Hawaii

Ai.Fish
Artificial-Intelligence Assisted Data Management and Review Platform for Hawaii Longline Fisheries (CA, HI)
Develop a web-based application using machine learning and computer vision algorithms to preprocess electronic monitoring data from the Hawaii pelagic longline fisheries. Project will reduce costs and improve timeliness of the review process, lowering the barrier to entry for implementation of electronic monitoring and review technologies in the Hawaii-permitted longline fisheries.
$300,617

American Bird Conservancy
Establishing Populations of Endemic Seabirds at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge — VIII (HI)
Translocate 20 Hawaiian petrel chicks and up to 20 Newell’s shearwater chicks to Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, Kauai. Project will provide long-term resilience for these endemic Hawaiian seabirds by establishing new breeding populations within a predator safe enclosure; additional actions include habitat restoration, social attraction to attract prospecting, pre-breeding adults and monitoring recruitment of seabirds.
$224,955

American Bird Conservancy
Saving Hawaii’s Imperiled Forest Birds XII (HI)
Improve native Hawaiian forest bird populations on the islands of Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai and continue efforts in implementing biotechnology-based avian disease vector control program. Project will introduce Palila to the northern slope of Mauna Kea, conduct predator management and restore habitat on Hawaii and Maui, maintain fencing around palila critical habitat, and conduct palila population surveys and mosquito surveys on the Alaka‘i Plateau and eastern Maui.
$320,000

College of Charleston
Understanding the Impacts of the Invasive Alga to Support Management of Papahanaumokuakea (HI)
Understand and mitigate the effects of the invasive alga at Pearl and Hermes Atoll in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. Project will determine its current distribution in the Monument, ecological impact on diversity at multiple scales, assess its population dynamics, describe and model its physiological characteristics in cooperation with oceanographic phenomena, and develop best management practices for removal.
$120,000

Coral Reef Alliance
Expanding Stream Gulch Restoration Actions to Improve Coral Reef Health in Wahikuli, West Maui (HI)
Address land-based pollution from sedimentation using best management practices recommended by the Stream Restoration Knowledge Sharing Group in West Maui. Project will install 30 practices to address erosion, stabilize sediment and increase the infiltration of storm water to improving coral reef health.
$85,000

Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization
Decreasing Sedimentation of Priority Coral Reefs through Fire Risk Reduction in South Kohala (HI)
Reduce the threat of erosion and sedimentation of coral reef ecosystems by developing comprehensive wildfire planning and ignition risk reduction for the entire region of South Kohala, Hawaii. Project will implement recommendations from the Pelekane Bay Watershed Management Plan, Wai‘ula‘ula Watershed Management Plan, and South Kohala Conservation Action Plan.
$79,908

Horsley Witten Group
Protecting Kaopala’s Coastal Infrastructure Using a Nature-Based Flood Management Design (HI)
Generate conceptual green infrastructure alternatives for an open parcel of land to reduce flooding while providing co-benefits such as water quality improvement, community open space, and nearshore marine and floodplain habitat improvement.  Project will investigate options and prepare permit-ready design plans for a natural floodplain restoration upstream from a threatened coastal road.
$126,406

Island Conservation
Monitoring and Evaluating Rat Activity and Eradication on Lehua Island (HI)
Support an independent review of the Lehua Island, Hawaii, Polynesian rat eradication operation and continue seabird and rat monitoring. Project will continue to assess rat presence, deploy appropriate removal tools, assess seabirds response to the 2017 rat eradication attempt and will contract an independent evaluation of the rat eradication operation as best practice for gleaning lessons learned from unsuccessful eradication operations.
$75,000

Maui Nui Marine Resource Council
Implementing a Storm water Management Plan in the Pohakea Watershed (HI)
Identify management strategies for storm water-related sources of pollution such as sediments, nutrients, pathogens, and other chemicals currently being transported within Pohakea watershed. Project will monitor water quality and erosion with the County of Maui and private landowners to mitigate land-based sources of pollution and reduce pollutant inputs to important reef systems.
$45,000

Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute
Collection of Decommissioned Fishing Nets to Clean Beaches and Reefs on Maui, Hawaii
Collect decommissioned fishing nets from the shores of the island of Maui, Hawaii by communication with local commercial fishermen that utilize harbors on Maui. Project will convert to energy 6 tons of nets, resulting in less polluted beaches and reefs and reducing the negative impact derelict fishing nets can have on threatened and endangered species, including sea turtles, corals, Hawaiian monk seals, and humpback whales.
$9,478

National Marine Sanctuary Foundation
Community Engagement Programing for Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument Discovery Center (HI)
Provide dedicated cultural programming at the Mokupapapa Discovery Center and other Hawaii based education centers to nurture and strengthen connections with the remote ocean wilderness of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. Project will create exhibits, host public outreach events and use social media to highlight the ecological and cultural resources of the Monument and spotlight the work that is being supported to protect them.
$200,491

Oahu Resource Conservation and Development Council
Developing a Conservation Framework for Agricultural Wetlands on Oahu’s North Shore (HI)
Engage private landowners and land managers in the Hale‘iwa and Waialua communities on North Shore, Oahu in order to identify and implement conservation practices that will improve habitat for species such as the ‘alae ‘ula by utilizing Farm Bill programs. Project will develop a management plan for wetland bird habitat enhancement, which will incorporate effective conservation practices identified.
$124,000

Oregon State University
Equipping Albatross with Radar-Detecting Tags to Monitor Fishing Around Papahanaumokuakea (HI)
Deploy radar-detecting tracking devices on breeding black-footed and Laysan albatrosses at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge to determine the frequency of vessel encounters and potential drivers of albatross-fisheries associations within and outside the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. Project will allow managers to infer and mitigate the potential bycatch risk to breeding albatrosses, thus furthering conservation goals for the species, and increase monitoring of illegal fishing.
$216,904

Pacific Rim Conservation
Creating Resilient Tropical Seabird Colonies at James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge (HI)
Translocate three species of seabirds to create new resilient breeding colonies at James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge, Oahu, Hawaii. Project will safeguard sea level rise vulnerable species by translocating chicks from low-lying nesting colonies in the NW Hawaiian Islands to a “high island” protected predator proof fence location on Oahu.
$320,000

Pacific Rim Conservation
Creating the First Predator-Free Montane Hawaiian Petrel Colony on Kauai, Hawaii
Construct a 3 acre predator-exclusion fence at Pohakea within the Hono O Na Pali Natural Area Reserve, Kauai. Project will protect a small colony of Newell’s shearwaters and serve as a social attraction site for Hawaiian petrels and band rumped storm-petrels, predators will be removed from within the fenced site following construction and habitat restoration along with artificial burrows will be used to enhance the sites potential for nesting seabirds.
$440,000

Pacific Rim Conservation
Using Thermal Imaging Drones to Locate Newell’s Shearwaters and Hawaiian Petrels on Oahu (HI)
Search for breeding colonies of Newell’s shearwater and Hawaiian petrel to determine if birds detected in previous surveys are prospecting or breeding on Oahu. Project will test and develop thermal imaging drones to detect burrow nesting seabirds on a landscape scale, deploy song meters at strategic locations, visit each site monthly to retrieve data for rapid analysis and coordinate intensive visual and ground searching.
$45,000

Papahanaumokuakea Marine Debris Project 
Marine Debris Removal from Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument (HI)
Mitigate hazards to protected species and coral reef habitat of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument through large scale marine debris removal from the coral reefs and shorelines. Project will remove an estimated 240,000 pounds of derelict fishing gear and plastics, restoring 1,300 acres of coral reef habitat and 400 acres of shoreline habitat.
$299,629

Pono Pacific Land Management
Ungulate Fencing Assessment and Feasibility Study on Northeast Lanai (HI)
Identify, map, and provide cost estimates and implementation plans for ungulate fencing alignments along the northern and southern boarders of the program area, as well as interior fencing options on northeast Lanai, Hawaii. Project will assist in prioritizing fence implementation locations and provide conservation recommendations for ungulate monitoring and control strategies.
$19,017

Queen Emma Land Company
Reduce Chronic Sedimentation and Restore Resilience to South Kohala Reefs (HI)
Remove unmanaged feral goats from the Pelekane Watershed to significantly decrease erosion and subsequent sedimentation of nearshore coral reefs. Project will allow vegetation to reestablish in critical and susceptible erosion-prone areas, preventing 15,000 pounds of sedimentation runoff annually.
$31,130

Ridge to Reefs
Reducing Land-based Sources of Pollution at Three Priority Sites in Maui Nui (HI)
Implement sediment and nutrient reducing practices to reduce runoff onto three reef tracks in Maui Nui. Project will work with management and local partners in West and South Maui and on Lanai to install best practices, pilot new approaches and plan for further implementation actions.
$268,950

The Nature Conservancy
Assessment of Kiwikiu and Mosquito Populations in Waikamoi Preserve (HI)
Determine the current status of the windward population of kiwikiu in the Waikamoi Preserve on Maui and assess the abundance and distribution of mosquitoes that cause avian malaria. Project will conduct a population assessment of kiwikiu and mosquitoes in the Waikamoi Preserve and install remote cameras to document predator presence.
$25,000

The Nature Conservancy
Coral Reef and Nearshore Water Quality Assessment on Northeast Lanai (HI)
Establish a baseline of the nearshore fish and coral communities along the northeast coast of Lanai, Hawaii to inform local watershed mitigation activities and the State of Hawaii’s 30x30 Initiative. Project will collect benthic, fish, and nearshore water quality data and establish sedimentation flow patterns and recommendations for monitoring.
$71,433

Trees for Honolulu’s Future
Tree Planting and Community Outreach in Kaimuki (HI)
Train volunteers to inventory urban tree canopy, plant trees on streets and in parks, and educate people on the benefits of trees. Project will plant 100 new trees, receive commitments of adjacent landowners to help maintain existing and new trees, and engage 5,000 community members, 275 students and 12 teachers in education and outreach.
$33,000

U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey
Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) Mapping and Sedimentation Evaluation on Lanai (HI)
Map, model, and monitor sources of fine-sediment pollution from the ridgelines down to the shoreline on northeast Lanai, Hawaii. Project will collect high-quality airborne light detection and ranging data, conduct infiltration tests, and install erosion pin monitoring sites to identify sedimentation hot spots in order to inform management decisions on fencing of priority watersheds, ungulate population control, and re-vegetation efforts.
$149,868

U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center
Mapping Native and Nonnative Vegetation Communities on Lanai (HI)
Develop vegetation classification maps and conduct a change analysis for Lanai using high-resolution spatial imagery, historical data and images combined with data samples collected on the ground to produce native and nonnative vegetation maps. Project will inform land managers on areas of recent and rapid invasive species encroachment and guide future Hawaiian petrel habitat conservation and restoration efforts.
$115,616

University of Hawaii
Community Engagement Building and Water Quality Monitoring on Lanai (HI)
Engage the community by facilitating the building, deployment, and monitoring of real-time water quality sensors at two strategic coastal sites on northeast Lanai, Hawaii. Project will establish, support, and enhance a diverse community of participants from local community colleges, grade schools, conservation organizations, and interested citizen scientists to fill downstream data gaps to inform future management decisions and monitor long-term water quality improvements.
$48,889

University of Hawaii 
Discovering Deepwater Habitats and Species in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument (HI)
Establish an online catalog of deep-sea habitats and species of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument to increase management understanding of the resources of these remote environments. Project will combine animal records from 284 submersible dives conducted in deep-sea habitats into a single, standardized dataset and create an animal identification guide and interactive web map.
$122,460

University of Hawaii
Responding to Invasive Species and Hurricane Walaka Impacts in Papahanaumokuakea (HI)
Increase conservation and management capacity for mitigating the impacts of an invasive species outbreak and hurricane damage at two locations in  Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. Project will evaluate the potential management/control options for the invasive red alga outbreak at Pearl and Hermes Atoll and recommend monitoring and management actions for reefs and island habitats at French Frigate Shoals damaged by Hurricane Walaka.
$299,891

University of Hawaii
Restoring Maui’s Coastal Dunes to Improve Community Resilience and Enhance Wildlife Habitat (HI)
Using a collaborative and community-based planning process to develop site-specific plans for the restoration of coastal dunes on Maui’s north shore. Project will result in reduced impacts of erosion and high wave flooding, mitigation of extensive losses of wind blown sand from beaches, improved public shorelines access, and restored or expanded habitat for unique native Hawaiian plants and animals.
$199,506

University of Hawaii 
Studying Effects of Water Quality on Coral Reproductive Success (FL, HI)
Study coral proteins to determine the role of reduced coastal water quality and associated stressors on reproductive success of corals in Florida and Hawaii. Project will study water quality effects on coral reproduction to help understand the extent of reproductive failure at priority restoration sites and to identify site-specific stressors.
$149,803

Zoological Society of San Diego
Reintroduction of the ‘Alala to Hawaii Island — IV (HI) 
Implement a conservation breeding and reintroduction program for the ‘Alala in the Pu’u Maka’ ala Natural Area Reserve on Hawaii Island. Project will continue efforts toward establishing a self-sustaining population of ‘Alala by tracking released individuals, providing veterinary care as needed, and conducting intensive post-release monitoring.
$64,999

Zoological Society of San Diego
Review of Hawaiian Petrel Reproductive Success Monitoring on the Island of Lanai (HI)
Develop a reproductive success monitoring plan for Hawaiian petrels on the island of Lanai in Hawaii.  Project will detect changes in Hawaiian petrel reproductive success due to predation or other emerging threats, and report on the effectiveness of Hawaiian petrel conservation measures on Lanai, including predator control and habitat restoration.
$41,143