UH researchers leading $33.5M fight against invasive species threatening Hawaiʻi

The University of Hawaiʻi is at the center of a multi-front battle to protect the state’s native ecosystems, farms and communities, with researchers currently leading 98 grant-funded projects totaling more than $30 million aimed at combating invasive species.

The work targets some of Hawaiʻi’s most pressing environmental threats — from the fungal disease rapid ʻōhiʻa death to mosquitoes spreading avian malaria among native birds, to beetles, ants and non-native plants steadily degrading forests and watersheds across the islands.

Funding comes from 44 federal awards totaling roughly $21 million and 54 non-federal awards totaling about $12.5 million. Projects are led by researchers at UH Mānoa and UH Hilo in partnership with national and state agencies.

“These awards reflect the trust that agencies have in UH to protect Hawaiʻi’s people, environment and economy,” said UH Interim Vice President for Research and Innovation Chad Walton. “You can see the damage coconut rhinoceros beetles leave behind, or how native birds are being wiped out by multiple invasive threats. Our UH teams are conducting research to develop practical solutions that protect both our environment and our communities.”

Among the largest individual projects is a $5.3 million effort led by UH Mānoa to suppress invasive mosquito populations in key forest bird habitats on East Maui — a critical step in protecting honeycreepers and other native birds from avian malaria. A separate $1.4 million project targets the same threat on Kauaʻi, with an additional $651,000 project there focusing on using mosquito biology itself as a control tool.

Other significant efforts include a $2.6 million project focused on protecting sensitive park ecosystems through exclusionary fencing, and a $2.25 million UH Hilo initiative using satellite imagery and weather data to monitor forest health and catch invasive plant infestations early, before they become more costly to address.

On the agricultural front, researchers are developing DNA-based diagnostic tools to rapidly identify fruit flies, moths and plant pathogens that threaten local farms. A $789,777 project is studying how the pathogen Phytophthora palmivora attacks plants in order to protect crops and native ecosystems, while a $34,500 initiative is laying the groundwork for controlling coffee berry borer — a pest with significant implications for Hawaiʻi’s coffee industry.

Rounding out the portfolio are projects targeting little fire ants ($200,000), coconut rhinoceros beetles ($1.36 million) and invasive plants at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park ($600,580).

Hawaiʻi’s geographic isolation — the quality that makes its native ecosystems so biologically unique — also makes them exceptionally vulnerable when outside species establish a foothold. Researchers say the work collectively aims to safeguard drinking water supplies, food production, cultural resources and species found nowhere else on Earth.