Conference focused on science being done in the Marianas

Jerilyn Calaor presents her research via online connection from Iowa on the role of spiders in arthropod communities in the absence of birds. (WPTRC)

The 3rd Marianas Terrestrial Conservation Conference & Workshop is over. Held for the first time on Saipan last Nov. 19-20, the conference attracted over 100 attendees with 28 presentations on the first day and nine scientific posters on the second day.

Free and open to the public, the MTCC is the only conference held in the region that brings researchers together around conservation issues facing the islands that make up the Mariana archipelago. Talks included research on recovery of fanihi (Mariana fruit bat), såli (Micronesian starling) and åga (Mariana crow), native skinks, and snails.

The talks can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2ycP1zJLco5-gR8rkL8m4Q/videos.

Several University of Guam students and graduates presented at the conference, including Maria Lynn Cruz, Jerilyn Calaor, and Ann Marie Gawel.

Calaor and Gawel are currently working toward their Ph.D. under Haldre Rogers at Iowa State University.

Moneka de Oro, research technician at the Ecology of Bird Loss Project in Guam, attended the conference and believes it is important to have a venue to showcase terrestrial research in the region. “It is vital for people to know about the research being conducted on native flora and fauna in order to understand where we are now and our relationship to the land,” said de Oro.

The Western Pacific Tropical Research Center was a major sponsor of the conference. “I was very impressed with the caliber of the research and presentations at the conference,” said WPTRC associate director Adrian Ares. 

Researcher Michael Lanzone from Cape May, New Jersey, presented on an upcoming project tracking såli (Micronesian starling) in Guam at the Anderson Air Force Base. “I believe this conference is critically important for understanding the conservation of island ecosystems. It brings people together to learn from each other and allows conservation players a chance to get on the same page,” said Lanzone.

Hawaii-based USGS Pacific Island Ecosystem Research Center scientist Eben Paxton, said, “This conference allows attendees to hear what researchers are doing in the field of conservation research and know that our science is applicable to the region. It is also important to hear the concerns and needs of other scientists and the public.”

Emma Hollowell, a recipient of the John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship that allows participants to gain hands-on experience at host government offices in Washington, D.C. that is transferring science to policy and management, attended the conference. She came because she personally cares about the issues around invasive species management and conservation and wanted to see firsthand what is happening in the Marianas. Working in D.C. with the office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Environment), she hears a great deal about environmental issues in the region.

A rufous fantail (chichirika in CHamorro) darts through the limestone forest understory during a birding field trip at the 3rd Marianas Terrestrial Conservation Conference & Workshop. (MICHAEL LANZONE)

On the second day of the conference, scientists, along with representatives of local and federal agencies, focused on brown tree snake research in the region. A panel discussion on conservation efforts on the islands brought together the issues of reintroducing birds in Guam and brown tree snake eradication efforts. The well-attended poster session held at the Carolinian Utt drew conference participants and local people interested in conservation. The CNMI Department of Lands and Natural Resources hosted a barbecue as the culminating event of the conference.

The conference organizers included field trips, making the two-day conference overwhelmingly enjoyable. Thrilling pre-conference proa [indigenous canoe] rides by Saipan-based nonprofit 500 Sails, Inc. and a hike to visit a Mariana swiftlet cave gave conference-goers an introduction to Saipan. Multiple morning field trips included an early morning birding trip, tree-planting for Super Typhoon Yutu recovery efforts, and a native limestone forest hike.

“The zories-on-the-ground conference organizers, Jill Liske-Clark and Ann Marie Gawel, did a fantastic job in making the 2019 MTCC was a tremendous success,” said Rogers.

MTCC’s 2020 conference will be held in mid-November in Guam. For more information contact Rogers at haldre@iastate.edu. (PR)