Images

USGS volunteer Maura, processes a negative eDNA sample in the field. A negative eDNA sample has contains no DNA and is used as a comparison to samples from mosquito habitat. One negative eDNA sample is taken per trip to verify that the collection process is clean with no contamination.

On a mission for eDNA samples, a USGS field crew hiking near Palikea Camp, in Kipahulu Valley, Haleakala National Park. 

Photograph of field researchers gathering samples for mosquito research at Delta pool. 

A sentinel trap rests in the grass awaiting unwary mosquitos to wander in. Sentinel traps work by luring mosquitos with human odors and CO2.

USGS volunteer Ezikio hoists a mosquito trap into the trees. Trapping adult mosquitos helps mosquito suppression efforts by informing invasive mosquito population dynamics.

Palikea stream in Kīpahulu Biological Reserve. Certain times of year, the streambed is nearly dry. The still water left in rock pools provides habitat to invasive mosquitos.

Look closely for the southern house mosquito larvae -Culex quinquefasciatus. Larvae collected in the field to help identify mosquito population dynamics.

Temperature and elevation affect the distribution and intensity of avian malaria in Hawai‘i. Climate change is aiding the rapid movement of disease into disease-free forests. At low elevations, mosquitoes breed year-round, and disease transmission is too intense for most native bird species to persist.

A major advancement in the use of radio telemetry has been the development of automated radio tracking systems (ARTS) which allow animal movements to be tracked continuously. A new ARTS approach is the use of a network of simple radio receivers (nodes) that collect radio signal strength (RSS) values from animal-borne radio transmitters.

Female 'ōpe'ape'a (Hawaiian hoary bat) at day-roost with two pups, Hawai‘i Island.

Newly planted restoration test plot in Hakalau Forest Wildlife Refuge. PC: C. Yanger, 2020.

Hawai'i 'Amakihi (Chlorodrepanis virens).

Aerial photo of ʻōhiʻa forest on Hawaii Island, including dieback resulting from Rapid Ohia Death.

ʻŌhiʻa seedlings in dibble tubes, prior to planting.

Ohia seedling.

'I'iwi (Drepanis coccinea), or scarlet honeycreeper.

A coqui frog sits on a red ti leaf, next to a quarter for scale. Native to Puerto Rico, coqui frogs are an invasive species in Hawaii.

A coqui frog rests on a red ti plant leaf. Native to Puerto Rico, coqui are an invasive species in Hawaii.

Turbines at a wind energy site on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi.

A wind turbine rising above Oʻahu trees forms part of a wind energy installation where USGS bat research is taking place.

Bat detection and monitoring equipment set up below a turbine at an Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi wind energy site.