Prioritizing restoration of coastal wetlands on Molokaʻi Storymap

Molokaʻi is the fifth most populated of the eight main islands that make up the Hawaiian archipelago. Located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the island faces serious impacts from sea-level rise and has already experienced severe runoff and sedimentation from upland forest degradation. Coastal wetlands on the island have been degraded due to sedimentation, human alteration, and invasive species. Loʻipūnāwai (spring-fed irrigated agricultural pondfields), which were historically used to grow kalo (taro, a root vegetable), have been lost across the entire landscape except for a few scattered locations. Coastal wetlands are fundamentally important to Native Hawaiians—their function is inextricably intertwined...

A prioritization protocol for coastal wetland restoration on Molokaʻi, Hawaiʻi

Hawaiian coastal wetlands provide important habitat for federally endangered waterbirds and socio-cultural resources for Native Hawaiians. Currently, Hawaiian coastal wetlands are degraded by development, sedimentation, and invasive species and, thus, require restoration. Little is known about their original structure and function due to the large-scale alteration of the lowland landscape since European contact. Here, we used 1) rapid field assessments of hydrology, vegetation, soils, and birds, 2) a comprehensive analysis of endangered bird habitat value, 3) site spatial characteristics, 4) sea-level rise projections for 2050 and 2100 and wetland migration potential, and 5) preferences of the Native Hawaiian community...

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