Lessons from the Tōhoku tsunami: A model for island avifauna conservation prioritization

Abstract

Earthquake‐generated tsunamis threaten coastal areas and low‐lying islands with sudden flooding. Although human hazards and infrastructure damage have been well documented for tsunamis in recent decades, the effects on wildlife communities rarely have been quantified. We describe a tsunami that hit the world's largest remaining tropical seabird rookery and estimate the effects of sudden flooding on 23 bird species nesting on Pacific islands more than 3,800 km from the epicenter. We used global positioning systems, tide gauge data, and satellite imagery to quantify characteristics of the Tōhoku earthquake‐generated tsunami (11 March 2011) and its inundation extent across four Hawaiian Islands. We estimated short‐term effects of sudden flooding to bird communities using spatially explicit data from Midway Atoll and Laysan Island, Hawai'i. We describe variation in species vulnerability based on breeding phenology, nesting habitat, and life history traits. The tsunami inundated 21%–100% of each island's area at Midway Atoll and Laysan Island. Procellariformes (albatrosses and petrels) chick and egg losses exceeded 258,500 at Midway Atoll while albatross chick losses at Laysan Island exceeded 21,400. The tsunami struck at night and during the peak of nesting for 14 colonial seabird species. Strongly philopatric Procellariformes were vulnerable to the tsunami. Nonmigratory, endemic, endangered Laysan Teal (Anas laysanensis) were sensitive to ecosystem effects such as habitat changes and carcass‐initiated epizootics of avian botulism, and its populations declined approximately 40% on both atolls post‐tsunami. Catastrophic flooding of Pacific islands occurs periodically not only from tsunamis, but also from storm surge and rainfall; with sea‐level rise, the frequency of sudden flooding events will likely increase. As invasive predators occupy habitat on higher elevation Hawaiian Islands and globally important avian populations are concentrated on low‐lying islands, additional conservation strategies may be warranted to increase resilience of island biodiversity encountering tsunamis and rising sea levels.

Genetic impacts of physical disturbance processes in coastal marine ecosystems

“…Tsunami events can cause sudden flooding and dramatically change coastal habitats. The vulnerability of near-shore ecosystems to tsunami depends on coastal topographic characteristics such as bathymetry and orientation, wave directionality and relative distance to tsunami epicentre (Reynolds et al, 2017). Large tsunami waves can cause sediment erosion, change sediment composition and subsequently result in major habitat loss in coastal areas (Chunga-Llauce & Pacheco, 2021).…”

Envisioning a resilient future for biodiversity conservation in the wake of the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…Perturbations impact species persistence via the degradation of habitat, direct exploitation or persecution, or changes to ecological processes (Bragina et al, 2015;Hilton et al, 2003, Hirayama et al, 2020Reynolds et al, 2017;Steutermann Rogers, 2018;Zhang et al, 2009). In areas of conflict, the introduction of military infrastructure, defoliation, the exploitation and trade of wildlife by displaced people, or military or insurgent armies for food or to finance war efforts can have devastating effects upon species abundance (Brito et al, 2018;Butsic et al, 2015;Draulans & Van Krunkelsven, 2002;Dutta, 2020).…”

Assisted colonization of albatrosses in the California Channel Islands: conservation basis and suitability assessment

“…Fish and Wildlife Service 2005 [USFWS], Arata et al, 2009). These islands and the biota they support are threatened by sea level rise and increasing storm surge associated with global climate change, as well as catastrophic events like tsunamis (USFWS, 2005, Baker et al, 2006Reynolds et al, 2015;Reynolds et al, 2017). Protection of suitable breeding habitat and restoration or creation of breeding colonies on higher islands are among the highest priority conservation actions for increasing resiliency of these species (Flint et al, 2011;Young et al, 2012;VanderWerf et al, 2019).…”