The HMAR Sea Turtle Support Program

Sea turtles are an iconic representation of Hawaiʻi’s ocean ecosystem and are loved by Hawaiʻi residents and visitors alike. Sea turtles are living dinosaurs and have survived in our oceans for 100 million years or more. They are long-lived sea creatures, and individuals can live 50-100 years, depending on the species. There are 5 species of sea turtles that are present in the Pacific Ocean, two of which are most often encountered by HMAR in our Sea Turtle Support Program. The most common, the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), called honu in Hawaiian, is listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as threatened. While their population in the Hawaiian Islands is slowly on the rise, these animals face significant key human-caused threats, including interaction with fishing gear, vessel strikes, and habitat pressures and loss. HMAR also works with the hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) called honu ʻea or ʻea in Hawaiian. These sea turtles face similar threats to the honu and are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Unlike the honu, however, the hawksbill sea turtle is not growing in population and remains extremely vulnerable.

Sea turtles are vital to humans because they maintain healthy marine ecosystems that support our fisheries and protect coastlines, provide economic benefits through responsible ecotourism, offer cultural significance, and serve as indicators of ocean health that can ultimately affect humans. Their presence ensures the stability of coral and nearshore reef systems by controlling vegetation and algae growth, while their nesting activities deliver nutrients to beaches that support vegetation and coastal defense.  

HMAR’s Sea Turtle Support Program, which began in 2017, undertakes several key actions to help these critically important animals, but community financial support is vital to continue our important work. The work HMAR conducts in this program is enabled through permits issued under the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, under a cooperative agreement with the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), and under a permit issued by the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources. Key components of HMAR’s Sea Turtle Support Program include:

Sea Turtle Field Response, Rescue, and Stranding Support

• Every year, HMAR’s specially trained personnel respond in the field to support sea turtles between 150-200 times. Many of these important animals are impacted by entanglement or hooked with recreational fishing gear, some are stuck or trapped in shoreline rocks or debris, some are suffering from the effects of a vessel strike, and others are deceased. Sometimes, an animal is reported as needing help, but after careful and thorough assessment by our trained responders, we can leave the sea turtle at liberty, as no intervention is needed. Often, our responders can render the aid needed in the field; while other times, the needs of the animal require it to be transported to our HMAR Care Center. When animals are deceased, we document the likely cause of death, as this information is critical to tracking and reducing key threats to Hawaiʻi’s sea turtles. Since starting this program, HMAR has responded in the field 1,500 times to help our vulnerable sea turtles. HMARʻs field actions to conduct response, rescue, and stranding support are one of the most important components of our Sea Turtle Support Program, and a key role for HMAR in the preservation and recovery of our precious sea turtles.

Sea Turtle Emergency Care, Rehabilitation, and Release (HMAR Care Center)

• Often, when sea turtles in the field are best served by specialized emergency care and rehabilitation, these animals are transported by HMAR to our HMAR Care Center. The HMAR Care Center, which opened in late 2024, is the only full-time sea turtle emergency care and rehabilitation facility on Oʻahu. The island of Oʻahu bears the brunt of the majority of all sea turtle emergencies and strandings in the State of Hawaiʻi, so our Care Center plays a critical role in helping to support the preservation and recovery of Hawaiʻi’s sea turtles. Equipped with state-of-the-art animal care equipment and supplies, backed up with specially trained HMAR animal care personnel, the HMAR Care Center has a greater than 90% success rate with our sea turtle patients, which are cared for, healed, and released back to their ocean homes after recovery.

Sea Turtle Hotline Support and Data Analysis

• HMAR receives an average of over 1,000 hotline calls or text messages regarding sea turtles of concern to our hotline and dispatch team each year. Using descriptions, pictures, and location information received from callers, HMAR uses a detailed analysis model to triage each call to determine which reported animals require a field response and which do not. Detailed information is collected on each sea turtle reported, the response outcome, and the causes for concern. This information is used by HMAR and government partners to track the key threats to sea turtles, the geographic distribution of threats, and how these variables change over time. HMAR’s hotline support and data analysis tied to sea turtle activity is an important part of our Sea Turtle Support Program that helps in the preservation and recovery of Hawaiʻi’s sea turtles.

The HMAR Seabird Support Program

Over 20 species of seabirds inhabit Hawaiʻi’s islands and ocean. Many of these are pelagic in nature and are not commonly seen close to shore. In HMARʻs Seabird Support Program, we routinely work with about 7 of these species that tend to remain closer to shore, or that use the shoreline more frequently for nesting, mating, or chick-rearing activity. Seabirds have existed in Hawaiʻi for tens of thousands of years, but we know their populations were and continue to be dramatically impacted by human activity. In fact, scientists estimate that the global seabird population has been reduced by 50% over the past 70 years. Seabirds are essential to Hawaiʻi for environmental and cultural reasons, serving as ecological engineers by transporting marine nutrients to land, which supports native ecosystems and watersheds. Culturally, they provided vital information to ancient Hawaiians for navigation, fishing, and weather prediction, while their feathers were used for traditional crafts. Without seabirds, coastal and marine ecosystems would face depletion, as seabirds are vital for bringing key marine compounds from the ocean to land through their guano, which fertilizes marine food webs and land-based ecosystems, including plants and soils. This nutrient loss would reduce biodiversity, negatively impact marine organisms like plankton and coral reefs, and diminish the health of coastal agriculture and fisheries. Furthermore, seabirds contribute to carbon sequestration and play a crucial role as indicators of overall marine ecosystem health. Humans rely on the ocean for our survival as we get at least 50% of the oxygen we breathe from the sea, and we are sustained by the many foods that are produced in the ocean. Seabirds are critical sentinels that can help us know or predict changes to the marine ecosystem that can affect humans. Therefore, we must take care of seabirds, so we can take care of ourselves.

HMAR’s Seabird Support Program, which began in 2018, undertakes several key actions to help these critically important animals, but we need your help to continue this important work. All of Hawaiʻi’s seabirds are protected by the U.S. Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Hawaiʻi state laws. The work HMAR conducts in this program is primarily enabled through permits issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife. Key components of HMAR’s Seabird Support Program include:

Seabird Field Response and Rescue

• Every year, HMAR responds in the field with highly trained team members to rescue 150-200 seabirds that need help. These can be seabirds that have been disoriented by non-natural nighttime lights (“fall-out”) or those that have suffered other emergencies, including predator attacks, interactions with fishing debris, collisions with objects or vehicles, or injuries caused by natural behaviors. Often, these rescued animals need specialized veterinary care, treatment, and recovery; however, the majority of these animals benefit from some quiet and secluded time alone, before these wonderful animals can be released to continue their lives on and above the ocean. Since this program began, HMAR has responded in the field over 1,000 times to help seabirds in need, and these specialized HMAR actions help save marine seabirds that contribute so much to our ocean and shoreline ecosystems.

Seabird Habitat Management, Colony Monitoring, and Outreach

• Responding to and rescuing seabirds that need help is only part of the battle to support the preservation and recovery of Hawaiʻi’s seabirds. HMAR is actively involved in managing selected seabird colonies and habitat areas with work including installation and maintenance of symbolic fencing and signage, community outreach and education, and invasive species control. Currently, HMAR manages two colonies that support wedge-tailed shearwater seabirds (Ardenna pacifica) whose Hawaiian name is ʻuaʻu kani. Over the past 5 years, HMARʻs efforts to manage these colonies and increase community support have resulted in a 360% increase in the population of ʻuaʻu kani at these two colonies, which now support a growing population of over 800 individuals. HMAR also works in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, landowners, and other community organizations to manage one of the few colonies of Laysan albatross seabirds (Phoebastria immutabilis) in Hawaiʻi. These large and graceful seabirds, called mōlī in Hawaiian, return each year around December to the same nesting area to re-establish contact with their lifelong mate, build a nest, and raise a chick that normally fledges in July the following year. HMAR has seen great success with this colony, which has shown an overall growth in population and thousands of human visitors each year that HMAR welcomes through outreach and education activities. HMAR’s seabird habitat and colony management actions are helping Hawaiʻi’s seabirds to recover and thrive.

Seabird Hotline Support and Data Analysis

• HMAR manages phone, text, and email hotlines that receive hundreds of contacts from the public and government agencies each year concerning seabirds of concern. We use these hotline contacts to dispatch HMAR personnel to assist in the field when needed, and to maintain detailed data of seabirds that need assistance so that hotspots can be identified. This data is also shared with scientists studying Hawaiian seabird populations and is also provided to government agencies and landowners. This data helps to inform action plans to assist seabird populations through recovery efforts such as the installation of seabird-friendly lighting and additional community support activities. HMAR’s hotline support and data analysis are important components of our overall seabird preservation and recovery efforts.

Other Support Activity

Protected Species Monitoring

• HMAR personnel are often used to provide monitoring and reporting on protected species activity. This is particularly important in the context of film and entertainment productions, construction, land development, or military operations that can involve human activity in habitats used by marine protected animals. HMAR has provided this type of support for numerous film and entertainment productions, in sensitive land development areas, and for the U.S. Navy when they are conducting demolition or removal of unexploded ordnance.

Community Engagement and Education

• HMAR’s primary programmatic work is augmented and enhanced by significant activity we conduct using social media, engaging in community organization partnerships, through school educational events, and by providing teaching materials and curricula for professionals in education. All of these community engagement and educational activities further our positive impacts in the preservation and recovery of Hawaiʻi’s marine protected animals.