Seabird Protection Project - Midway Atoll
Efforts to eradicate mice from Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll) in 2023 were complicated and multi-faceted. Would it be possible to remove invasive house mice from the ecosystem without irreversibly damaging critical habitat for the native, threatened, and endangered species that live and breed there? Mice began attacking vulnerable adult albatross on Midway Atoll in 2015 while the birds sat defenselessly on their eggs. This predatory behavior caused injuries, nest abandonment, and death. Years of planning and preparations by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in coordination with their partner Island Conservation culminated in the Seabird Protection Project (SPP), a massive undertaking to eradicate invasive mice from Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge.
As part of the project, endangered Laysan ducks on Sand Island were captured and translocated to the safety of neighboring Eastern Island. A helicopter was shipped by barge from California along with enough brodifacoum pellets for three bait drop applications. Potential human-created sources of food were minimized to maximize the mice’s interest in that bait. Midway’s human population swelled to above 90 with a passionate, mostly volunteer crew excited to carry out all aspects of the project no matter how repetitive, strenuous, or unglamourous. I was funded by Friends of Midway Atoll (FOMA) to photographically document peak events of the SPP from May to August of 2023.
Despite our best efforts, when remote cameras were set up to check for surviving mice after the final bait drop, they were still discovered all over the island. Although this project was unsuccessful, investigations following the SPP will help craft future eradication efforts on other islands around the world. However challenging and expensive, massive conservation projects like these will become even more important going forward as humanity looks to create a better future for all species on the planet while also diligently working to correct our mistakes from the past.
Aerial Bait Application During the Seabird Protection Project:
In this 360° video, experience the process of spreading rodenticide bait with a helicopter while attempting to eradicate non-native mice from Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge during the Seabird Protection Project (SPP). All footage was taken by Jon Brack with Friends of Midway Atoll and Austin Hall with Island Conservation in July of 2023.
All images captured under Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument permit number PMNM-2023-001.