News & Blog

Pacific Rim Conservation’s office is now energy independent

Our office is now generates 100% of its power with solar energy thanks to photovoltaic panels installed by Revolusun (www.revolusun.com). Pacific Rim Conservation now saves several tons of CO² from being put into the atmosphere each year.

We’re hiring! Avian Ecologist position. Applications due 31 October

AVIAN ECOLOGIST, Honolulu, Hawaii. An avian ecologist position is available in Honolulu, Hawaii from Pacific Rim Conservation, a small company dedicated to studying and conserving the biota of the Pacific region. Primary duties will be management, research, and surveys for the endangered Oahu Elepaio, including 1) controlling alien rats using snap traps and bait stations; 2) measuring demographic responses of elepaio populations to rat control by searching for and monitoring nests and resighting color-banded birds to estimate survival; 3) assisting with mist-netting and banding of elepaio; 4) conducting surveys to determine current distribution and abundance of elepaio and locate additional sites for recovery efforts; and 5) data entry, basic statistical analyses, and writing technical reports and manuscripts for publication. The avian ecologist will work with the principle investigator, Dr. Eric VanderWerf, and help to supervise an avian conservation technician. Secondary duties will occasionally include assisting with monitoring and management of Laysan Albatross and Red-tailed Tropicbirds. Minimum Qualifications: Masters Degree in a biological or natural resources related field, Ph.D. preferred; at least 2 years experience in avian field ecology; experience with Hawaiian forest birds, nest searching, mist-netting, and predator control preferred; ability to drive a 4wd vehicle on rough roads. Physical Requirements: ability to hike over rough terrain in hot, humid conditions carrying a backpack weighing up to 35 pounds for 8 hours per day. Salary: $3,000-$3,500 per month depending on qualifications, medical and dental benefits provided. Dates of employment: 1 January 2011 to 30 June 2012, some flexibility, possibility for extension pending performance and funding.

This position is now closed.

Seabird banding workshop held on Kauai

As part of a regional effort to continue long term Laysan albatross monitoring throughout the main and Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Pacific Rim Conservation in collaboration with the US Fish and Wildlife Service Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge co-taught an intensive two day long Laysan albatross biology and banding workshop to help train volunteers and refuge staff how to band these large seabirds. PRC has been monitoring and banding Laysan albatross on Oahu and throughout the main Hawaiian Islands for the last seven years and is excited to ensure that this work continues on all the nesting islands. Over twenty biologists and volunteers on the island of Kauai were instructed in albatross biology and handling/banding techniques. In the end all the Laysan albatross chicks on Kauai’s north shore were accounted for and banded and over 200 birds were re-sighted as part of a long term mark-recapture program initiated by the USFWS and the US Geological Survey. Banding birds with a unique combination of bands allows individuals to be identified so that reproductive success, survival and other demographic parameters can be monitored over multiple years to assist in their conservation. All chicks on Oahu and Kauai should begin fledging at the end of June and will hopefully return as adults 3-5 years from now.

Insects, soil and the marine intertidal habitat surveyed at Kaena Point

As part of the ongoing monitoring to measure what the effects will be of predator removal on the ecosystem at Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve, Pacific Rim Conservation in collaboration with the Hawaii Department of

Yellow faced bee on an Ohai flower. Photo by Pat Aldrich

Land and Natural Resources and the US Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Program, conducted an intensive three day long biological survey in March as part of the Kaena Point Ecosystem Restoration Project. Insects were collected and identified from points throughout the reserve to document whether the removal of rats will cause changes in proportions of native insects, such as yellow faced bees, and non-native insects, such as ants. Small soil samples were also collected to determine whether increases in seabird numbers will impact the nutrients in the soils and the marine intertidal habitat was surveyed to document whether rats are having an impact on marine invertebrates, such as opihi. Previous surveys have already been done on the plants and birds at Kaena to look at similar questions. Overall, the removal of non-native predators, such as rats, mongoose and cats are expected to have a large benefit to the native species found at Kaena Point.

2010 Island Invasives Conference in New Zealand

Tawharanui predator proof fence

PRC recently returned from presenting at the Island Invasives Conference in Auckland, New Zealand in February 2010. The focus of the conference was on the ecological, social and economic impacts of invasive species on island ecosystems with a focus on techniques used to remove invasive species from island ecosystems. As part of the conference, we visited various predator-proof fences throughout New Zealand as well as several offshore island predator-free sanctuaries to learn more about the techniques used in New Zealand and how we can apply them in Hawaii.

Plastic Ingestion Rates of Laysan Albatross on Oahu and Kure Atoll

The recent paper by Lindsay and her co-authors on the foraging patterns and plastic ingestion rates of Laysan albatross on Oahu and Kure Atoll (pdf 67) was written up by multiple media outlets including the Discovery Channel (http://news.discovery.com/animals/albatross-plastic-garbage-patch.html), scientific American (http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=plastic-plastic-everywhere-nor-any-2009-10-27) and a radio interview on national public radio (http://www.cbc.ca/quirks/archives/09-10/qq-2009-11-07.html). We found that by following birds at sea with miniaturized tracking devices and analyzing their stomach contents, that birds from Kure Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands ingested ten times the amount of plastic compared to birds on Oahu, primarily because birds from Kure spent more time over Asian waters which contained more plastic.

Albatross colony disappears

In March 2009, an entire colony of Laysan albatross disappeared as a result of human interference. For more information visit: http://www.honolulumagazine.com/Honolulu-Magazine/June-2009/What-Happened-to-the-Birds/#

North Pacific Correspondent for ACAP

Lindsay was recently invited to be the North Pacific Correspondent for ACAP, the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, which is an international treaty signed by 13 member countries. Lindsay provides several stories per month to the organization on issues related to North Pacific albatrosses. For more information visit www.acap.aq

Elepaio are not subspecies

The Elepaio on Kauai, Oahu, and Hawaii are actually different species!  Although each was originally described as separate species more than 100 years ago, today they are currently treated as a single species, with subspecies on each island.  Read more »

Kaena Point ecosystem restoration

The Kaena Point ecosystem restoration project is now in the final permitting stages and construction is scheduled to begin in Spring 2010 after a three year planning period. This project has received local, as well as national attention in numerous news pieces and will result in the construction of the first predator proof fence not only in Hawaii, but in the US.