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ISLET FIELD ACCOUNTS
Follow the interns and volunteers through their work on the offshore islets. Click on the photos to link to a photo gallery for each visit.

> 19 Feb 2007: Moku'au'ia (Goat Island), O'ahu
> 29 Feb 2007: Mokulua, O'ahu
> 28 Mar 2007: Kaohikaipu (Black Rock), O'ahu
> 2-3 April 2007: Po'opo'o, Lana'i
> 2-3 April 2007: Pu'u pehe (Sweetheart Rock), Lana'i
> 5 Apr and 7 Apr 2007: Moku'au'ia (Goat Island), O'ahu
> 5-7 Apr 2007: Mokoli'i (Chinaman's Hat), O'ahu
> 29 Apr 2007: Kapapa (Mokukapapa), O'ahu
> 3-4 May 2007: Lehua, Kaua'i and Ni'ihau
> 9 May 2007: Moku'au'ia (Goat Island), O'ahu
> 12 May 2007: Mokoli'i (Chinaman's Hat), O'ahu
> 29-31 May 2007: Molokini, Maui
> 29-31 May 2007: Kaemi, Maui
> 29-31 May 2007: Hulu, Maui
> 1 Jun 2007: Moku'au'ia (Goat Island), O'ahu
> 8 Jun 2007: Moku'au'ia (Goat Island), O'ahu
> 15 Jun 2007: Moku'au'ia (Goat Island), O'ahu
> 22 Jun 2007: Moku'au'ia (Goat Island), O'ahu
> 29 Jun 2007: Moku'au'ia (Goat Island), O'ahu
> 6 Jul 2007: Moku'au'ia (Goat Island), O'ahu
> 18 Jul 2007: Moku'au'ia (Goat Island), O'ahu
> 24 Jul 2007: Moku'au'ia (Goat Island), O'ahu
> 31 Jul 2007: Moku'au'ia (Goat Island), O'ahu
> 7 Aug and 30 Aug 2007: Kapapa (Mokukapapa), O'ahu
> 7 Aug and 30 Aug 2007: Kaohikaipu (Black Rock), O'ahu
> 8 Aug 2007: Moku'au'ia (Goat Island), O'ahu
> 17 Aug 2007: Moku'au'ia (Goat Island), O'ahu
> 17 Aug 2007: Mokoli'i (Chinaman's Hat), O'ahu
> 24 Aug 2007: Moku'au'ia (Goat Island), O'ahu
> 8 Sep 2007: Mokauea, O'ahu
> 10 Sep 2007: Moku'ae'ae, Kaua'i and Ni'ihau
> 18-20 Sep 2007: Mokapu, Moloka'i
> 18-20 Sep 2007: 'Okala, Moloka'i
> 21 Sep 2007: Mokoli'i (Chinaman's Hat), O'ahu
> 22 Sep 2007: Moku'au'ia (Goat Island), O'ahu
> 24 Sep 2007: Kaohikaipu (Black Rock), O'ahu
> 24 Sep 2007: Manana (Rabbit Island), O'ahu
> 14-16 Oct 2007: Mokoli'i (Chinaman's Hat), O'ahu
> 17 Oct 2007: Popo'ia (Flat Island), O'ahu
> 20-21 Oct 2007: Kapapa (Mokukapapa), O'ahu
> 25 Oct 2007: Moke'ehia, Maui
> 26 Oct 2007: Mokupipi, Maui
> 27 Oct 2007: Pu'uku (Pu'uki'i), Maui
> 1 Nov 2007: Po'opo'o, Lana'i
> 1 Nov 2007: Moku mana, Maui
> 2 Nov 2007: Pu'u pehe (Sweetheart Rock), Lana'i
> 2 Nov 2007: Ki'ei, Lana'i
> 10 Nov 2007: Mokauea, O'ahu
> 1-2 Dec 2007: Kaohikaipu (Black Rock), O'ahu
> 9 Feb and Feb 11 2008: Manana (Rabbit Island), O'ahu
> 15 Feb 2008: Mokuho'oniki, Moloka'i
> 16 Feb 2008: Moku manu, Moloka'i
> 16 Feb 2008: Kanaha, Moloka'i
> 19 Mar 2008: 'Alau, Maui
> 20 Mar 2008: Mokuhuki, Maui
> 26 Mar 2008: 'Ale'ale, Kaho'olawe
> 26 Mar 2008: Pu'u koa'e, Kaho'olawe
Moku'au'ia (Goat Island)   22 Sep 2007

Trip Goal: To assist DOFAW biologists in an attempt to eradicate Yellow Crazy Ants from the islet using Mokoli'i Islet as a control (no bait used). Using the results of our bait preference trials, a new bait was made specifically for controlling Yellow Crazy Ants in Hawai'i. This ant species has disrupted seabird colonies and ecosystems elsewhere in Hawai'i and around the tropics, but eradication has been troublesome. A successful eradication on Moku'auia would be great step in restoring these fragile island ecosystems to their natural state.

Accomplishments: Over the course of 3 months, we completed 2 ant bait applications and conducted intensive monitoring of the ant and seabird populations. We were able to significantly reduce ant numbers, but not eradicate them entirely. However, as a result of our experiment, seabirds were able to survive and successfully hatch chicks on the island. No seabird chicks survived on our control islet (Mokoli'i), where ant bait was not applied. More importantly, we have learned from the project and will readjust the bait amounts and timing and will hopefully eradicate the ants soon.
Moku'au'ia
Photo Gallery

Intern Account: Clare:
"This was my first trip as a intern for the islet project and I had no idea what to expect. I didn’t even know what we were surveying until we got to the island! The other interns and myself did more than just survey ants, however. There was a large tangle of several ropes that had washed up on the beach, and we needed to remove it. The problem with the rope wasn’t that it was large and heavy and hard to hold (although those were rather difficult obstacles to overcome), the challenge was that after digging it up from the sand, we had to transport it across the island without damaging any of the bird burrows. It took us a while, and we even asked for some help from some unwilling people walking around the island, but we finally got the ropes in the boat; exceeding the boats maximum capacity by more than 500 pounds. The main reason for our trip was ant surveying, although we spent the majority of the time dealing with the rope. Since I don’t have anything to compare the number of ants I saw to, I can’t say whether there were many or few ants, but the Crazy Ants were only found under or around vegetation. I also about ten baby seabirds in their burrows. The birds were very defensive and they were at the stage where they were just developing their voices so their cries to keep us away were punier than I’m guessing they were supposed to sound."