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Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center
Research at the Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center focuses on providing the scientific understanding and technologies needed to support and implement sound management and conservation of our Nation's biological resources occurring in Hawai'i and other Pacific island locations.
Featured Research
Featured Research
Learn more about research on genes involved with bird immunity and avian malaria infections in Hawaiian forest birds.
News
Scientists bite back at invasive mosquitoes, work for Hawaiian Honeycreeper conservation
Scientists bite back at invasive mosquitoes, work for Hawaiian Honeycreeper conservation
Secretary Haaland, Leaders Celebrate New U.S. Geological Survey / University of Hawai’i Facility to Support Volcano Monitoring & Ecosystem Restoration
Secretary Haaland, Leaders Celebrate New U.S. Geological Survey / University of Hawai’i Facility to Support Volcano Monitoring & Ecosystem Restoration
Final Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) Available for the USGS Hilo Research Facility
Final Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) Available for the USGS Hilo Research Facility
Publications
Invasive-dominated grasslands in Hawaiʻi are resilient to disturbance
Non-native-dominated landscapes may arise from invasion by competitive plant species, disturbance and invasion of early-colonizing species, or some combination of these. Without knowing site history, however, it is difficult to predict how native or non-native communities will reassemble after disturbance events. Given increasing disturbance levels across anthropogenically impacted landscapes, pre
Fine-resolution land cover mapping over large and mountainous areas for Lāna‘i, Hawaii using posterior probabilities, and expert knowledge
The task of accurately mapping species-specific vegetation cover in remote and topographically complex regions like those found in Hawaiʻi presents unique challenges. This study leverages a machine learning approach to accurately classify vegetation into fine species-specific classes across the island of Lāna‘i, Hawaii, offering a novel methodology for tackling such challenges. Utilizing high-reso
Videographic monitoring at caves to estimate population size of the endangered yǻyaguak (Mariana swiftlet) on Guam
The yǻyaguak (Mariana swiftlet; Aerodramus bartschi) is an endangered cave-nesting species historically found on Guam and the southern Mariana Islands, Micronesia. The population on Guam has been severely affected by the introduction of the brown treesnake Boiga irregularis. Population status assessments have, however, been challenging due to the limitations of traditional counting methods, which
Science
Modeling First Records to Guide Invasive Species Biosurveillance in Hawai‘i
Early detection of invasive species can enable their successful eradication. With climate change and dynamic patterns of global trade, it is difficult to predict which new invasive species will next get introduced and where introduction and establishment will occur. We are analyzing where non-native species have first established in Hawai‘i to develop mapped predictions of the relative risk of new...
Population Assessments of the Pacific Sheath-Tailed Bat and Mariana Swiftlet
Using thermal cameras, we are determining the population size and cave occupancy of the Mariana swiftlet and Pacific sheath-tailed bat. Both species face extirpation from the Northern Mariana Islands and are listed as endangered. Understanding the species' population status can assist in planning recovery efforts for both species.
Climatic and Ecological Scenarios to Guide Development of a Spatial Resist-Accept-Direct Portfolio at Nāpuʻu, Hawaiʻi
Climate change and invasive species are transforming ecosystems. The Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD) framework organizes management objectives into those that seek to Resist change and maintain historical ecological communities, those that Accept some or all aspects of ecological transformation, and those that Direct an ecological community to a preferred state. We are evaluating risks posed by climate...