Endangered Species

The Navy takes seriously its commitment to environmental stewardship as it trains our nation’s sailors and tests new technologies to defend the United States. The Navy in Hawaii has an impressive track record of demonstrating its dedication to maintaining the islands’ natural environment and, in many cases, improving conditions. Recent examples of the Navy’s environmental commitment are described below.

The Navy at the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) encountered difficulties for years with Laysan albatross birds flying in aircraft flight paths, creating a danger both to the birds and to aircraft personnel. Navy staff had previously responded by relocating adult birds to areas off-base, but the birds instinctively returned to the area where they had hatched, and the problem persisted. The Navy met with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to devise a solution. These agencies, along with staff at the Kilauea National Wildlife Refuge, “hatched” a plan to relocate Laysan albatross eggs or newly-born chicks to the refuge on the northeastern shore of Kauai. This action replaced many infertile or damaged albatross eggs at the refuge with new, thriving eggs and chicks. In all, 26 albatross chicks were accepted by “foster” parents at the Wildlife Refuge. Since it is widely believed that albatross do not imprint their home until fledging (leaving their nests), these chicks are expected to return to Kilauea as adults. The Navy now has a successful plan to protect their personnel and local birds.

The green sea turtle is listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act and is a common resident at Naval areas in Hawaii. Green sea turtles frequently feed in the surf zone at the outfall of the Nohili Ditch and haul out on the beach nearby to rest. This area has been designated as a keep-out zone to minimize potential disturbances to the turtles.

Navy staff joined forces with the State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Pacific Islands Fishery Science Center, and local veterinarians to rescue a seal at Barking Sands on Kauai. The agencies coordinated their efforts after being informed that a seal had been spotted with a large fishing hook embedded in its mouth. On the third attempt to approach the seal, the rescue team successfully removed the hook and made sure the seal was healthy enough to return to sea.

The Hawaiian stilt, or Ae’o, is an endangered species found in limited numbers on most of Hawaii’s main islands. The Navy has actively partnered with the Pearl Harbor National Wildlife Refuge, parts of which are located on Naval Base Pearl Harbor, to help increase stilt populations on the island. Navy SeaBees constructed a wetland habitat and nesting grounds at the refuge, and Navy and community volunteers frequently participate in cleanup days, removing invasive mangrove and cattail plants and maintaining the stilts’ habitat. In one year, the number of stilts in the refuge increased three-fold. Today, Hawaiian stilt nest, raise their chicks, and feed at the Pearl Harbor National Wildlife Refuge. In addition, maintaining the refuge allows the Hawaii Nature Center to provide valuable environmental education programs for thousands of children and families on the island.

The Navy recognizes that active sonar, under limited circumstances, can affect marine mammals, including humpback whales. In response, the Navy has developed standard operating procedures and protective measures to help guard against potentially injuring marine mammals during training. These procedures include:

Posting well-trained lookouts 24 hours per day. These lookouts visually search for the presence of marine mammals. They have extensive training in marine mammal awareness.
Using passive sonar to listen for marine mammal presence. Many marine mammals are very vocal and add to the many sounds of the ocean.
Modifying activity and operations in the vicinity of marine mammals, such as:

Altering, delaying, or moving Navy activity and operations;
Establishing a buffer zone so as not to interfere with the marine mammals;
Implementing shut-down procedures, such as reducing power to sonar.

To assist in ongoing conservation and protection efforts in Hawaii, the Navy actively supports the Humpback Whale Sanctuary Advisory Council and participates in the Monk Seal Recovery Team. Navy staff frequently discusses their operations with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) National Marine Fisheries Service and submit their operations to them for review. As a federal agency, the Navy is required to comply with the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. The Navy takes these responsibilities very seriously and goes beyond required actions to care for the environment.

Endangered Species Highlights

Quick Facts

The Hawaiian monk seal is listed as an endangered species, and approximately 1300 individuals remain in the world.

The green sea turtle is listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act and is a common resident at Naval areas in Hawaii.

The Navy partnered with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to relocate Laysan albatross eggs to the Kilauea National Wildlife Refuge to protect both birds and aircraft from collisions.

The Navy recognizes that active sonar can affect marine mammals, including humpback whales. In response, the Navy has developed standard operating procedures and protective measures to help guard against potentially injuring marine mammals during training.