STOKED ON MARINE SCIENCE!

Departing for Coconut Island

What is it like to spend 24 hours on a private island in beautiful Kāneʻohe Bay conducting scientific field work? A group of my 7th grade students from Le Jardin Academy just found out. I had the privilege of bringing 15 students, all stoked on marine science, to the Hawai'i Institute of Oceanography (HIMB) on Moku o Loʻe (Coconut Island) for an overnight trip. Scientists from all over the world come to HIMB to access the marine environments and utilize their world-class laboratory facilities. Saturday afternoon, our group took the quick shuttle boat rides over to the island to begin our own marine science adventure. 

The small shuttle boat to the island had to make a few trips

Setting Up Camp

Our guide Leon from the HIMB Community Education Program welcomed us to the island and, after a safety briefing, everyone got to work pitching tents and organizing our gear. We had a long day (and night) of science ahead of us, so we had to get camp set up. We were all happy to be on the island and were impressed with the view from our campsite!

Setting up camp

Pitching the tents

Happy campers!

Touring the Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology

Next, Leon gave our group a comprehensive tour of Coconut Island and the public areas of HIMB, sharing information not only about their current oceanographic research projects but also about the fascinating history of the 28-acre island. Students were impressed to learn how the island has evolved over time. Some of the island's uses include: an outpost for native Hawaiian fishermen; a lavish private estate complete with exotic zoo; and a world-renowned research institution operated by the University of Hawai'i.

​You can read a detailed history of the island here.

Leon addresses the group at the "beach house"-- our home base for meals

Who doesn't love a touch tank?

Rice coral and mushroom corals on display

Students observed many different tanks in HIMB's labs, but I think they enjoyed the touch tank most of all because they got to get up close and personal with many of Kāneʻohe Bay's invertebrate animals such as feather-duster worms, conspicuous sea cumbers, tiger cowries, hermit crabs, and more. Later that day, students would get a chance to see many of these creatures in their natural habitat while snorkeling in the bay.

Sea cucumber

Leon explains the "Super Sucker" barge that helps remove invasive Gorilla ogo algae from Kāneʻohe Bay

Not surprisingly, some of the most popular destinations on the tour were the shark labs. In two different pens, we observed blacktip reef sharks and hammerhead sharks getting fed. We also visited a large enclosure and watched scalloped hammerhead sharks and sandbar sharks cruise below. Students learned about HIMB's current shark research projects involving shark-human interactions, spawning migrations and foraging strategies of top predators, and digestive physiology and navigational abilities of sharks. Students gained a new appreciation for our local sharks; in fact, Kāneʻohe Bay is an important breeding ground for the hammerheads. 

You can read an overview of the research conducted at HIMB's labs here.

Blacktip reef shark

Scalloped hammerhead shark

Setting Up Our Coral Larval Experiment

Next, we joined graduate student Raphael Ritson-Williams of HIMB's Gates Lab. In his graduate work, he is studying how corals respond to local and global stressors, including climate change, and he told students about the recent coral bleaching events in Kāneʻohe Bay. Raphael also explained his work in larval ecology, and he gave us the unique opportunity to participate in an actual coral larval experiment that was set-up in the lab's outdoor seawater system. 

Raphael introduces students to the Gates Lab

Raphael had collected lace coral (P. damicornis) from the bay and put them in the seawater system. Because of our trip's timing (two days before the full moon), Raphael explained that these brooding corals will likely be releasing their larvae (babies). We helped him set up the collectors that will trap any larvae released overnight. Raphael will use any larvae that are released to test for settlement preference in the next generation of corals. Here's hoping we see some babies in the morning!

Lace coral (P. damicornis)

Getting in the Water...

Now it was time to get in the water and explore the bay! Raphael and I explained how scientists quantify habitat and biodiversity in different environments, including coral reefs, by conducting a transect survey. Students grabbed their transect lines and quadrats and used these real scientific tools to survey an area of coral reef next to the island.

Ready for the reef transect survey!

Working together to conduct the survey

Collecting data

Quadrat down

"Upside-down" jellyfish

Students worked in teams of five to conduct their reef transects, and they traded off roles of snorkeling along the transect line, dropping the quadrat, observing what was under the  point intercepts of the quadrat, and recording the data. One group noticed a Cassiopea ("upside-down") Jellyfish and narrowly avoided a sting. Students observed coral reefs and some of the diverse life they support. And I think we were all happy to get wet!

Manini swim among the coral heads

Is it possible this group's having too much fun? #photobomb

Conducting a Night Plankton Lab

Campsite at dusk

Getting ready for dinner

Once we got cleaned up, the sun began to set and it was time for dinner. We had to fuel up before our night plankton lab. We were not done science-ing yet!

Engineering the plankton traps

Attaching the LED lights

In the classroom, students engineered simple plankton traps using 2-liter soda bottles and duct tape. Traps were also outfitted with an LED light. Students made predictions about whether the red or blue LED lights would attract the most plankton. Next, it was time to deploy our traps. Under a nearly-full moon, we took a silent walk and listened to the sounds of the island. When we got to the floating dock, every partner group laid down in a line and each held their traps under the water for ten minutes to collect plankton. A startling moment was when a sea turtle cruised right underneath the traps! 

Red light

Blue light

We found that blue LED lights attracted more plankton than the red...Do you know why?

Sketching the plankton

Crab larva (zoea)

Once we got back in the classroom, students used microscopes to look for the animal plankton (zooplankton) collected in their traps. Both holoplankton (organisms that are plankton their whole lives), and meroplankton (larval forms of organisms) were found and identified using a field guide.  Then, students completed sketches of the intricate forms. A favorite was the fast-moving "spike head" crab zoea, but we also saw fish larvae, copepods, mysid shrimp, euphasids, sea jellies, and more. Everyone was amazed at the diversity of the plankton.  

Rising and Shining

Sunrise from Coconut Island

Time to wake up...

Yes, it's morning already!

The sun rose and so did our group this Sunday morning. We only had four hours left on the island and we wanted to make the most of it. After packing up camp and eating breakfast, we were ready for action.

Counting Coral Larvae 

We have babies! I am happy to report that many of the corals in the experiment released larvae overnight. Students worked together to count hundreds of coral babies and then shared these data with Raphael. We all appreciated observing the tiny planktonic coral larvae, a life stage of the animal not usually seen.

I see larvae!

Can YOU spot the baby coral?

Hands-on, authentic science

Gathering and counting hundreds of coral babies

Giving Back

Mangroves are not native to Hawai'i, but they were introduced here over one hundred years ago and have become invasive. The thick masses of established mangroves here on Coconut Island continue to change the shoreline habitat and water chemistry. Before we left, we wanted to mālama the island and give back. Service learning is a big part of Le Jardin Academy's program and my students loved pitching in to remove invasive mangroves and their propagules. Working together, we cleared a large area adjacent to our campsite. 

That's service with a smile

Invasive plant removal

#mudnation

Giving Thanks

A big mahalo to the 15 7th graders on this marine science enrichment trip. I appreciated your enthusiasm and cooperation during our time together on Coconut Island. Your insightful questions, passion for field work, and clever humor made the trip a success! I hope this experience has inspired you to care for our ocean and possibly pursue a career in marine science.

One last group photo...this time I joined in! #squadgoals

And a big mahalo to each of the following people:

• Mark Heckman, HIMB Community Education Program Director, for accommodating our unique program and providing logistical assistance. 
• Leon Weaver, HIMB Community Education Program Staff Member, for guiding us through the entire trip and taking such good care of us. 
• Raphael Ritson-Williams, Graduate Student in HIMB's Gates Lab, for sharing your expertise and volunteering your time to facilitate two authentic scientific investigations. 
• Luke Thompson and Amanda Lei Perron, Le Jardin Academy faculty, for joining the trip as chaperones and volunteering your time to benefit our students.
• Julie Do, Le Jardin Academy Middle School Principal, for supporting this trip and helping to make it possible.

Time to head home...

My awesome students and I say a hui hou to Moku o Loʻe! #boatselfie #becausemarinescience