Posted on 09/15/2002 10:59:20 PM PDT by Vidalia
Scientists have discovered a fish species never before seen in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The finescale triggerfish was found by members of the Reef Ecological Assessment and Monitoring Program, who set out Sept. 8 on a monthlong expedition.
The find is significant because the fish is native to the Eastern Pacific and was only seen for the first time in the main Hawaiian Islands a few years ago, expedition officials said Saturday.
The movement of the fish seems to be natural, but scientists aren’t sure what led to the expansion of territory, they said.
The expedition has also discovered at least two coral species and various crab, snail and sea slug species never recorded in Hawaii’s northernmost islands and atolls.
The multi-agency expedition is gathering baseline information about the biological, historical and cultural resources of the most remote large-scale coral reef ecosystem in the world.
The information is critical to the development of management strategies and future priorities for the 1,200-mile-long region, the officials said.
Goodness, could the info about that be wrong?
(Mucho Grande tongue in cheek, to prevent the flame...)
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