The management network is examining the changing ecosystems in the Pacific islands that are being transformed by two large-scale, interacting threats \u2013\u2013 invasive species and climate change.<\/p>\n
Assistant regional administrator Heather Kerkering and specialist Elliott Parsons of the management network have been researching the spread of invasive species in the Pacific islands during times of disaster, working with other organizations and emergency management agencies to manage invasive species that have been introduced, and preventing new species from entering the islands.<\/p>\n
As extreme weather events increase in frequency, they are drastically altering ecosystems in ways that directly or indirectly facilitate the introduction, establishment, spread and impacts of invasive species.<\/p>\n
On the Big Island, albizia trees were introduced in 1917 and are known for their brittle wood and rapid growth. During Hurricane Lala, these large trees fell on electric and utility lines across the island, which caused some residents to live without power for up to three weeks.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we think about natural disasters and invasive species, I do think a lot of people picture the fallen albizia trees that have taken out the power or damaged other infrastructure,\u201d Kerkering said. \u201cSometimes, the damage is not as obvious or happens over a long period of time. Invasive species can make an area more susceptible to a natural disaster, and a natural disaster can create more pathways for invasive species to spread.\u201d<\/p>\n The coconut rhinoceros beetle was first detected in Hawai\u02bbi County in 2023 and has spread from Waik\u014dloa to Kona. Specific green waste disposals have been implemented to mitigate the spread. However, on O\u02bbahu, the beetle was first detected in 2013 and has reached containment status rather than eradication, meaning the beetle is widely established across the island.<\/p>\n \u201cCoconuts are a way of life for many of the communities in the Pacific, and preventing the spread of the coconut rhinoceros beetle to other islands is a huge effort,\u201d Kerkering said. \u201cHowever, 10 years after it was found on O\u02bbahu, our north shore has been transforming, and you see these tall palms feel damaged, and it is sad to see.\u201d<\/p>\n Invasive species are one of the single greatest threats to Hawai\u02bbi\u2019s economy, environment and public health, according to the Hawai\u02bbi Climate Commission. <\/p>\n The increase of non-native grasses has fueled a \u201cgrass-fire cycle,\u201d increasing wildfire frequency by 400 percent in the last century.<\/p>\n Invasive pests like wild boar threaten local agriculture and food security, while invasive vectors like mosquitoes pose health risks to both humans and native birds.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHawai\u02bbi is covered with non-native guinea grass, which dries out quickly and forms dense mats that increase wildfire frequency and fuel destructive blazes, which we unfortunately saw in Lahaina,\u201d Parsons said.<\/p>\n Kerkering added: \u201cRight now on the Big Island, warmer air is moving up in elevation, which means mosquitoes are, too. They carry avian flu and are killing the native honeycreepers. Whether it\u2019s carrying the flu or igniting fires, invasive species are getting open pathways to cause more harm to Hawai\u02bbi\u2019s native plants and animals.\u201d<\/p>\n While the Hawai\u02bbi Climate Commission is focused on climate resilience, wildfire prevention and protecting priority watersheds across the state, the Hawai\u02bbi Invasive Species Council is reaching the last year of its 10-year guiding framework to strengthen the state\u2019s biosecurity systems.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is a huge effort from agencies at the county to state to regional to national level that are working so diligently and in tandem to address invasive species,\u201d Kerkering said. \u201cFor Pacific RISCC, we are really focused on natural disasters that can spread invasive species from the moment a hazard materializes until the end of recovery efforts.\u201d<\/p>\n Storm winds and flooding can transport seeds, insects and debris, while damage to vegetation can expose areas where invasive species can take hold. Recovery operations can unintentionally introduce or spread invasive species through the movement of supplies, equipment, vessels and debris.<\/p>\n \u201cEmergency relief after a natural disaster is one big pathway for invasive species that maybe hasn\u2019t received as much attention, and it is understandable because we want to get lifesaving supplies to these islands as quickly as possible,\u201d Parsons said. \u201cBut we also don\u2019t want to devastate the agriculture of an island from a little fire ant.\u201d<\/p>\n As part of his research, Parsons found that after Hurricane Maria hit the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2017, there were three invasive species that were directly linked to emergency relief effort ships.<\/p>\n Two exotic species were established on the island of Dominica\u2014 the green iguana and the Cuban treefrog \u2013 as a result of disaster relief efforts, according to the study in Biological Invasions.<\/a><\/p>\n The tree frog has explosive growth combined with predation of both vertebrate and invertebrate endemic species and the green iguana has historically caused the extinction of the critically endangered\u00a0 Antillean iguana.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t want to stop emergency relief, but I think it is important that when there aren\u2019t disasters, we\u2019re preparing, enriching biosecurity measures, and ensuring that when it happens, these relief efforts are not inadvertently moving invasive species that will cause a lot of damage,\u201d Parsons said.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/7K2A0214-copy-1024x710.jpg\")
<\/a>Crews work to clear huge trees that have fallen on Highway 11 near the Pi\u02bbikea Bridge north of Pahala on Aug. 16, 2026. (Kelsey Walling\/Big Island Now)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/rapid-ohia-death-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/a>Invasive ungulates (pigs, cattle, goats, and sheep) strip the bark, or dig up the roots of \u02bb\u014dhia and create open wounds, which is how two kinds of fungus can penetrate the tree and cause rapid \u02bb\u014dhia death. (Photo Courtesy: University of Hawai\u02bbi at M\u0101noa)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/7K2A0323-copy-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/a>Fountaingrass, which is invasive and highly flammable, grows off of Saddle Road. (Kelsey Walling\/Big Island Now)<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/250813-new-kau-99-copy-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/a>A lehua flower grows on an \u02bb\u014dhi\u02bba. (Kelsey Walling\/Big Island Now)<\/p>\n