Want updates on all Hawaii’s Invasive species? This update from the AIS Team was provided to the Hawaii Invasive Species Council(HISC) as part of their bi-monthly newsletter!
HISC News is a semi-monthly newsletter that provides:
- Recurring updates from active response efforts
- Announcements and programmatic updates from agencies and partners
- Upcoming events. This newsletter is sent to the full HISC email list, and readers can subscribe/unsubscribe at hisc.hawaii.gov
View the full HISC update for February/March here: Volume 4, Issue 3
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DAR’s Aquatic Invasive Species Team has effectively transitioned to teleworking in the wake of the COVID-19 Crisis. Skype for Business has been utilized to maintain team communication, conduct meetings and keep projects on track. All team members have created detailed work plans to ensure progress on current projects. Priority tasks at this time include processing of monitoring data from Kāneʻohe Bay, updating known Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) database and progressing DAR’s aquatic organism risk screening process.
Essential fieldwork continues to take place and has been adapted under current CDC protocol which ensures the safety of team members and the public during these operations. These projects include urchin outplants and collections for spawning, which become necessary due to the limited space in DAR’s hatchery and their ability to continue production. Other time-sensitive survey protocols are being developed to maintain our monitoring schedule. Other field projects (such as ARMS, discussed in prior updates) have been postponed due to logistical constraints under these circumstances.
DAR’s AIS Team is fortunate to continue our work in protecting Hawaii’s Aquatic Resources from the threats of invasive species for the people of Hawaii during this time.
