“Midway’s unique assemblage of flora and fauna make it an important laboratory for restoration ecology and conservation science. Insects, often overlooked, are especially unique in island ecosystems.” Midway is the world’s largest albatross colony and provides globally significant breeding grounds and migration stopover points for more than 3 million birds from nearly 30 different species. Midway is also described as a “seabird island,” because seabirds function as keystone species—that is to say, many other species in Midway’s ecosystem depend on albatross and other prolific seabird species. By bringing in enormous amounts of marine-derived nutrients via guano (fancy term for bird poop) as well as fish scraps, seabirds largely drive these island systems where ecosystem function, structure, and processes are largely nutrient-dependent. In, the nutrients brought in by seabirds support extraordinarily abundant populations of insects, amphibians, plants, and a host of other species on seabird islands.
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“Predation of seabirds and other at-risk wildlife is a direct and alarming impact of mice—but there is more than meets the eye with these widespread rodents.” “This was something we had never expected to occur. Mice preying on adult albatrosses simply hasn’t been recorded here.” From the surface, Midway seems like a pristine place; but a closer examination reveals a colorful past and layered landscape. Restoration of this island system has been an ongoing (and challenging) activity since Midway’s transfer to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in 1996. Islands are dynamic places, quick to change and quick to respond. But, in the winter of 2015, something unexpected happened on Midway. Midway’s beloved birds, albatross (or, more colloquially known as “gooney birds”), are the signature wildlife of Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. One of the wonders of the wide Pacific Ocean is that of a Laysan Albatross / Mōlī (Phoebastria immutabilis) gliding across the waves and wind, seemingly without effort. They are made for a life at sea—and indeed, they spend the majority of their lives soaring throughout the North Pacific, upwards of 90% of their entire lifetime in the sky and at sea. They cover extensive tracts, sometimes hundreds of miles a day, way out west to Japan, north to the Aleutian Islands, or even eastwards to California in search of food (typically squid, fish eggs, and occasionally crustaceans).
Mention of Midway brings to mind myriads of birds. But, there's more to Midway... Located at the far end of the extensive Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is one of the most remote atolls in the world—more than 1,500 miles north-west from Honolulu, Oʻahu. Home to the world’s largest albatross colony (and more than 20 other migratory and breeding seabirds and shorebirds), Midway Atoll NWR evokes the idea of an isolated, pristine environment. However, after decades of dredging, building, digging, moving, and bulldozing, Midway Atoll NWR is far from it—making wildlife conservation, habitat restoration, and invasive species control both challenging and rewarding. Working in the field of conservation, habitat restoration, and ecology, the questions of “What do you do exactly?” and “Why?” tend to crop up consistently. Why hike for miles and miles in the wind and rain? Why place metal bands on birds (and the follow-up question: “Why do you always seem to have bird poop on you somewhere?”)? Why pull this plant over here and not that one over there? Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), alternatively known as Pihemanu (the “loud din of birds”), has entered a relatively still time of the year—or as quiet as it can be on a tiny atoll packed with nearly 2 million seabirds. While the non-breeding albatross continue to whinny, whistle, moo, scream, and boogie all night long, the rest of the albatross have long since hunkered down, patiently incubating their one and precious egg.
Looking outside my window on Christmas Day, it looks like any other wintry day on Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge (NWR): hundreds of thousands of albatross for as far as the eye can see (both Laysan [Mōlī] and Black-footed [Ka’upu] Albatross [Phoebastria immutabilis and P. nigripes respectively]). By now, with winter has settled in on Midway and a hush has fallen over the (previously) riotous albatross colony: it is incubation time. In mid-November, the first eggs were laid and now most of the albatross sit quietly on their nests, often dozing off under the midday sun. All around the houses, throughout town, lined up along roads (sometimes in the middle of the road), the albatross nest on every nest-able substrate (in other words, they are able to create some sort of a small depression on the ground, a shallow cup for their egg). The non-breeding albatross still stick around, traversing across the colony, crossing the streets, and greeting fellow non-breeders (or potential mates) most enthusiastically; strutting, chest puffed up, they bow and whinny as if introducing themselves and—if reciprocated—move onwards to rapid-fire bill claps, moo’s, screams, head bobs, and other dance moves part of their elaborate courtship display. There is never a dull moment out here on Midway, and the birds don’t stop for anyone—or for any holidays. It’s go, go, go every day.
Haven’t heard of Midway before? Located more than 1,500 northwest of Honolulu, this tiny atoll is literally in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, halfway between the west coast of the United States and Japan.
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About MeWieteke Holthuijzen: budding environmental scientist, passionate birder. Archives
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