IRES Track I: Island Invasion Biology - Leveraging the Galapagos and Hawaiian Islands to provide immersive undergraduate research experiences.

The Galapagos and Hawaiian archipelagoes arguably represent two of the most iconic island ecosystems in the world. Both are extremely geographically isolated volcanic landmasses that have evolved unique flora and fauna, but their fragile ecosystems are threatened by a broad range of factors, perhaps the most consequential being introduced non-native invasive species. While our understanding of invasive species biology on tropical island systems has been shaped extensively by research in Hawaiʻi, other intensively studied locations, such as the Galapagos Islands, have much to offer. This project will host an immersive, experiential learning, undergraduate student research program on island invasion biology at the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. The program will provide a unique opportunity for University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM) students, who represent one of the most diverse student bodies in the nation, to immerse themselves in cutting edge international research in invasion biology at two globally-recognized research institutions that have spearheaded a wealth of understanding in this field. The histories that have shaped the two archipelagoes, including similarities and differences, will allow students and mentors to develop novel research that is relevant to both island systems, as well as tropical islands more broadly, while fostering new research collaborations between UHM faculty and foreign collaborators at CDF. As such, this project will serve as a catalyst for future research collaborations thereby providing opportunities for student research experiences for years to come in a field of critical importance to both locations. The Galapagos and Hawaiian archipelagoes arguably represent two of the most iconic island ecosystems in the world. Both are extremely isolated, volcanically-originated landmasses that have evolved unique and endemic biota. In addition, both are threatened by a broad range of anthropogenic drivers of change, perhaps the most consequential being introduced invasive species. Importantly, following decades of applied research on the control and mitigation of invasive species, the two archipelagoes represent ideal platforms for student learning in a field of research with broad local and global ramifications. This project will host an immersive, experiential learning, undergraduate student research program on island invasion biology at the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. At least six U.S. students in each cohort year from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM) (≥18 students total) will spend one year, including eight weeks in Galapagos, researching the drivers and consequences of invasive species introductions, while assessing means to mitigate their spread and impact. In the semester preceding their field research program, students will take an accredited UHM course on invasion biology to provide them with a core baseline understanding of the threats and challenges posed by invasive species in tropical island systems, using the Hawaiian Islands as a model system. During this course, students will interact with UHM faculty advisors and foreign collaborators at CDF, to develop the framework and design for their individual summer research projects in Galapagos. Each foreign collaborator will oversee 2 students each field season and, along with UHM mentors, will provide pre- and post-field program support. Upon returning to Hawaiʻi, students will continue to work with their UHM and CDF mentors to write up project results for submission to peer-reviewed scientific outlets, and present results to the UHM campus and the broader applied conservation and scientific community. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.