The bones in lava tubes reveal Haai's natural history

Author: Mathew Cimitile, Michigan State University

On a frigid winter day in Michigan, the day you had to dream about sunny Haai, I sat in the office of Peggy Ostrom zoologist professor at Michgan State University. We discussed the separation of carbon in the ocean for a magazine and I took notes. After the interview, Ostrom mentioned her next project on the threatening seabird in Hawaii, in collaboration with scientists Helen James and Robert Fleischer of the Smithsonian Institution.

She suggested that I contact her again in the next few months to discuss my participation. At that time, I didn't think much, so I accepted it. I did not expect that the interview that day was the beginning of the trip to Hawaii where I recorded the study of the endangered petren seagull in Hawaii and went looking for the tubes. collecting bones of threatened and extinct birds.

James deftly walks and crawls into lava tubes and pits and realizes the treasure of biodiversity that Haai once occupied. From the large unidentified geese to the O'o bird in Hawaii, James and his colleagues have assembled the natural history of Hawaii through bird bones. They have identified 40 species of extinct birds and will discover even more.

Images of roots sprouting in lava tubes.(Photo: Matthew Cimitile)

Learn the bones of extinct birds that provide historical information about Hawaii's natural environment. The bones tell us about what existed before humans appeared here between 1,000 and 1,300 years ago as well as the changes that happened. Understanding the natural environment composition of Hawaii can help conservationists manage and restore ecosystems.

More species will become extinct

Many native species in Hawaii, from plants to birds, are threatened with extinction. If the change of environment and the risk factors from invasive species continue to increase, the uneasy variety of flora and fauna in Haai will not disappear.

A bird species in Hawaii is of interest to petren seagulls . It is said that they once covered the Haai sky, which has declined significantly and continues to lose their habitat. The threats from the enemy are also increasingly engulfing the opportunity of petren seagulls to survive.

James, Ostrom and Fleischer are trying to find answers about the size of petren seagulls before human existence; Whether their diet and feeding position will change over time. They also wondered if the decline in the number of seabirds affecting the plant community in Hawaii due to reduced nutrient flow from the ocean to the mainland.

Petren threatened at Haai are resting after a long journey searching for food at sea.(Photo: Jim Denny)

My time in Hawaii was mainly to chat with experts, take photos, film while wandering in lava tubes.

This geological structure forms when the outer part of the lava flow cools before the interior. The other is a hollow lava tube that can extend to hundreds of meters or more. Quick tube is the ideal place to find bird bones. Many species of birds that have fallen here or flew into the tube themselves are probably to avoid storms or avoid certain threats. Due to the limited light, many caves have steep entrances so they could not find a way out.

Search for skeletons

Every day we took hours to navigate the protruding terrain of lava dungeons, go up and down the slope, focusing on the next discovery while still looking for the bones. In some places, the roof of the cave expanded up to 12 feet in a form of hard lava rock, while some locations were as low as 3 feet. There we had to crawl with our hands and knees cautiously across the complex terrain while still maintaining our balance.

One of the lava tubes is in Haai's forest. Here, the lava cave is very dark and humid. Water droplets seep through the dry outer lava and then flow down our nape. Another tube in the desert environment was never expected to be on Haai Island, only a few drops of cold water fell down on the nape of the neck and made us feel good. After 6 hours in the cave, we will learn how to use the orange marking tape to find the exit in places divided into 3,4 or even 5 different directions.

The bones of an extinct giant goose that once lived on a large island in Hawaii were found in a lava tube.(Photo: Matthew Cimitile)

When they found bones, the group gathered around the site to wait for James to comment. At first glance, James can recognize the bones of a giant goose or a chicken from small bones and then mark the location. After leaving the cave we store the bones carefully in the bone box and then transfer to the Smithsonian.

Come back with hope

If we do not study birds' bones, we will be educated by some leading scientists in Hawaii on research and conservation projects on the island. Many researchers are trying to find answers to the question of the nature of petren seagulls, such as where they reproduce and how often they leave their nests during feeding time. Others will seek more effective measures to protect native flora and fauna that are not available anywhere else in the world.

During my stay in Hawaii for just a week, I saw complex ecological problems facing the state from many sides . Leaving Haai do not feel angry or bored but full of hope. Hoping from enthusiastic people who are participating and exploring the natural history of the island while preserving the remaining ecological diversity. It is a hope that it is difficult to come true that requires more people to be educated and to participate in solving environmental problems.

But as a scientist often says by understanding the past and what happens naturally, we can manage as well as preserve the future, not just in Ha Noi but everywhere in the world.