Two deepwater (8-28 m) areas studied off Oahu, Hawaii, are remarkably
similar in the kinds and order of importance of calcareous producer organisms.
Hydrolithon breviclavium is primary at the Maile deep area (25-percent cover) as well
as at Waikiki (37-percent cover). At Maile H. reinboldii (7-percent cover) ranks
second in relative importance; however, at Waikiki Tenarea tessellatum (5-percent
cover) and corals (3-percent cover) are so abundant at the stations below 20 m that
they surpass H. reinboldii (2 percent) in total cover. Corals (2-percent cover) and
T. tessellatum (I-percent cover) rank third and fourth, respectively, as important
builders in the Maile deep area. At Waikiki, when density and frequency are considered
with the cover values, corals are second in importance followed by H.
reinboldii and T. tessellatum. The deepwater crustose Corallinaceae (38-percent mean
cover) overshadow all other calcareous organisms in terms of standing stock and
also seem to have more biological influence than do the other limestone producers
