IND-199T-01: Hawaii, the place and the people

Hotspot

A location where heat energy can melt rock at the base of the lithosphere

Lithosphere

the earth’s crust and upper mantle; this region contains tectonic plates

Mantle

A solid rock layer beneath the lithosphere

Techtonic Plates

Huge pieces of lithosphere (the entire earth has 7 MAJOR tectonic plates)

Trade Winds

Winds that blow east to west near the equator Tropics +-23 latitude from the equator (sun is directly overhead at these latitudes at some point every day)

Leeward side of island

Away from prevailing winds (tradewinds)

Windward side of island

Facing prevailing winds (tradewinds)

Native Species

A species found in an ecosystem that is present due to natural processes (natural distribution or natural selection). Does not include species that were introduced by humans (ancient or modern).

Indigenous Species

One type of native species; adapted to its environment but exists in multiple places because of high degree of adaptability or natural dispersion.

Endemic Species

A species found only in a specific, unique location. Often highly susceptible to extinction because of its specialized role in an isolated ecosystem.

Introduced species

A wild organism that was introduced to an ecosystem by humans.

Invasive species

An introduced species that causes ecological harm in a new environment where it is non-native.

Ecological succession

A series of progressive changes in the composition of an ecosystem over time

Primary succession

newly-exposed/formed rock is colonized by living things for the first time

Secondary succession:

An area previously occupied by living things is disrupted and then recolonized following the disruption.

Shoal

A submerged ridge or bar (implies a sandy surface)

Reef

A rigid structure located in shallow water or just above the surface.

Coral polyp

tiny animals (~1 mm) in the same phylum as jellyfish. Has body, mouth, and stinging
tentacles to catch food (plankton and small fish)

Coral

A colony of coral polyps. Some corals are soft, some are hard (secrete calcium carbonate as an
exoskeleton)

Coral Reef

A reef composed of hard corals

Zooxanthellae

a dinoflagellate that performs photosynthesis. Some zooxanthellae live as symbiotic
organisms inside the cells of coral polyps

Apapane

Widespread of Hawaiian endemic forest birds

Iwa

(Great Frigatebird): Bird with very large (7 ft) wingspan; can remain aloft for hours

Butterfly fish

Broad group of reef fish that are flat (see WWW pg. 184). Carnivores; often eat coral
polyps

Yellow Tang (Kona Gold)

Small reef fish. Mostly herbivorous (often eat algae)

Humuhumunukunukuapua’a (Wedgetail triggerfish)

State fish of Hawaii (“trigger-fish with a snout like
a pig”)

Aloha

Hello, Goodbye, Love, Kindness, Compassion

Ali'i

Hawaiian chiefs

Heiau

Ancient Hawaiian temples

Ku

God of War

Lono

Goddess of fertility and agriculture

Makahiki

Harvest festival in honor of Lono

Mana

Spiritual power

Kapu

Sacred, Restricted, Prohibited

Captain James Cook

: British Explorer, first westerner to “discover” Hawai’i

Kamehameha I

First King over all the Hawaiian Islands

Liholiho (Kamehameha II)

Son of Kamehameha I who ended Kapu system

Ka'ahumanu

Favorite wife of Kamehameha I and Co-Regent with Kamehameha II; early convert to Christianity

Imperialism

Expansion of power and influence

1778

Capt’ Cook ‘Discovered” HI

1779

Capt’ Cook death

1820

Arrival of the Sandwich Island Mission

1893

Overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy