Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center Staff

• Atkinson, Carter - Microbiologist
• Banko, Paul - Wildlife Biologist
• Bonaccorso, Frank - Wildlife Biologist
• Foote, David - Ecologist
• Fortini, Lucas - Ecologist
• Hess, Steve - Wildlife Biologist
• Jacobi, Jim - Biologist
• LaPointe, Dennis - Research Ecologist
• Loope, Lloyd - Research Biologist
• Medeiros, Arthur - Botanist
• Paxton, Eben - Avian Ecologist
• Pratt, Linda - Botanist
• Reynolds, Michelle - Wildlife Biologist

Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center Lead Scientists

Title  Research Microbiologist
Email  catkinson@usgs.gov
Phone  (808) 967-7396 ext. 6401
Mailing address  Kilauea Field Station
P.O. Box 44
Hawaii National Park, HI 96718

Expertise / Specialty: Wildlife disease with a focus on vector borne parasitic diseases of birds

Research Interests: Ecology and pathogenicity of blood parasites of vertebrates

Featured Studies:

• Biocomplexity of Introduced Avian Diseases in Hawaii: http://www.uhh.hawaii.edu/~biocomp
• Impacts of global warming on the distribution of introduced avian diseases in Hawaii, TBD
• Surveys of SW Pacific Islands for Vector-Borne Avian Diseases, TBD
• Conservation Biology of Hawaiian Forest Birds (book), TBD
• Infectious and Parasitic Diseases of Wild Birds (books)

Select Publications :

Atkinson, C.T. and C. van Riper III. 1991. Epizootiology and pathogenicity of avian haematozoa: Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon. In: Bird-Parasite Interactions. Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, (J.E. Loye and M. Zuk, eds.), Oxford University Press, New York, pp. 19-48.

Atkinson, C.T., K.L. Woods, R.J. Dusek, L.S. Sileo, and W.M. Iko. 1995. Wildlife disease and conservation in Hawaii: pathogenicity of avian malaria (Plasmodium relictum) in experimentally infected Iiwi (Vestiaria coccinea). Parasitology 111: S59-S69.

Atkinson, C.T., R.J. Dusek, and J.K. Lease. 2001. Serological responses and immunity to superinfection with avian malaria in experimentally-infected Hawaii Amakihi. Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 37: 20-27.

Atkinson, C.T., J.K. Lease, B.M. Drake and N.P. Shema. 2001. Pathogenicity, serological responses and diagnosis of experimental and natural malarial infections in native Hawaiian thrushes. The Condor, 103: 209-218.

Jarvi, S.I., J.J. Schultz and C.T. Atkinson. 2002. PCR diagnostics underestimate the prevalence of avian malaria (Plasmodium relictum) in experimentally-infected passerines. Journal of Parasitology, 88: 153-158.

Woodworth, B.L., C.T. Atkinson, D.A. LaPointe, P.J. Hart, C.S. Spiegel, E.J. Tweed, C. Henneman, J. LeBrun, T. Denette, R. DeMots, K.L. Kozar, D. Triglia, D. Lease, A. Gregor, T. Smith, and D. Duffy. 2005. Host population persistence in the face of introduced vector-borne diseases: Hawaii amakihi and avian malaria. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 102:1531-1536.

Aruch, S., C.T. Atkinson, A.F. Savage, and D.A. LaPointe. 2007. Prevalence and Distribution of Pox-like Lesions, Avian Malaria and Mosquito Vectors in Kipahulu Valley, Haleakala National Park, Hawaii. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 43: 567-575.

Atkinson, C.T., R.C. Utzurrum, J.O Seamon, A.F. Savage, and D.A. LaPointe. 2006. Hematozoa of Forest Birds in American Samoa - Evidence for a Diverse, Indigenous Parasite Fauna from the South Pacific. Pacific Conservation Biology 12:229-237.

Atkinson, C.T. and D.A. LaPointe. 2009. Introduced avian diseases, climate change, and the future of Hawaiian honeycreepers. Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery 23:53-63.

Atkinson, C.T. and M.D. Samuel. 2010. Avian Malaria (Plasmodium relictum) in Native Hawaiian Forest Birds: Epizootiology and Demographic Impacts on `Apapane (Himatione sanguinea). Journal of Avian Biology 41:357-366.

Background:

Personal Interests:

Links:

 To view PDF files, the latest version of Adobe Reader (free of charge) or similar software is needed.