March 11, 2025
Press Release: New eDNA Tool Can Detect Invasive Rodents Within an Hour
New environmental DNA technology can help protect vulnerable island ecosystems from destructive invasive species.
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The U.S. Board on Geographic Names, at its May 10, 2012 meeting, approved the proposal to change the name of Rat Island to Hawadax Island in the Aleutians. Hawadax (pronounced “how AH thaa”) is a return to the original Aleut name, in acknowledgement of the absence of rats—a return the island’s previous ecological state prior to European/Japanese contact. The word ‘Hawadax’ roughly translates to “those two over there” as in “the island over there with two knolls”, referring to two modest hills on the island.
A Fresh Start
Island Conservation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and The Nature Conservancy removed invasive rats from Rat Island in 2008 to protect native seabird species. This ambitious restoration project would not have been possible without a strong partnership between organizations, generous philanthropic support, and the complete alignment and support of governments (federal, county, and state), local communities, and native Aleuts. Thank you!
Island Conservation is proud of the work accomplished in the Aleutians islands and the partnership established. The name change marks a fresh start for the island as the ecosystem continues to recover. Before removal of invasive rats in 2008, Rat Island was eerily quiet, lacking the calls of native seabirds and wildlife flying about the island. Monitoring trips since 2008 have shown native seabird species are benefiting in the absence of rats, including species like the Leach’s Storm-petrel, a nocturnal seabird otherwise at very high risk of predation by rats because of their small size and conspicuous calling activity to attract mates.
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