Desecheo Island supports important populations of plants and animals found nowhere else in the world, such as the Desecheo Anole, Desecheo Ameiva, and Desecheo Dwarf Gecko. Before the introduction of invasive rats, the island hosted large colonies of breeding seabirds, including the largest Brown Booby colony in the Caribbean region and an important Red-footed Booby colony. But, due to the destruction of native vegetation and predation on eggs and chicks by these invasive rats, seabirds nesting was reduced significantly on Desecheo and many plants and animals are threatened.

In response to this threat, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Island Conservation, and other key partners, including the US Department of Agriculture, Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (PR-DNER), Bell Laboratories, and Tomcat, made the island safe once again for seabirds, the island’s endemic lizards, three endemic arachnids, the federally Threatened Higo Chumbo cactus and native plants by removing invasive rats.

In July 2017, one year after the final phase of this ambitious operation, conservation biologists confirmed that these predators are absent from the island, and the operation was declared a success. This project, the largest conservation operation of its kind to date in the region, enables the island at some time to return to its former and rightful status: the most important seabird colony in the region. The wildlife refuge lost this status due to the presence of invasive mammals for almost a century.

With the island free of invasive species, native plants and animals will once again be able to thrive in their natural habitat. Coral reefs in the Marine Reserve surrounding Desecheo (managed by the PR-DNER) are also expected to benefit from the island’s restoration; increased vegetation will reduce soil erosion into the sea, and the seabirds will provide valuable nutrients to the adjacent marine ecosystems.

Social Attraction

In February 2018, USFWS, Island Conservation and Effective Environmental Restoration Inc (EER) with support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and National Geographic initiated a seabird social attraction project to encourage Bridled Terns, Brown Noddies, and Audubon’s Shearwaters to nest on the island. The teams established seabird colonies using decoy, mirrors, and sound systems playing recorded bird calls to made it appear as if the birds we already on the island to attract birds and hopefully revive the once-thriving seabird colony.

With the habitat and seabird restoration efforts, the team has documented Brown Noddies, American Oystercatchers, Frigatebirds, and Brown Boobies thriving on the island as well as several Bridled Tern eggs in areas where nesting activity was not common in the past. An Audubon’s Shearwater has been seen visiting the island on a nightly basis which marks the first time the species has been documented roosting on island. As Desecheo continues to recover, more species are expected to return and thrive.