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Katherine M McClure

Katherine M. McClure is a research ecologist at the Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center based on the Island of Hawaiʻi. She uses field, lab, and quantitative approaches to better understand and control infectious diseases, with a current research focus on avian malaria management efforts to support native Hawaiian bird conservation in Hawaiʻi.

Professional Experience

  • 2023 - present - Research Ecologist, USGS-PIERC

  • 2019 - present - Affiliate Faculty, Biology Department & Tropical Conservation Biology & Environmental Science Program, University of Hawai'i at Hilo

  • 2021 - 2022 - Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Hawai'i at Hilo, Hawai'i Cooperative Studies Unit (HCSU) & USGS-PIERC

  • 2019 - 2021 - Atkinson Postdoctoral Fellow in Sustainability, Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability & Cornell Wildlife Health Center, Cornell University

  • 2017 - 2019 - Quantitative Postdoctoral Researcher, Colorado State University & USDA-APHIS National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO

Education and Certifications

  • Ph.D. University of California Santa Cruz, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2017

  • M.A. University of Colorado at Boulder, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2009

  • B.S. University of Texas at Austin, Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation, 2002

  • Maîtrise, University of Paris VI, Pierre et Marie Curie, Ecology, 2000

Science and Products

link
Image: An Endangered Puaiohi (Small Mountain Thrush) in Hawaii

Advancing Wildlife Monitoring to Improve Management of Endangered Hawaiian Birds in a Changing Climate

Mosquito-borne disease is the biggest threat to Hawai‘i’s remaining native forest birds, of which more than half are threatened or endangered. Currently, disease-carrying mosquitoes are unable to move into colder high-elevation forests, but as the islands warm due to climate change, mosquitoes are steadily moving into the last native bird strongholds. Mosquito suppression efforts are...
By
Climate Adaptation Science Centers
link

Advancing Wildlife Monitoring to Improve Management of Endangered Hawaiian Birds in a Changing Climate

Mosquito-borne disease is the biggest threat to Hawai‘i’s remaining native forest birds, of which more than half are threatened or endangered. Currently, disease-carrying mosquitoes are unable to move into colder high-elevation forests, but as the islands warm due to climate change, mosquitoes are steadily moving into the last native bird strongholds. Mosquito suppression efforts are planned for t
Learn More

Kīpahulu Valley, Haleakalā National Park, Maui Seasonal Distribution and Relative Abundance of the Mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus, 2022-2023

This USGS data release consists of six data sets and accompanying metadata for a year-long study on the seasonal distribution and relative abundance of the southern house mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus in Kīpahulu Valley, Haleakalā National Park, critical habitat for two endangered Maui endemic forest birds. Culex quinquefasciatus is the vector of the avian malaria Plasmodium relictum...
By
Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center

Island of Hawaii bird, mosquito, and avian malaria infection data 2001-2004

This data publication contains data files collected as part of a field, laboratory, and modeling effort aimed at uncovering ecological drivers of avian malaria transmission and impacts on Hawaiian honeycreepers across an elevational gradient on the eastern flank of Mauna Loa and Kilauea volcanoes on Hawaii Island. From 2001-2004, mosquito and bird data were collected at nine sites...
By
Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center

Partly cloudy with a chance of mosquitoes: Developing a flexible approach to forecasting mosquito populations

Climate-induced shifts in mosquito phenology and population structure have important implications for the health of humans and wildlife. The timing and intensity of mosquito interactions with infected and susceptible hosts are a primary determinant of vector-borne disease dynamics. Like most ectotherms, rates of mosquito development and corresponding phenological patterns are expected to...
Authors
Travis Mcdevitt-Galles, Arthur DeGaetano, Sarah Elmendorf, John R. Foster, Howard S. Ginsberg, Mevin B. Hooten, Shannon LaDeau, Katherine Maria McClure, Sara Paull, Erin E. Posthumus, Ilia Rochlin, Daniel A. Grear
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center

Environmental and geographical factors influence the occurrence and abundance of the southern house mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus, in Hawai‘i

Hawaiian honeycreepers, a group of endemic Hawaiian forest birds, are being threatened by avian malaria, a non-native disease that is driving honeycreepers populations to extinction. Avian malaria is caused by the parasite Plasmodium relictum, which is transmitted by the invasive mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus. Environmental and geographical factors play an important role in shaping...
Authors
Oswaldo Villena, Katherine Maria McClure, Richard J. Camp, Dennis Lapointe, Carter T. Atkinson, Helen Sofaer, Lucas Fortini
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center

Hawaii as a microcosm: Advancing the science and practice of managing introduced and invasive species

Invasive species are a leading driver of global change, with consequences for biodiversity and society. Because of extraordinary rates of endemism, introduction, and extinction, Hawaii offers a rich platform for exploring the cross-disciplinary challenges of managing invasive species in a dynamic world. We highlight key successes and shortcomings to share lessons learned and inspire...
Authors
Liba Pejchar, Christopher A. Lepczyk, Jean E Fantle-Lepczyk, Steve C. Hess, M. Tracy Johnson, Christina Leopold, Michael P. Marchetti, Katherine M McClure, Aaron B Sheils
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center

Temporal variation in bird and resource abundance across an elevational gradient in Hawaii

We documented patterns of nectar availability and nectarivorous bird abundance over ~3 years at nine study sites across an 1,800-m elevational gradient on Hawaii Island to investigate the relationship between resource variation and bird abundance. Flower density (flowers ha-1) and nectar energy content were measured across the gradient for the monodominant 'Ōhi'a (Metrosideros polymorpha...
Authors
Patrick J. Hart, Bethany L. Woodworth, Richard J. Camp, Kathryn Turner, Katherine McClure, Katherine Goodall, Carlene Henneman, Caleb Spiegel, Jaymi Lebrun, Erik Tweed, Michael Samuel
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau, N.T. Gorman, K.M. McClure, L. Nituch, T. Buchanan, R. Chipman, A.T. Gilbert, and K.M. Pepin. 2024. Assessing the efficiency of local rabies vaccination strategies for raccoons in an urban setting. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 60(1): 26-38. https://doi.org/10.7589/JWD-D-23-00059
McClure, K.M., G. Bastille-Rousseau, A.J. Davis, C.A. Stengel, K. Nelson, R. Chipman, G. Wittemyer, Z. Abdo, A.T. Gilbert, and K.M. Pepin. 2022. Accounting for animal movement improves vaccination strategies against wildlife disease in heterogeneous landscapes. Ecological Applications 32(4): e2568. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2568
McClure, K.M., R. Fleischer, and A.M. Kilpatrick. 2020. The role of introduced and native birds in transmission of avian malaria in Hawaii. Ecology 101(7): e03038. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.3038
Berentsen, A.R., M.J. Rivera-Rodriguez, K.M. McClure, F.B. Torres-Toledo, J.G. Garcia-Cancel, and A.T. Gilbert. 2020. Home range estimates for small Indian mongooses (Urva auropunctata) in southwestern Puerto Rico. Caribbean Journal of Science 50(2):225-235. https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v50i2.a4
McClure, K.M., A.T. Gilbert, R. Chipman, E. Rees, and K.M. Pepin. 2020. Variation in host home range size decreases vaccination effectiveness by increasing the spatial spread of rabies virus. Journal of Animal Ecology 89: 1375-1386. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13176
Russell, M.C., S.R. Newton, K.M. McClure, R.S. Levine, L.P. Phelps, A.B. Lindstrom, and M.J. Strynar. 2019. Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances in two different populations of northern cardinals. Chemosphere 222: 295-304. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.01.112
McClure, K.M., C. Lawrence, and A.M. Kilpatrick. 2018. Land use and larval habitat increase Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus abundance in lowland Hawaii. Journal of Medical Entomology 55: 1509-1516. https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjy117
Paull, S.H., S. Song, K.M. McClure, L. Sackett, A.M. Kilpatrick, and P. Johnson. 2012. From superspreaders to disease hotspots: linking transmission across hosts and space. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 10: 75-82. https://doi.org/10.1890/110111
Klein, A., P.J. Hart, K. Stumpf, E. Tweed, C. Henneman, C. Spiegel, J. LeBrun, K.M. McClure, and B. Woodworth. 2003. Nests of Amakihi near sea-level on Hawaii Island. Elepaio 63: 9.

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

Science and Products

link
Image: An Endangered Puaiohi (Small Mountain Thrush) in Hawaii

Advancing Wildlife Monitoring to Improve Management of Endangered Hawaiian Birds in a Changing Climate

Mosquito-borne disease is the biggest threat to Hawai‘i’s remaining native forest birds, of which more than half are threatened or endangered. Currently, disease-carrying mosquitoes are unable to move into colder high-elevation forests, but as the islands warm due to climate change, mosquitoes are steadily moving into the last native bird strongholds. Mosquito suppression efforts are...
By
Climate Adaptation Science Centers
link

Advancing Wildlife Monitoring to Improve Management of Endangered Hawaiian Birds in a Changing Climate

Mosquito-borne disease is the biggest threat to Hawai‘i’s remaining native forest birds, of which more than half are threatened or endangered. Currently, disease-carrying mosquitoes are unable to move into colder high-elevation forests, but as the islands warm due to climate change, mosquitoes are steadily moving into the last native bird strongholds. Mosquito suppression efforts are planned for t
Learn More

Kīpahulu Valley, Haleakalā National Park, Maui Seasonal Distribution and Relative Abundance of the Mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus, 2022-2023

This USGS data release consists of six data sets and accompanying metadata for a year-long study on the seasonal distribution and relative abundance of the southern house mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus in Kīpahulu Valley, Haleakalā National Park, critical habitat for two endangered Maui endemic forest birds. Culex quinquefasciatus is the vector of the avian malaria Plasmodium relictum...
By
Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center

Island of Hawaii bird, mosquito, and avian malaria infection data 2001-2004

This data publication contains data files collected as part of a field, laboratory, and modeling effort aimed at uncovering ecological drivers of avian malaria transmission and impacts on Hawaiian honeycreepers across an elevational gradient on the eastern flank of Mauna Loa and Kilauea volcanoes on Hawaii Island. From 2001-2004, mosquito and bird data were collected at nine sites...
By
Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center

Partly cloudy with a chance of mosquitoes: Developing a flexible approach to forecasting mosquito populations

Climate-induced shifts in mosquito phenology and population structure have important implications for the health of humans and wildlife. The timing and intensity of mosquito interactions with infected and susceptible hosts are a primary determinant of vector-borne disease dynamics. Like most ectotherms, rates of mosquito development and corresponding phenological patterns are expected to...
Authors
Travis Mcdevitt-Galles, Arthur DeGaetano, Sarah Elmendorf, John R. Foster, Howard S. Ginsberg, Mevin B. Hooten, Shannon LaDeau, Katherine Maria McClure, Sara Paull, Erin E. Posthumus, Ilia Rochlin, Daniel A. Grear
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center

Environmental and geographical factors influence the occurrence and abundance of the southern house mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus, in Hawai‘i

Hawaiian honeycreepers, a group of endemic Hawaiian forest birds, are being threatened by avian malaria, a non-native disease that is driving honeycreepers populations to extinction. Avian malaria is caused by the parasite Plasmodium relictum, which is transmitted by the invasive mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus. Environmental and geographical factors play an important role in shaping...
Authors
Oswaldo Villena, Katherine Maria McClure, Richard J. Camp, Dennis Lapointe, Carter T. Atkinson, Helen Sofaer, Lucas Fortini
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center

Hawaii as a microcosm: Advancing the science and practice of managing introduced and invasive species

Invasive species are a leading driver of global change, with consequences for biodiversity and society. Because of extraordinary rates of endemism, introduction, and extinction, Hawaii offers a rich platform for exploring the cross-disciplinary challenges of managing invasive species in a dynamic world. We highlight key successes and shortcomings to share lessons learned and inspire...
Authors
Liba Pejchar, Christopher A. Lepczyk, Jean E Fantle-Lepczyk, Steve C. Hess, M. Tracy Johnson, Christina Leopold, Michael P. Marchetti, Katherine M McClure, Aaron B Sheils
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center

Temporal variation in bird and resource abundance across an elevational gradient in Hawaii

We documented patterns of nectar availability and nectarivorous bird abundance over ~3 years at nine study sites across an 1,800-m elevational gradient on Hawaii Island to investigate the relationship between resource variation and bird abundance. Flower density (flowers ha-1) and nectar energy content were measured across the gradient for the monodominant 'Ōhi'a (Metrosideros polymorpha...
Authors
Patrick J. Hart, Bethany L. Woodworth, Richard J. Camp, Kathryn Turner, Katherine McClure, Katherine Goodall, Carlene Henneman, Caleb Spiegel, Jaymi Lebrun, Erik Tweed, Michael Samuel
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau, N.T. Gorman, K.M. McClure, L. Nituch, T. Buchanan, R. Chipman, A.T. Gilbert, and K.M. Pepin. 2024. Assessing the efficiency of local rabies vaccination strategies for raccoons in an urban setting. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 60(1): 26-38. https://doi.org/10.7589/JWD-D-23-00059
McClure, K.M., G. Bastille-Rousseau, A.J. Davis, C.A. Stengel, K. Nelson, R. Chipman, G. Wittemyer, Z. Abdo, A.T. Gilbert, and K.M. Pepin. 2022. Accounting for animal movement improves vaccination strategies against wildlife disease in heterogeneous landscapes. Ecological Applications 32(4): e2568. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2568
McClure, K.M., R. Fleischer, and A.M. Kilpatrick. 2020. The role of introduced and native birds in transmission of avian malaria in Hawaii. Ecology 101(7): e03038. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.3038
Berentsen, A.R., M.J. Rivera-Rodriguez, K.M. McClure, F.B. Torres-Toledo, J.G. Garcia-Cancel, and A.T. Gilbert. 2020. Home range estimates for small Indian mongooses (Urva auropunctata) in southwestern Puerto Rico. Caribbean Journal of Science 50(2):225-235. https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v50i2.a4
McClure, K.M., A.T. Gilbert, R. Chipman, E. Rees, and K.M. Pepin. 2020. Variation in host home range size decreases vaccination effectiveness by increasing the spatial spread of rabies virus. Journal of Animal Ecology 89: 1375-1386. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13176
Russell, M.C., S.R. Newton, K.M. McClure, R.S. Levine, L.P. Phelps, A.B. Lindstrom, and M.J. Strynar. 2019. Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances in two different populations of northern cardinals. Chemosphere 222: 295-304. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.01.112
McClure, K.M., C. Lawrence, and A.M. Kilpatrick. 2018. Land use and larval habitat increase Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus abundance in lowland Hawaii. Journal of Medical Entomology 55: 1509-1516. https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjy117
Paull, S.H., S. Song, K.M. McClure, L. Sackett, A.M. Kilpatrick, and P. Johnson. 2012. From superspreaders to disease hotspots: linking transmission across hosts and space. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 10: 75-82. https://doi.org/10.1890/110111
Klein, A., P.J. Hart, K. Stumpf, E. Tweed, C. Henneman, C. Spiegel, J. LeBrun, K.M. McClure, and B. Woodworth. 2003. Nests of Amakihi near sea-level on Hawaii Island. Elepaio 63: 9.

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

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