Island Conservation
The National Ecological Observatory Network establishes a survey site on the Big Island of Hawai’i to conduct climate change research. The Big Island Pu’u Maka’ala Natural Area Reserve will soon be home to one of many National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) climate change research sites. NEON is sponsored by the National Science Foundation and is […]
The BIISC inspires Hawai’i residents to address invasive Little Fire Ants as a community. Invasive Little Fire Ants have proven to be a big problem, but Hawaiian communities are collaborating to find solutions. Little Fire Ants (Wasmannia auropunctata) are native to the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. In their native domain, the ants congregate […]
Invasive rabbits in Hawai’i pose a risk to native species as well as human health by transmitting a bacterium that causes Rabbit Fever. Rabbits are one of the most problematic invasive species in the world. Their impacts on native ecosystems are well documented, from Australia, where they are widespread, to Laysan, a northwestern Hawaiian island […]
Hawai’i takes steps to promote sustainability in the Aloha+ Challenge with an ambitious plan that aims to protect people and the natural environment. Hawai’i is taking action to promote sustainability and support local communities with a new and ambitious set of conservation goals. The Sustainable Hawai’i Initiative aims to protect local resources and facilitate sustainable […]
Hawaiian Seabirds at Risk: Research reveals alarming decline in Hawaiian Petrel and Newell’s Shearwater populations. For immediate release Contact: Heath Packard, heath.packard@islandconservation.org, +1 360.584.3051 Resources: Interviews, photos, peer-reviewed publication Two native Hawaiian seabird species, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red-listed Vulnerable Hawaiian Petrel and Endangered Newell’s Shearwater, are experiencing steep decline according to a […]
Scientists are assembling data to predict how climate change will drive plant invasions. With climate change in motion, plant species could migrate to regions that are changing to accommodate new species. Non-native (introduced) species are considered invasive when proof of harm to the ecosystem is observed. Climate change-driven shifts in abiotic factors–non-living features of the environment–could affect […]
Hawaii’s invasive species problem has now become a human health risk as the invasive Semi-slug increases the spread of Rat Lungworm. The lifecycle of Angiostrongylus cantonensis, also known as Rat Lungworm, is simple – it involves a worm larvae, an invasive slug, and an invasive rat. The lifecycle is relatively unremarkable until the parasite finds […]
Invasive feral pigs present a problem for the Hawaiian Islands and their native ecosystems. Feral pigs are one of the most widespread and damaging invasive species throughout the world. On the Hawaiian Islands, invasive feral pigs are a common sight and are now extending their reach from wild regions into urban areas. Invasive feral pigs […]
Scientists have designed ant-proof nests to protect Endangered Yellow-faced Bees. In 2016, seven of Hawaii’s sixty species of Yellow-faced Bees (genus Hylaeus) were added to the Endangered Species List. The bees are primary pollinators of the abundant Hawaiian Naupaka shrub. The decreasing population can most likely be attributed to nest disruption from invasive ants. Little is known about […]
Island Conservation Restoration Specialist Mele Khalsa visits a Hawaiian charter school classroom to educate students on native seabirds and the threats they face. By: Mele Khalsa I’m nervous. I’ve been staying up late for days—weeks really—since I’d first learned I was going to be presenting the Lehua Restoration Project to students from the Hawaiian language […]