Pacific Islands: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Pacific Islands: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service The mission of the U.S. The U.S. Commenting Policy

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Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people Fish and Wildlife Service in the Pacific Islands is responsible for the conservation of more than 500 threatened, endangered, and candidate species, four Marine National Monuments, and 21 National Wildlife Refuges. We wor

k in an area that spans a geographic area larger than the continental United States with a diverse set of ecosystems ranging from the bottom of the ocean to the top of Mauna Kea, and from coral reefs to streams, rainforests, and alpine deserts. By working with our partners, we work to conserve and restore native biodiversity and ecological integrity of Pacific Island ecosystems for the benefit of present and future generations through science-based management and collaborative partnerships. Our geographic scope across the Pacific includes Hawaii, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Mariana Islands, Guam, and the remote Pacific islands. We never discriminate against any views, but we reserve the right to delete any of the following:
--- personal attacks or otherwise violent or hateful comments
--- selling or advertising
--- promoting illegal activity
--- off-topic posts
--- personal information such as email addresses, telephone numbers, or mailing addresses

If you violate these policies repeatedly, we will remove you from this page.

Come visit our FWS booth this Saturday May 2, 2026 at the 11th annual Manu o Kū Festival. This is a free event and will ...
04/30/2026

Come visit our FWS booth this Saturday May 2, 2026 at the 11th annual Manu o Kū Festival. This is a free event and will take place at the 'Iolani Palace coronation grounds from 10am-2pm. There will be guided bird walks, educational talks, instructional art workshops, and various booths with family-friendly crafts and activities, including a kids nature-themed costume contest. There will also be live music and hula. Hope to see you and your 'ohana there!

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service invites the community to celebrate Earth Day on Wednesday, April 22 from 9:00 am to 7:0...
04/20/2026

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service invites the community to celebrate Earth Day on Wednesday, April 22 from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm at the Keālia Pond NWR visitor center located at Milepost 6 Maui Veterans Highway.

Since 1970, Earth Day has been observed around the globe as a day to raise environmental awareness and involve citizens and communities in creating a cleaner, healthier world. Earth Day inspired the passage of the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act that today still play significant roles in protecting wildlife and their habitats.

Earth Day at Keālia Pond NWR is a free public event for visitors of all ages to enjoy and appreciate the Refuge’s resources. Local partners such as Hawai’i Audubon Society, The Digital Bus, Maui Forest Bird Recovery, ReTree, and Friends of Keālia Pond NWR will be in attendance with resource tables and hands-on activities. Attendees will be able to plant seeds, take home a native plant, and learn about the importance of restoring ‘āina from the Service’s Habitat Restoration team. The event will conclude with a staff-led sunset bird watching walk. Binoculars and spotting scopes will be provided.

No registration is required. For information about the event visit the Refuge website, email mailto:[email protected] or call the Visitor Center at (808) 875-1582.

Join our partner Pacific Birds in celebrating a special wetland bird, the ʻalae ʻula, on April 4th, at Kukui Grove on Ka...
03/26/2026

Join our partner Pacific Birds in celebrating a special wetland bird, the ʻalae ʻula, on April 4th, at Kukui Grove on Kauaʻi. There will be partner booths, hula, an ʻalae ʻula oli, and chances to learn about coastal wildlife and win prizes! With a little over 700 of these special birds left in the world, we all have a role to play in recovering abundance for them.

Håfa Adai! Join the Guam National Wildlife Refuge - Ritidian Unit for the 5th annual Ha’ånen Litekyan on Saturday, March...
03/26/2026

Håfa Adai! Join the Guam National Wildlife Refuge - Ritidian Unit for the 5th annual Ha’ånen Litekyan on Saturday, March 28!

The event takes place between 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The community can listen to CHamoru legends and stories told by Master storytellers and local authors, and make arts and crafts inspired by nature and cultural heritage.

This is a free event for the whole family. Register by going to the QR code linked in the flier. For more information, email [email protected] or call 671-355-0985.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing critical habitat designations for 22 native plants and animals in the Ma...
03/25/2026

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing critical habitat designations for 22 native plants and animals in the Mariana Islands.

A public comment period will begin today, March 24, 2026, and end on June 22, 2026.

To learn more information or how to comment, visit: https://www.fws.gov/project/critical-habitat-mariana-islands

Researchers measure a 14,500-square-foot coral structure in the Maug caldera, an underwater volcano, at the Mariana Tren...
03/19/2026

Researchers measure a 14,500-square-foot coral structure in the Maug caldera, an underwater volcano, at the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument. Read the full article here:

Researchers measure 14,500-square-foot coral structure in an underwater volcano

Håfa Adai Guam! Join us for Ha’ånen Litekyan on Saturday, March 28 at Guam National Wildlife Refuge at Ritidian!  Betwee...
03/17/2026

Håfa Adai Guam! Join us for Ha’ånen Litekyan on Saturday, March 28 at Guam National Wildlife Refuge at Ritidian! Between 9:30am to 12:30pm, the community is invited to listen to CHamoru legends and stories told by Master storytellers and local authors. Make arts and crafts inspired by nature and cultural heritage! This is a free event for the whole family. Register by going to the QR code linked in the flier. For more information, email [email protected] or call 671-355-0985.

The U.S. Navy and Friends of Kaua‘i Wildlife Refuges signed an $800k Cooperative Agreement under the Department of War (...
02/12/2026

The U.S. Navy and Friends of Kaua‘i Wildlife Refuges signed an $800k Cooperative Agreement under the Department of War (DOW) Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) program. This collaborative effort funds a multi-year project that is mutually beneficial to both the DOW and the Kaua‘i National Wildlife Refuge Complex.

The REPI funding will expand Pacific Missile Range Facility’s (PMRF) mōlī (Laysan albatross) egg swap program to improve fledgling survival and reduce nesting in unsafe locations; implement enhanced control of invasive predators to protect endangered birds; strengthen biosecurity protocols to keep invasive species out of nesting sites; reduce bird aircraft strike hazards on the Mana airfield at PMRF; remove invasive plants and restore native vegetation to create higher-quality nesting habitat; and monitor and repair fence lines at the Kaua‘i National Wildlife Refuge Complex to help protect native birds.

This collaborative effort will help ensure that federally listed and protected seabirds and waterbirds can thrive in protected habitats, while also benefiting the DOW by reducing Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) risks to Navy pilots.

See news release here: https://www.dvidshub.net/news/557657/us-navy-and-friends-kauai-wildlife-refuge-sign-cooperative-agreement-expand-seabird-and-waterbird-habitat-kauai

Join us on Monday February 2, 2026 as we celebrate World Wetlands Day at Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge! From 9:00...
01/27/2026

Join us on Monday February 2, 2026 as we celebrate World Wetlands Day at Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge!

From 9:00am – 12:00pm, staff and volunteers will be working to remove a large patch of invasive pickleweed to help improve wetland habitat for our endangered Hawaiian waterbirds--aeʻo (Hawaiian stilt) and ʻalae keʻokeʻo (Hawaiian coot).

Interested volunteers are asked to reserve a spot here. We look forward to seeing you next week!

Laysan duck population at Midway Atoll reaches an all-time high, while Ka‘upu nesting numbers reach 2nd all-time high an...
01/23/2026

Laysan duck population at Midway Atoll reaches an all-time high, while Ka‘upu nesting numbers reach 2nd all-time high and mōlī nesting numbers reach 4th all-time high

Laysan Duck numbers at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and Batlle of Midway National Memorial are at an all-time high. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Staff and volunteers recorded a total of 1,239 adult birds this week, the second time this season with counts larger than1,200 individuals and 400 more birds than in any previous year’s counts. At one seep alone (Sunset Seep on Eastern Island), there were 600 ducks in and around the waterbody, more than the entire estimated population on Kamole (Laysan Island). Laysan ducks are the second most endangered duck species in the world.

Ka‘upu (Black-footed Albatross) numbers were also surprisingly high this season with a total of 28,246 nesting Black-footed albatross nests counted. Making this year’s count the second highest all-time for kaʻupu. Of all the albatross species of Hawaiʻi, kaʻupu are the smallest in size.

Although we recorded a decrease by 5% from last year's total nest counts, mōlī (Laysan albatross) numbers actually reached the fourth highest count ever documented at Midway Atoll NWR with 589,623 Laysan albatross nests. It is not uncommon in a given year, for population counts on Midway to increase or decrease by 10 to 25%. USFWS staff have confirmed that Wisdom did not lay an egg this year, though she has been visiting Midway Atoll, including another recent visit last week.

Staff and volunteers at Midway Atoll also are celebrating the highest number of short-tailed albatross ever documented in one year at Midway with a total of 8 individuals so far in 2026.

Volunteers are essential for the Midway Atoll albatross count conducted annually. Through intensive foot surveys, our volunteers overcome challenges like storms and complex landscapes to tally mōlī and ka'upu nests, providing vital data for one of the world's largest seabird colonies. The FWS is grateful to our volunteers for their passion, dedication, and meticulous efforts year-in-and-year out—that contribute to our understanding of the health and resilience of albatross on Midway. The FWS is also thankful to the Friends of Midway Atoll a non-profit that supports the refuge by funding important activities like the albatross count.

📷 courtesy of Jon Plissner/USFWS

Palmyra Atoll NWR Rainforest Realignment Volunteer Positions: Winter - Summer 2026The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FW...
12/18/2025

Palmyra Atoll NWR Rainforest Realignment Volunteer Positions: Winter - Summer 2026

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is recruiting four (4) volunteers available from mid-Feb 2026 to mid-July 2026, to participate in an invasive coconut control project (The CoCo Project) at Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. Volunteers will work in Honolulu for preparation and training for up to three (3) weeks and then be deployed to Palmyra Atoll for approximately four (4) months.

If you are passionate about conservation, possess a strong physical and mental constitution, and are flexible under changing conditions, then this is the perfect opportunity for you. This island-level experiment aims to increase native tree species and seabird populations and improve island and coral reef resiliency to climate change.

Appointees will have the rare opportunity to live in this remote setting surrounded by rainforest, seabirds, land crabs and thriving coral reefs. Volunteers will spend roughly 2 weeks in Honolulu in preparation before deploying to Palmyra for six months.

Palmyra Atoll is in the central Pacific Ocean, about 1,000 miles south of Hawaii. Palmyra is a thickly vegetated set of islands with abundant rainfall; hot, humid temperatures; and rustic living conditions. It is uninhabited except for a small crew who manages a field station and FWS personnel who manage the refuge resources. Research groups will be rotating in and out during the season.

Learn more about this opportunity and how to apply at:
https://ow.ly/3fIX50XLM4R

Photo courtesy of: Tandem Stills

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