Biologist Account: Heather:
“I was really looking forward to visiting Moku huki. The vegetation is unlike that of any other islet. Native ferns dominate the understory while scraggily Pandanas trees line the narrow summit. Who knows what arthropods would be found. So we set out for another helicopter adventure for a half day visit to the tiny (0.3 acre) islet. The islet sits close to shore, almost connected to the boulder beach, in a beautiful setting. Steep, forested cliffs form a bay around the islet, complete with a perfect waterfall that empties into an enticing pool at the edge of the ocean. The islet itself has 2 levels, the lower level is easily accessible, but very small. To get to the upper level requires a bit of work. Ken had visited the islet before and accessed the top by throwing a rope around a conveniently placed Pandanus tree and climbing up the 20 ft precipice. There was no sign of the Pandanus this time. Despite this setback he was able to scramble up the face and throw a rope down for me and Hank. Hank had again brought along 4 endangered Scaevola coriacea plants to outplant and Ken was on a mission to remove some invasive trees, specifically a banyan, Ficus microcarpa and Shoebutton ardisia, Ardisia elliptica. Unfortunately, the problem had become much worse since the previous visit 2 years ago. The lone Ardisia was now joined by many others and seedlings were sprouting around the islet. Ardisia was abundant in the adjacent coastal forest and the bird-dispersed fruits can easily be transferred to the small islet. Removing the trees would require regular visits, but regular visits would be destructive for the delicate understory. Not a promising situation. In terms of arthropods, spiders and isopods (some that resembled tiny, pink shrimp) were the most abundant. No seabirds were found and indeed, there isn’t much habitat for them. Soon, the helicopter returned to whisk us back to town.”