Hawaii Marine Laboratory — HlATT 
293 
tected waters of Kaneohe Bay, about 15 miles 
from Honolulu, and about 200 yards off the 
windward shore of Oahu (Fig. 1). Containing 
a total of 18 acres of land, this verdant island 
is surrounded by numerous lagoons and pools 
dredged in the fringing reef. Kaneohe Bay, 
about 15 square miles in extent, opens broad- 
ly to the sea over a protective, elevated reef. 
The northeast trade winds sweep directly into 
the bay, thus forcing a rapid exchange of the 
bay and oceanic waters, which provides for 
ranges of salinity varying from brackish con- 
ditions close to stream mouths to almost 
normal ocean conditions in the more open 
areas. 
Much of the peripheral region of the bay, 
especially near the mouths of intermittent 
streams, is muddy. The organic content of 
these sandy and muddy areas is high, and it 
supports an extensive marine fauna. The cen- 
tral part of the bay consists of many channels 
of varying widths surrounding coral plat- 
forms which reach the surface of the water at 
low tide. Each coral platform is fringed by an 
extensive growth of corals, principally Porites 
compressa and species of Montipora, comprising 
the finest development of coral growth in the 
Hawaiian Islands. The eroding tops of these 
coral platforms contain isolated coral heads 
interspersed with a fine, silty sand composite. 
The sides of the channels below 4 fathoms 
and the bottoms of the channels at an average 
of 7 fathoms consist of very fine silt. There 
are many coral heads and intervening sandy 
areas on the fringing reef platform surround- 
ing Coconut Island, thus providing one of 
the richest collecting grounds in Hawaii. 
Contributing greatly to the varied ecological 
situations in the vicinity of Kaneohe Bay are 
the true oceanic conditions found just out- 
side the bay, within half an hour’s boat trip 
from the Laboratory. 
Fauna and flora: Hawaii is situated at the 
extreme eastern periphery of the richest faunal 
area known, the Indo-Pacific. Over 2,000 
species of invertebrates and over 500 species 
of fish inhabit the reef and inshore areas. The 
Laboratory and its environs offer ideal facilities 
for studies on all phases of the biology of trop- 
ical and subtropical fish, turtles, and inverte- 
brates. Comparatively little is known about 
the biology of such animals so there is great 
latitude in the selection of research problems. 
The zooplankton of the bay waters and the 
neritic waters just outside the bay is exceed- 
ingly varied and abundant in contrast with 
the oceanic waters farther from shore. The 
finest oceanic bird rookery in the Hawaiian 
Archipelago, excepting some of the Leeward 
Hawaiian Islands, is located just outside 
Kaneohe Bay on the islet of Moku Manu: a 
half-hour boat trip from the Laboratory places 
the observer upon an unparalleled outdoor 
laboratory for studies on several species of 
terns, shearwaters, petrels, boobies, and 
frigate birds. 
Hawaiian shores abound in algae of all 
major groups. Especially abundant are chloro- 
phycean genera such as Ulva, Cladophora (a 
variable genus with many representatives), 
Caulerpa, Codium, and Halimeda. The last four 
genera offer special possibilities as subjects 
for physiological research, Cladophora be- 
cause it is large-celled and filamentous, 
Caulerpa and Codlum because they are uni- 
cellular, and the unicellular Halimeda because 
it produces abundant calcareous deposits. 
Among the Phaeophyceae prominent genera 
are Ectocarpus, Sargassum, Padina, and Stictyota. 
The red algae are represented by many genera, 
perhaps the most abundant of which are 
Laurencia, Rhodymenia, Liagora (mostly cal- 
careous), and the corallines. The agariferous 
genus Gelidium is of special interest. The blue- 
green algae and the diatoms are, of course, 
abundant. 
Property: The buildings, ponds, docks, and 
repair facilities occupy the leeward fringe of 
Coconut Island. In addition to the laboratory 
itself, there are a residence hall, net house, 
dock, marine railway, six tidal ponds of 
varying dimensions and depths (Fig. 2), a 
battery of large glass-fronted aquaria, and 
five large partially sunken concrete tanks 
