Invasive Plant and Tree Eradication Project
Verbesina encelioides is the State of Hawaiʻi’s top management priority for Kure Atoll Conservancy. It is a monotypic (single species) stand of tall, nearly impenetrable vegetation and, for 55 years, has directly displaced ten seabird species.
Laysan Duck Reintroduction & Habitat Creation Project
Once widely distributed across the Hawaiian archipelago, and now 400-500 individuals, the Laysan duck is endangered and has had multiple translocation attempts. When future catastrophes strike, such as sudden flooding from sea level rise, tsunamis, and hurricanes, disease outbreaks, or accidental predator introductions, these disasters are unlikely to hit each
Dune Restoration and Creation Project
The 20-foot dunes that rim Green Island on the west side are higher and more extensive than any other Northwestern Hawaiian Island dunes.The integrity and function of Kure’s important dune-shrub complex are threatened by invasive plants that out-compete the native dune-stabilizing shrub Scaevola taccada (Naupaka). The main priority for dune creation and stabilization focus directly on sand retention with native grasses and plants.
Native Plant Restoration Project
Itʻs not enough to pull weeds and leave an area open for non-natives to aggressively colonize an area, one must also fastidiously out plant natives in these areas to gain a foothold prior to the onset of non-natives recruiting in these places. In conjunction with the eradication project, the native plant restoration project promotes the recovery of native plant communities that support seabird nesting.
Pest Management
Big-headed Ants (Pheidole megacephala) Invasive ants are a significant conservation concern and can have far-reaching effects in ecosystems they invade. Limited unpublished observations of this particular ant species attacking nesting seabirds exist, but the frequency of attacks or how they affect seabird growth and survival are unknown. An eradication program
Habitat Restoration on the Abandoned USCG Runway Project
The United States Coast Guard LORAN-C Station Kure was constructed in 1960 and used as a radio navigation station from 1961-1993. Today, the Southwest end of the runway is called The Landfill. The Landfill is a main focal point for habitat restoration as a way to rebuild the dunes and encourage black-footed and Laysan albatross to move their nest sites away from the vulnerable beachfront onto the adjacent elevated runway where there is increased protection from storm surge and tsunamis.
