abundant sources and hiding in small cracks and crevices that protect them from larger predators. So I believe that there are more fish in areas where there is more food and shelter, in other words where there is more coral. But this differs from shallow water coral where here are more humans interfering and the small coral isn't necessarily shelter. So, in this sense the shape of the coral matters just as much as the size.//
 * Questions & Possible Answers:**

Q: Why are certain coral formations different from others? //Answer/Inference: Hanauma Bay was originally a crater that only after time did the ocean wash in and form the bay that lies today. This as well as the fact that part of the reef was blown up years ago adds to the various formations between all the coral. The ways that coral are different usually refer to the different sizes and general shape. For instance, small coral found in the shallows vary from large coral found only a few feet out. This is most likely caused by the smoothing from sand or from human interference as people step over/upon coral (now illegal). Shape of coral is natural to be different, but it usually resorts to how some might have been treated and where they are in the bay. For instance, on the left and right side of the bay there are more coral formations. This leads me to assume that perhaps rock fell from the cliffs and either coral grew over or coral was broken into various pecious.//

 Q: Does the temperature of the water affect the amount of fish more than human interference? //Answer/Inference: Well, this question has to be based more on inference overall. This question in fact, will be included in my hypotheses seeing as research is most likely needed for this question. First off, temperature definately affects where and how fish live in certain areas but so does human interference. In fact, when Hanauma Bay was a popular fishing spot, fishermen from all over would fish in the area as well as introduce various other species (such as the rudderfish or bluestripe snappers). This not only depleted various fish groups residing originally in hanauma bay (indigenous), but it also introduced species that could have been either invasive or simply damaging to the environment. Some of these may have even been predators and therefore the species originating in Hawaii would be hunted down by not only fishermen but also newly introduced species. So looking over these opinions, I'd have to say that human inference affects the amount of fish in the bay more than temperature. But, if you look at this question as amount of fish in a given area, I'd say temperature affects fish more currently because most fish in the bay are use to tourists swimming around.//

 Q: How does human contact affect the coral’s formation? //Answer/Inference: Well, as shown in the "warning" video that one must see to be allowed into the bay, standing on the coral definately tramples upon living environments that marine creatures live in. How is very interesting, perhaps by trampling upon the algae you are killing off certain algae upon the rock and therefore lowering amount of food fish can consume? Or perhaps standing on coral crushes the small crevices in and therefore can destroy a home and any creatures residing in it at that moment? These both are reasonable options, but overall human contact would also include moving rocks around or the basic presence of humans. Moving around coral will obviously change the formation of the coral, but our presence can affect the coral in an indirect way. For instance, if certain fish feared humans and therefore only ate algae off the rock when humans were farther away, different coral would contain different amounts of algae based on where humans swam. If more algae began to grow on certain coral formations, it would change the shape of the coral and perhaps slowly break down parts of the coral.//

Here are various possibilities that I might test/research for my ending part of this project. My main topic to focus on is basic land formations and creatures surrounding. - Water temperature and human interference both affect the amount of fish in a given area. //Which one affects the amount of fish in different areas more?// In order to answer this question I would have to test various areas recording temperature and keep track of either how many humans enter that area in a day or affect it myself. I would compare areas with the same temperature and different human interference as well as areas with the same human interference and different temperatures. - Fish are attracted to coral areas that provide shelter from surrounding predators. //If I were to add a new coral rock formation in a vacant area within the bay, would the amount of fish increase in that area?// In order to answer this question I would have to build or move a new coral formation in an area with few surrounding rock formations and than keep a time line with records of fish population day/hour by day/hour. I would also need to make sure the area is in sight of surrounding fish and that the coral is environmentally safe or provides what fish need. I'm not completely sure if the bay officials would allow this. - One inference I made was that the bigger the coral formation, the more fish there are surrounding it. //How does different/various coral formations affect the amount of fish in the surrounding area?// In order to answer this question I would have to make a list of various coral formations within the bay and then come at various times to record the amount of fish in the area. For this I would also have to avoid areas where different formation styles are close to others in order to test formations solely isolated by themselves. Coming at different times one a given day avoid any flaw the temperature of that given hour might have on the populations.
 * Hypotheses:**

Hanauma Bay has many different environmental pressures that lead to Natural Selection in the eco-zone. For those of us who don't know, natural selection is the process where the species well adapted to their environment survive and are able to reproduce whereas species not so well adapted will die out and their DNA and physical traits die with them. There are several environmental pressures such as predation, competition, human interference, and natural disasters. - Predation is a serious pressure that causes both the predator and the prey to evolve in ways that constantly attempt to put them a step before the other. For instance, eels have evolved teeth for consuming prey and manybar goatfish (apologize for bringing this up again), also evolved whiskers. Other fish on the prey side may evolve complex strategies for camoflauge or tails that sense the movement of the predators. - Competition between many various marine life for the same food is rough, seeing as the source is limited, but the competition continues to grow. The response to this varies, for some fish evolved into predators or others grew bigger "beaks" in order to take larger bites of food. Either way all fish evolved in size and manner in order to win their fair share of food and keep their species alive. - Human interference always varies upon what's currently happening in the world and human choice. For instance, this economic crisis may lead to less tourists (although tourism is already down) leading to less human interference in the bay. Fish that once may have depended on humans to distract their prey, may die off simply because there are less humans. Also, humans tend to make some unwise decisions at times such as littering or dumping. This leftover camera or long beach towel then may drift into the bay and pollute an environment marine life once thrived on. Say a coral that supported many fish were covered by a beach towel, blocking light from the algae. The algae would eventually die and the marine life surrounding would either have to adopt or find a new coral formation to thrive upon. - Natural disasters wreck havoc upon an unexpected area and hanauma bay is just as vulnerable to events such as tsunamis or huricanes. These past few months however have shown rainy or cloudy days that tend to block sunlight and chill the water temperture overall. This can lower food supplies as well as the environment around marine life and any creature unable to survive on less food (with competition still in play) would die and natural selection would take place. Natural disasters might also affect the amount of human interference on certain days (not many people go to the beach when it is raining).
 * Assigned Journal:**

Missed the original Journal? Go here:    Day 1 Missed Journal 2? Go here:  Day 2 Go here: Day 4**
 * Want to see Journal 4?