Reef fish of Papahanaumokuakea topic of Oct. 6 presentation

HANAPEPE — Yumi Yasutake, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Outreach Coordinator for Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument on Kaua‘i, will share his experiences as a fish survey diver in the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Oct 6 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Hanapepe Public Library.

Yasutake, who recently worked with the public during the workshop on the NOAA Discovery Center, will be offering a presentation on “An Overview of Reef Fish Abundance and Diversity in Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.”

The public is invited to this free presentation which is part of the monthly lecture series on the Hawaiian Marine Environment and sponsored by the Friends of the Hanapepe Public Library in the library’s meeting room on the first Thursday of each month.

Surveys are conducted by NOAA each year to assess the relative health and abundance of fish, coral and invertebrates in the Monument as well as around the main Hawaiian Islands, states a Friends of the Hanapepe Public Library release.

These monitoring trips give scientists and resource managers important data on the condition of our reefs, and how they are changing over time.

The sparsely populated islands Northwest of Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau are an important refuge for various types of sea life as well as endemic and endangered plants, land birds and insects.

Papahanaumokuakea also serves to protect the cultureal importance these islands serve to the Hawaiian community as they are guarded as a sacred site where the spirits of ancestors reside.

A slide show presentation by Yasutake will feature the reef fishes unique to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands as well as the research ship which makes the 1,200 mile journey to the Northernmost end of our state possible.

Call 335-8418 for more information.