In the 2012 President's Budget Request, the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) is terminated. As a result, all resources, databases, tools, and applications within this web site will be removed on January 15, 2012. For more information, please refer to the NBII Program Termination page.
Poopoo Islet, Lanai, Hawaii
Image: F & K Starr, OIRC (Public Domain)
Hawaii's offshore islets are the last refuge for many rare coastal species and hold the hope for
becoming a safe haven for many more. Many islets are relatively isolated from the threats that
plague Hawaii's native species, over 470 of which are listed as threatened, endangered or candidate
species under the Endangered Species Act. Because of this isolation, many offshore islets in Hawaii
still harbor rich coastal resources, including 22 species of seabirds in the largest Hawaii seabird
colony outside of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
Five new species were first described from Hawaii offshore islets. Eight threatened and
endangered species are currently found on the islets and eight additional federal species of concern
are present. The islets are home to large numbers of endemic (i.e., species found only in Hawaii) plants, insects, birds, and marine creatures.
The Offshore Islet Restoration Committee (OIRC), formed in September 2002, is a multi-agency group dedicated to conducting biological surveys and restoration on selected offshore islets in Hawaii.
View
Hawaii's offshore islets by map location
Visit the
OIRC website
Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR) provides technology and information to resource managers and the general public to support effective management of harmful non-native species in the Pacific.
View offshore islets:
Oahu,
Maui &
Lanai
Visit the
HEAR website
Bishop Museum's Offshore Islet Project gives public access to data on over 25,000 native and non-native fauna and flora species on 54 offshore islets.
Learn more about the
Offshore Islet Project
Visit the
Bishop Museum website
The NBII Program is administered by the Biological Informatics Program of the U.S. Geological Survey