We’re in the murky waters of Kāneʻohe Bay with researchers from the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology who are studying the response of fishes to muddy water. Runoff from land into the ocean is a natural phenomenon, but human occupied areas can have much more — up to ten times more — sediment than would naturally occur, choking our nearshore fish habitats. 

ʻĀina stewards are working to bring back abundance to nearshore reefs by restoring streams and wetlands, lowering the amount of sediment released into the ocean. But, how clean does the water need to be? What level of sediment causes herbivorous fishes to flee, leaving corals vulnerable to overgrowth by algae?  

The Johansen Fish Resilience Lab is monitoring how water quality and reef health has improved in certain areas – thanks to the revitalization of nearby wetlands and loko iʻa. The lab is also working to establish tolerance limits of reef fishes to sediment runoff, and develop water quality thresholds to keep our nearshore fish abundant.

We check out how reef health has been improved thanks to the revitalization of nearby wetlands and loko iʻa, and we head to the lab to check out the fish behavior experiments that provide data and insight for mathematical models.

Watch the 30-second trailer for Season 13, Episode 2 on Vimeo or on YouTube, or on Vimeo with English Subtitles.