Opae Ula - The Native Hawaiian Fresh Water Karst Shrimp That Lives (Still Barely) Under The Ewa Plain
by John Bond Kanehili Cultural Hui
Opae`ula live under the Ewa Plain but their habitats are under great threat from developers filling karst reef sinkholes and caves with dirt and concrete.
*******************************************************************
Opae`ula live under the Ewa Plain but their habitats are under great threat from developers filling karst reef sinkholes and caves with dirt and concrete.
*******************************************************************
Manoa School studied the opae`ula
Opae`ula are tiny shrimp that are usually red but can sometimes be pink or white. They are only found on the islands of Hawaii. Their scientific name is Halocaridina Rubra. That's a mouth full so we call them by their Hawaiian name, opae`ula. In the Hawaiian language opae means shrimp and ula means red. While these red shrimp are not endangered, their habitats are impacted by people. These animals can die from many things people do. The 4th and 5th grade classes of Manoa School studied the opae`ula and made mini habitats during the summer of 2012. Our mini habitats are now with us at home and we will be keeping logs of how they are doing. Please check out our site to learn more!
http://opaeula.weebly.com/
*****************************************************************************
This area is a wildlife refuge and from first glance, is not much to look at, but upon closer inspection, you can see why this is a special area. Once covered with tall, invasive trees, this area now is being restored with native Hawaiian coastal plants. And the anchialine ponds are now visible, which gives us a glimpse into the mysterious world underground.
http://hawaiigreencollarinstitute.blogspot.com/2011/12/coastal-restoration-and-water-quality.html
**************************************************************************
The opae'ula of Oahu are distinctive and have bands. Some are pale throughout. A few are pale with red heads, others have various amounts of reddish and pale combinations. The photo is of the Waianae strain being maintained as part of the Fuku-Bonsai Micro-Lobster exhibit.
http://www.fukubonsai.com/M-L2b4.html
***************************************************************************
*****************************************************************************
Coastal restoration and water quality monitoring at Kalaeloa
On the second day of the session, we traveled to Kalaeloa, which is very close to Kapolei High School. There, we met with Lorena Wada (Aunty Tap) of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. She is a wildlife biologist who does a lot of different type of work to save rare and endangered species.This area is a wildlife refuge and from first glance, is not much to look at, but upon closer inspection, you can see why this is a special area. Once covered with tall, invasive trees, this area now is being restored with native Hawaiian coastal plants. And the anchialine ponds are now visible, which gives us a glimpse into the mysterious world underground.
http://hawaiigreencollarinstitute.blogspot.com/2011/12/coastal-restoration-and-water-quality.html
**************************************************************************
A Visit To An Oahu Coral Habitat
Although the "pond" opening is small compared to the Big Island anchialine ponds, it is clear that several feet below the surface, that there is an interconnected labyrinth of passageways that allow the opae'ula to travel long distances through Oahu coral in much the same way as the lava tubes and cracks allow travel through porous Big Island lava.The opae'ula of Oahu are distinctive and have bands. Some are pale throughout. A few are pale with red heads, others have various amounts of reddish and pale combinations. The photo is of the Waianae strain being maintained as part of the Fuku-Bonsai Micro-Lobster exhibit.
http://www.fukubonsai.com/M-L2b4.html
***************************************************************************
