Monitoring of the Critically Endangered Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Honu ʻea) on Hawaiʻi Island

Abstract

One of the requirements of the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science graduate program’s professional internship track is the successful completion of a 600-hour internship. My professional internship with the Hawai‘i Island Hawksbill Project started May 12, 2019, and ended August 18, 2019. Hawksbills (Eretmochelys imbricata) are a Critically Endangered species worldwide. Monitoring of the female nesting population and protecting their nest from predators is essential to ensuring that this species will continue to thrive. This internship required hiking up to 12 miles long, over rugged lava terrain, while carrying a 30-pound-plus backpack filled with personal and field equipment. The treks were necessary to reach remote beaches for monitoring the nesting behavior of the hawksbill sea turtle. Public outreach is the foremost principle of this project because outreach brings the awareness needed to motivate the island community to join and assist in protecting this vulnerable species.