Hawaiʻi Projects
Across the Hawaiian Islands, our team engages in a diverse array of conservation initiatives, with an emphasis on protecting endangered seabirds. Much of our work is concentrated on Kauaʻi, the northernmost of the Main Hawaiian Islands.
In the rugged northwestern mountains of Kauaʻi, we manage a monitoring program across ten sites dedicated to safeguarding breeding colonies of the ‘aʻo (Newell’s Shearwater), ‘uaʻu (Hawaiian Petrel), and ʻakēʻakē (Band-rumped Storm-petrel) as part of the Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) Habitat Conservation Plan.
Along the island’s northwestern coastline, we collaborate with partners to re-establish a multi-species assemblage of Hawaiian seabirds at Nuʻalolo Kai, one of the most important cultural restoration sites on Kauaʻi. Our staff also lead tracking studies targeting all three endangered seabird species, two species of albatross, and a coastal-breeding shearwater—the ‘uaʻu kani (Wedge-tailed Shearwater).
In 2025, we launched a collaborative project focused on the nēnē (Hawaiian Goose) in the Mānā Plains, aiming to reduce fatalities along a major highway on the island’s west side. Beyond Kauaʻi, we extend our support and expertise to partner organizations on the islands of Lānaʻi, Hawaiʻi, and Molokaʻi.
Our publications page provides links to all of our scientific papers, reports and more. Some of our recent publications include:
“Seabird restoration priorities for the US Pacific Islands” published in Conservation Biology - view
“Differences in breeding phenology between two geographically separated populations of the ʻuaʻu (Hawaiian Petrel Pterodroma sandwichensis)” published in Bird Conservation International. - view
“Spatial overlap in powerline collisions and vehicle strikes obscures the primary cause of avian mortality” published in the Journal for Nature Conservation. - view
Focal Species
In Hawaiʻi we work with a wide range of native seabirds and waterbirds, particularly on the island of Kauaʻi.