Anchialine Fish Ponds in Kalaeloa & Barber's Point Beach: 7/1/14

Anchialine Fish Ponds in Kalaeloa & Barber's Point Beach

What is an Anchialine Fish Pond? An Anchialine Fish Pond is a unique ecosystem found in Hawaii. They are a mixture of salt and fresh water, although there is no direct contact with the ocean or any freshwater stream. The ocean water seeps through crevices in the lava rock and rain water runs off into the pond. These ponds are homes to the endemic 'Opae 'Ula (red shrimp) and our field school was fortunate enough to visit them.  

Today, 'Opae 'Ula is a rare and endangered species because of invasive predators and destruction of their habitat. We were led through the ponds and grounds at Kalaeloa by Dr. James Kwon and the team at the refuge. We were able to collect water quality samples from the ponds and from the beach tide pools. They also allowed us to capture and count 'Opae 'Ula that were about the size of a paperclip. Legends state that 'Opae 'Ula was so abundant in the past, that the water used to appear red. We hope that if we mālama these ponds enough, that legend can become true.

Later, in the afternoon, we went to Barber's Point Beach to discuss plankton and phytoplankton (plankton consisting of microscopic plants). Ms. Anuschka and Ms. Trisha from Kahikai, a non-profit marine science organization taught us about their importance. We used a new technology called cellscopes to examine different types of plankton. We did this using our ipads and were able to get videos and pictures of these tiny yet magnificent creatures. We found them to be so neat because even thought they are so small, they supply 50% of the world's oxygen.

Today, we learned how much of a difference small beings like phytoplankton and 'Opae 'Ula can make. This lesson not only introduced us to these spectacular plants and animals but also taught us that even the smallest creatures can make the biggest difference.