Pearl Harbor National Wildlife Refuge
Encyclopedia
The Pearl Harbor National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge
on the island of Oahu
, Hawaii
. It was created in 1972 to mitigate the wildlife resource disturbances caused by construction of the Honolulu International Airport
Reef Runway. The Refuge includes three units, the Honouliuli, Waiwa and Kalaeloa
. The Honouliuli and Waiawa Units are managed under a cooperative agreement with the United States Navy
. The Kalaeloa Unit was established during Base Realignment and Closure
proceedings in 2001. Through these cooperative efforts with the Federal Aviation Administration
, the State of Hawaii, and the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
made Pearl Harbor NWR a reality.
wetland
impoundments
that are intensively managed to provide habitat for a variety of waterbirds, including Hawaii's endangered waterbirds and migrant
waterfowl. These two impoundments contain nesting islands, aquatic vegetation and mudflat
s that are used as nesting and foraging areas by various waterbird species throughout the year.
The Waiawa Unit is composed of two brackish
ponds, one of which is primarily managed for the endangered aeo (a subspecies of the common Black-winged Stilt
, Himantopus mexicanus knudseni). However, the pond’s estuarine
environment is ideal for establishing a host of food resources for four endangered waterbird species found there.
The Kalaeloa Unit, once part of the former Barbers Point Naval Air Station
, was added to the Pearl Harbor NWR to protect the endangered Ewa Hinahina (Achyranthes spledens var. rotundata
) and ʻAkoko (Euphorbia skottsbergii). This area of raised limestone
coral
reef contains the last remaining ancient coastal dry shrubland
plant communities that were once widespread throughout the Ewa Plain. It is also home to anchialine pool
s, which are pools of saltwater connected to the ocean via minute cracks in the limestone. These are home to the ōpaeula (Hawaiian Shrimp, Halocaridina rubra).
Native coastal plants still flourish at Kalaeloa amongst two endangered plant species. The largest population of Akoko (Euphorbia skottsbergii
) on Oahu and the second largest population of endangered Ewa Hinahina can be found within this unit. Native plants include the night-blooming Maiapilo (Capparis sandwichiana
) with its beautiful fragrant flowers; the Hinahina, a very dense, soft, and silky-looking plant; and Naio (Myoporum sandwicense
), one of the few natives that is a strong competitor against alien grasses.
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the world's premiere system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife and plants...
on the island of Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. It was created in 1972 to mitigate the wildlife resource disturbances caused by construction of the Honolulu International Airport
Honolulu International Airport
Honolulu International Airport is the principal aviation gateway of the City & County of Honolulu and the State of Hawaii and is identified as one of the busiest airports in the United States, with traffic now exceeding 21 million passengers a year and rising.It is located in the Honolulu...
Reef Runway. The Refuge includes three units, the Honouliuli, Waiwa and Kalaeloa
Kalaeloa, Hawai'i
Kalaeloa is a census-designated place in Honolulu County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 67 at the 2000 census. The community occupies the location of the former Naval Air Station Barbers Point, which was closed in 1999 and subsequently transferred to the State of Hawaii...
. The Honouliuli and Waiawa Units are managed under a cooperative agreement with the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. The Kalaeloa Unit was established during Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...
proceedings in 2001. Through these cooperative efforts with the Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
, the State of Hawaii, and the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
made Pearl Harbor NWR a reality.
Landscape and natural resources
The Honouliuli Unit contains two freshwaterFreshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
impoundments
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
that are intensively managed to provide habitat for a variety of waterbirds, including Hawaii's endangered waterbirds and migrant
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
waterfowl. These two impoundments contain nesting islands, aquatic vegetation and mudflat
Mudflat
Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats, are coastal wetlands that form when mud is deposited by tides or rivers. They are found in sheltered areas such as bays, bayous, lagoons, and estuaries. Mudflats may be viewed geologically as exposed layers of bay mud, resulting from deposition of...
s that are used as nesting and foraging areas by various waterbird species throughout the year.
The Waiawa Unit is composed of two brackish
Brackish water
Brackish water is water that has more salinity than fresh water, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing of seawater with fresh water, as in estuaries, or it may occur in brackish fossil aquifers. The word comes from the Middle Dutch root "brak," meaning "salty"...
ponds, one of which is primarily managed for the endangered aeo (a subspecies of the common Black-winged Stilt
Black-winged Stilt
The Black-winged Stilt or Common Stilt is a widely distributed very long-legged wader in the avocet and stilt family . Opinions differ as to whether the birds treated under the scientific name H. himantopus ought to be treated as a single species and if not, how many species to recognize...
, Himantopus mexicanus knudseni). However, the pond’s estuarine
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
environment is ideal for establishing a host of food resources for four endangered waterbird species found there.
The Kalaeloa Unit, once part of the former Barbers Point Naval Air Station
Kalaeloa Airport
Kalaeloa Airport , also called John Rodgers Field and formerly Naval Air Station Barbers Point, is a joint civil-military regional airport of the State of Hawaii established on July 1, 1999 to replace the Ford Island NALF facilities which closed on June 30 of the same year...
, was added to the Pearl Harbor NWR to protect the endangered Ewa Hinahina (Achyranthes spledens var. rotundata
Achyranthes splendens
Achyranthes splendens is a species of flowering plant in the pigweed family, Amaranthaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. Its natural habitats are dry forests, low shrublands, and sandy shores...
) and ʻAkoko (Euphorbia skottsbergii). This area of raised limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
coral
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
reef contains the last remaining ancient coastal dry shrubland
Hawaiian tropical low shrublands
The Hawaiian tropical low shrublands are a tropical savanna ecoregion in the Hawaiian Islands. These shrublands cover an area of in the leeward lowlands of the main islands and most of the smaller islands, including the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The ecoregion includes both grasslands and...
plant communities that were once widespread throughout the Ewa Plain. It is also home to anchialine pool
Anchialine pool
An anchialine pool or pond is a landlocked body with a subterranean connection to the ocean. Anchialine pools are a feature of coastal aquifers which are density stratified, with the water near the surface being fresh or brackish, and saline water intruding from the coast below at some depth...
s, which are pools of saltwater connected to the ocean via minute cracks in the limestone. These are home to the ōpaeula (Hawaiian Shrimp, Halocaridina rubra).
Native coastal plants still flourish at Kalaeloa amongst two endangered plant species. The largest population of Akoko (Euphorbia skottsbergii
Euphorbia skottsbergii
Euphorbia skottsbergii is a rare species of flowering plant in the euphorb family known by the common names coastal sandmat and Skottsberg's broomspurge. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it is found in coastal shrublands on Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and Kahoolawe...
) on Oahu and the second largest population of endangered Ewa Hinahina can be found within this unit. Native plants include the night-blooming Maiapilo (Capparis sandwichiana
Capparis sandwichiana
Capparis sandwichiana is a species of flowering plant in the Capparaceae family that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Common names include Maiapilo, Pua pilo, and Hawaiian Caper. C. sandwichiana can be found on the main islands, Midway Atoll, the Pearl and Hermes Atoll, and Laysan...
) with its beautiful fragrant flowers; the Hinahina, a very dense, soft, and silky-looking plant; and Naio (Myoporum sandwicense
Myoporum sandwicense
Myoporum sandwicense is a species of flowering tree in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae. Common names include Naio, bastard sandalwood or false sandalwood. It is native to Hawaii and Mangaia in the Cook Islands.-Description:...
), one of the few natives that is a strong competitor against alien grasses.