Honolulu Star-Advertiser © Susan Scott
January 3, 2000
Today, I had the great pleasure of creating a file folder in my computer that said: Ocean Watch 2000. For a while there, I thought it would never happen, but since it has, I appreciate having this column like never before.
Before I start sharing ocean adventures of 2000, though, I’m not quite finished with 1999. Here are a few favorites and facts from last year.
The subject that drew the most mail in ’99: Pacific golden plovers. One of these e-mails was from a Lanikai couple wondering what’s happening to Hawaii’s plovers. The couple’s long-term visitor, whom they named Gloria, did not return and it seemed to these people that the plover population on the windward side is dramatically reduced this year.
I wrote to plover researcher Wally Johnson in Montana and asked if he knew what was up with our plovers.
“We’re just back from Hawaii and fall monitoring of marked plovers,” he said. “With respect to plover numbers, we’ve seen ups and downs on the windward side before — the latter possibly related to dry conditions. It’s also possible that fewer birds reflect seasons with poor reproduction and thus lower recruitment of juveniles.
“Most of our work is now on the Honolulu side, where everything looked normal. I think the population has slipped at Bellows over the past several years, perhaps because of altered habitat and more disturbance. Our main effort at Bellows is to keep track of longevity in those particularly old birds banded many season ago. Of the four oldest plovers, two returned this past fall and two were apparently lost either en route or in Alaska. Happily, No. 63 made it once again and is now in his ‘at least’ 19th wintering season on the same territory!”
Go 63!
My favorite column of 1999: The headline says it all: “Turtles here are losing fear of humans.” I still feel good about being able to report that Hawaii’s green sea turtles are not only recovering from their endangered species status but are beginning to trust people besides. Now if we can just get those nasty tumors under control. (More about that in 2000.)
My favorite oxymoron from ’99: “No disposal of dead marine life.” This notice, painted on the new red Dumpsters in the Ala Wai Boat Harbor last year, makes me smile every time I pass it.
My favorite piece of information I learned this year: Spider ballooning. When a North Shore fisherman called and asked how his fishing poles, set in the sand at night, got covered with spider threads so fast, I had no clue. But I soon learned from Bishop Museum entomologist Gordon Nishida that a young spider moves to a new area by spinning a string of silk and taking off on it in the wind. This method of travel is called ballooning. Apparently, the poles in question were downwind from some bushes laden with Asian spiny-backed spiders. It was a great “marine” discovery.
The column that drew the most negative mail: “Let’s support renovations at Hanauma Bay.” Some people believe that fixing up the facilities at Hanauma Bay is a big mistake. Go figure. This pearl of a park should not only look terrific, it should be a world-class marine education center. The excellent proposed renovation design should do both.
The column I had the most fun researching: “Cruising with dolphins at Kealakekua.” “I’m working,” I kept reminding myself during this perfect day of kayaking with dolphins in Kealakekua Bay.
Jobs just don’t get better than this. I’m looking forward to another year.