More complex habitats tend to contain more species. Reef fishes and brittlestars using corals as habitat and for protection. Credit: Damaris Torres-Pulliza.
HIMBʻs Erik Franklin recently published a paper observing marine protected areas around Oʻahu, and whether or not they provide biologically significant benefits for herbivorous fish populations compared to reefs outside the areas.
Ruth Gates, coral researcher and director of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology on Coconut Island, using a confocal microscope to look at coral.
Photo Credit: Elyse Butler