East Maui Seabird Monitoring

Project Goal
Three threatened seabird species persist in isolated upland breeding sites on the Main Hawaiian islands; ‘Ua’u (Hawaiian Petrel, Pterodroma sandwichensis), ‘A’o (Newell’s Shearwater, Puffinus newelli), and ‘Ake’ake (Band-rumped Storm-petrel, Oceanodroma castro). An ungulate-proof fence was constructed around the Kahikinui Forest Reserve on the leeward slope of the Haleakala volcano (abutting Haleakala National Park) with the goal of increasung the availability of breeding habitat for these threatened seabirds outside of the national park.

Conservation Metrics
The Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Project and Hawaii DOFAW have worked with Conservation Metrics to collect and analyze acoustic monitoring data for these seabird species at Kahikinui Forest Reserve every three years, beginning in 2014. Metrics of acoustic activity have provided researchers with valuable insight into the effects of conservation management actions.