Pacific Islands Conservation Research Association

History

PICRA was formed in 2004 when several researchers felt that conservation issues on Pacific islands could benefit greatly from additional research focus. Although many organizations were already attempting to address various facets of conservation, much more work was needed to form the basis of a complete conservation program. Of utmost importance was basic biological research documenting the distribution, behavior, interactions, and population dynamics of species inhabiting Pacific Oceania. Conservation planning and management are complex endeavors, however, so focus on the evolutionary foundations of these species is also important.

PICRA Projects

We are proud of the progress that we have made since our inception in 2004, and we intend to continue expanding. We simply hope that our efforts will provide useful information that facilitates conservation management and helps to preserve threatened secies and systems in the Pacific.

PICRA scientists are currently involved in investigations to facilitate the recovery of insular birds and fish. Before land managers and policy makers can plan recovery actions for endangered species, information is often needed about the natural history, population biology, behavior, resource use, and demography of those organisms. In the Pacific, obtaining this information often requires field investigations.

Niau Kingfisher Conservation

Dr. Dylan Kesler of PICRA has been assisting the Société d'Ornithologie de Polynésie (SOP/MANU) with research on the Niau Kingfisher (Todiramphus gambieri), which is one of the most endangered birds in the world (see IUCN). The kingfishers inhabit the island of Niau in the South Pacific Tuamotu Archipelago.

Project Overview - The goal of this project is to collect information that will facilitate conservations efforts for the endangered birds. We have three main Objectives. First we want to survey the island of Niau for Niau Kingfishers. Second, we intend to evaluate habitat use and resource requirements of the birds. Third, we will use these data in the development of a recovery plan, which may include conservation management on Naiu or a translocation of birds to another island in order to establish a second population.

Niau Kingfisher Survey - We aim to survey the entire island of Niau for all three landbird species using point transect sampling. Second, we will assess vegetation on the island to relate kingfisher occurrence to habitat availability. Third, we will use survey and habitat information to estimate the size of Niau Kingfisher populations. We have now completed the kingfisher and habitat surveys, and are preparing results for publication.

Niau Kingfisher Home Habitat Use - We will use radio telemetry to evaluate the amount of area needed by Niau Kingfishers, and to assess home range scale habitat requirements. In February and November of 2006 we captured and radio-marked nineteen Naiu Kingfishers. Each of those birds were then tracked for six weeks. With the completion of the most recent field season in December, we began analyzing telemetry data in January 2007.

Outreach - During work on Niau, we involved children from the local school. Anne Gouni (Manu) visited the classes regularly, and we brought children into the field where they had the opportunity to watch birds and play with telemetry equipment.

Micronesian Kingfisher Project

The Guam Micronesian Kingfisher is among the most endangered species in the world, with fewer than sione hundred individuals remaining extant (as of fall 2006). All of the living representatives of the Guam subspecies now reside in captive breeding facilities in Guam and in mainland zoos. Along with Dr. Susan Haig of the USGS, PICRA scientist Dr. Dylan Kesler assisted with the recovery of these birds through an investigation into the resource use, demography, natural history, and behavior of the closely related Pohnpei Micronesian Kingfisher. This work has resulted in the following publications:

Kesler, D.C., and S.M. Haig. 2007. Conservation biology for suites of species: demographic modeling for the Pacific island kingfishers. Biological Conservation in press.

Kesler, D.C., and S.M. Haig. 2007. Multi-scale resource use and selection in cooperatively breeding Micronesian Kingfishers. Journal of Wildlife Management 72:in press.

Kesler, D.C., and S.M. Haig. 2007. Territoriality, prospecting, and dispersal in cooperatively breeding Micronesian Kingfishers. Auk 124:in press.

Kesler, D.C., I.F. Lopes, and S.M. Haig. 2006. Sex determination in the Pohnpei Micronesian Kingfisher using morphological and molecular genetic techniques. Journal of Field Ornithology 77:229-232.

Kesler, D.C., and S.M. Haig. 2005. Selection of arboreal termitaria for nesting by cooperatively breeding Pohnpei Micronesian Kingfishers. Ibis 147:188-196.

Kesler, D.C., and S.M. Haig. 2005. Microhabitat thermal characteristics and nest site selection in Micronesian kingfishers. Pacific Science. 59:499-508.

Kesler, D.C., and S.M. Haig. 2004. Thermal characteristics of wild and captive Micronesian kingfisher nesting habitats. Zoo Biology 23:301-308.

Coral Reef Ecology

Dr. Kevin Rhodes worked with PICRA as he investigates the natural history and conservation importance of grouper species along the coral reefs of the islands of Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia. The project has been partially funded by Project AWARE Foundation, and it aims to assess and enhance the effectiveness of existing management strategies to protect reproductively active grouper (Serranidae) at and away from multi-species spawning aggregation sites using combined acoustic telemetry and market analyses techniques. Project findings and recommendations will contribute to a greater understanding and conservation of spawning aggregations, which are being rapidly depleted at the global scale, are critically important to tropical fisheries and ecotourism, and are key to the persistence of local and regional populations.