Integrated Databases to Support “Ridge-to-Reef” Fisheries Management in Hawaii

To better support integrated “ridge to reef” watershed management, a group of partners has collaborated on the development and integration of geo-referenced databases associated with freshwater, estuarine, and near-shore marine habitats in Hawaii. The datasets include:

• Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources Freshwater Surveys Database and associated  habitat suitability models
• Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources Estuarine Surveys Database and associated habitat suitability models
• Hawaii portion of the National Fish Habitat Assessment
• Hawaii Office of Planning GIS data layers
• Hawaii Fish Habitat Partnership Fish Barrier Database
• National Hydrography Dataset
• Hawaii Biological Survey Data at the Bishop Museum

These products are statewide in coverage and are being integrated to provide a comprehensive description of aquatic animal habitat, distribution, vulnerability, and restoration potential. The spatially-linked and integrated databases improve the state’s capacity to plan and implement technically sound statewide aquatic habitat restoration plans. These products also provide Hawaii Fish Habitat Partnership members the ability to access summarized information and survey results targeted to their needs, and improve data availability to citizens, watershed groups, and non-governmental organizations. Future data integration will expand into more terrestrially-focused databases and improve near-shore marine and coral reef database integration.