A living guide to Kauaʻi
Threats & Conservation of Kauaʻi
Explore the island’s native and introduced species, habitats, watersheds and conservation work. Each record connects its description, images and sources with the interactive Atlas.
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Island biosecurity prevention & pathway sanitation
Prevent high-impact pests/pathogens from arriving or moving between islands/sites
Islandwide early-detection surveillance
Detect incipient invasive populations while eradication remains feasible
Rapid response, containment & eradication
Eliminate or contain newly detected high-impact invasive populations
Priority invasive-plant control
Reduce forest-modifying invasive plants and protect native regeneration
Ungulate-proof fencing
Exclude pigs, goats and deer from high-value conservation units
Ungulate removal & sustained control
Reduce or eliminate ungulates inside priority areas and lower landscape pressure elsewhere
Predator-exclusion fencing
Create protected breeding habitat inaccessible to invasive mammalian predators
Rodent control / eradication
Reduce rodent predation on eggs, chicks, seeds, fruits and native invertebrates
Feral cat control
Reduce cat predation in high-value wildlife habitat and near grounding hotspots
Dog access & responsible-ownership management
Reduce predation and disturbance by free-ranging dogs at sensitive sites
Incompatible Insect Technique mosquito suppression
Suppress invasive mosquito reproduction to reduce avian-malaria transmission
Bti mosquito larval control
Reduce mosquito larvae in treated landscape and complement adult/reproductive suppression
ROD sanitation, wound prevention & movement controls
Slow spread and reduce new infections of Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death
ʻŌhiʻa resistance, genetic conservation & resistant-stock development
Preserve ʻōhiʻa genetic diversity and develop/reinforce disease-resistant material where evidence supports it
Rare-plant seed banking, propagation & outplanting
Prevent extinction and rebuild viable populations of imperiled plants
Native forest restoration & outplanting
Rebuild native forest structure and ecological function after threat reduction
Habitat connectivity & corridor restoration
Reconnect fragmented native habitats and reduce isolation of populations/processes
Seabird colony restoration, nest support & translocation
Establish or strengthen secure seabird breeding colonies
Dark-sky lighting, shielding & seasonal light reduction
Reduce seabird attraction/disorientation from artificial light
Powerline marking, diverters, redesign or removal
Reduce seabird collision with hazardous wires/structures
Downed seabird rescue & rehabilitation
Recover grounded/injured seabirds and return viable birds to the wild
Riparian restoration & buffer protection
Restore stream-edge vegetation, shade, bank stability and filter function
Ecological streamflow protection & restoration
Maintain sufficient streamflow for native aquatic ecosystems and downstream estuary function
Fish-passage & aquatic-barrier remediation
Restore movement through culverts, diversions and other artificial barriers
Wetland hydrology restoration & adaptive water management
Restore/manage water depth, hydroperiod, salinity and habitat mosaic for wetland function
Waterbird predator control
Reduce nest, chick and adult mortality of native waterbirds
Dune restoration & native coastal vegetation
Restore dune sand storage, native vegetation and coastal resilience
Soft shoreline management, setbacks & managed retreat
Preserve room for beach/dune migration and reduce dependence on hard armoring
Watershed erosion & sediment-source control
Reduce sediment delivery from disturbed uplands to streams and reefs
Cesspool conversion & wastewater upgrades
Reduce nutrient/pathogen discharge to groundwater and coastal waters
Agricultural best-management practices & vegetated buffers
Reduce erosion, nutrient/pesticide loss and habitat fragmentation from production landscapes
Wildfire prevention, fuel management & community preparedness
Prevent ignitions, reduce hazardous fuels and improve rapid response while protecting native ecosystems
Reef water-quality management
Reduce land-based pollution reaching coral reefs
Sustainable fisheries & herbivore management
Maintain fish biomass, spawning capacity and ecological herbivory
Marine-debris removal & entanglement response
Remove hazardous debris and rescue entangled wildlife
Invasive-algae control & herbivory restoration
Reduce nuisance/invasive algal dominance and support coral recovery where mechanisms are established
Coral restoration & resilience enhancement
Rebuild coral cover/structure at damaged sites where local stressors are sufficiently controlled
Long-term ecological monitoring & adaptive management
Detect change, evaluate intervention performance and trigger reassessment
Community & cultural stewardship partnerships
Increase conservation reach through locally grounded participation, knowledge and care
Visitor access management & sensitive-site protection
Reduce trampling, disturbance and pathogen/invasive spread at sensitive sites
Conservation breeding, captive propagation & translocation
Prevent extinction and create/reinforce populations when wild threats exceed immediate tolerance
Protected-area expansion, easements & durable habitat protection
Secure ecological space for long-term conservation and climate/shoreline migration
Feral ungulate browsing, rooting & trampling
A recurring Kauaʻi conservation pressure: Feral ungulate browsing, rooting & trampling.
Introduced rat & mouse predation / seed loss
A recurring Kauaʻi conservation pressure: Introduced rat & mouse predation / seed loss.
Feral cat predation
A recurring Kauaʻi conservation pressure: Feral cat predation.
Free-ranging dog predation & disturbance
A recurring Kauaʻi conservation pressure: Free-ranging dog predation & disturbance.
Invasive mosquitoes & avian malaria
A recurring Kauaʻi conservation pressure: Invasive mosquitoes & avian malaria.
Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death
A recurring Kauaʻi conservation pressure: Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death.
Invasive forest-plant conversion
A recurring Kauaʻi conservation pressure: Invasive forest-plant conversion.
Miconia invasion
A recurring Kauaʻi conservation pressure: Miconia invasion.
Strawberry guava invasion
A recurring Kauaʻi conservation pressure: Strawberry guava invasion.
Kahili / Himalayan ginger invasion
A recurring Kauaʻi conservation pressure: Kahili / Himalayan ginger invasion.
Australian tree fern invasion
A recurring Kauaʻi conservation pressure: Australian tree fern invasion.
Little fire ant invasion
A recurring Kauaʻi conservation pressure: Little fire ant invasion.
Coconut rhinoceros beetle incursion
A recurring Kauaʻi conservation pressure: Coconut rhinoceros beetle incursion.
High-risk invasive-species arrival & reintroduction
A recurring Kauaʻi conservation pressure: High-risk invasive-species arrival & reintroduction.
Wildfire & invasive grass–fire cycle
A recurring Kauaʻi conservation pressure: Wildfire & invasive grass–fire cycle.
Climate warming
A recurring Kauaʻi conservation pressure: Climate warming.
Drought & changing rainfall
A recurring Kauaʻi conservation pressure: Drought & changing rainfall.
Extreme storms, floods & landslides
A recurring Kauaʻi conservation pressure: Extreme storms, floods & landslides.
