Tree Snail Conservation and Genetics

U.S. Army Garrison - Hawaii

Endemic tree snails are rapidly disappearing from Hawaii's forests due to human impacts and introduced predators. AERC researchers partnered with faculty and students from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa to study how tree snails adapt to their changing environment. The project included identifying gene regions of the endangered species and examining why snails select specific plants over others. The results can aid in relocating snails to improved habitat, combining populations of the endangered species, and maximizing genetic resilience across the species. In the lab, researchers also cultivated fungal cultures that could augment the diet for tree snails in captivity, and explored how the endangered species maximizes biofilms for nutrition.

 

Top photo by Tech. Sgt. Michael Holzworth, DMA Pacific

Lower photo by Karen Iwamoto, U.S. Army Garrison - Hawaii