Hawaii residents are urged to use the Pest Hotline to promptly report sightings of invasive pests such as snakes, unusually aggressive stinging ants, and illegal or unknown animals. Call 643-PEST (643-7378)
Hull fouling is a major pathway for alien species to be introduced into Hawaii.
This pathway does not consist of a single species, but represents a major threat for several
species to be introduced. Some of the species of concern include the Asian Mussel,
Black Striped Mussel, European Green Crab, Chinese Mitten Crab, and various algae,
jellyfish, sea anemones, and corals. To date, hull fouling has introduced 212 species in
Hawaii with 90% of those established.
Any particular economic impacts caused by any species introduction via hull
fouling are unknown. However, Australia spent several million dollars on a massive
eradication effort for the Black Striped Mussel (a potential threat to Hawaii). In
addition, hull fouling is the suspected vector for the introduction of the snowflake coral
into Hawaiian waters.
Current activities to address hull fouling include the development of a hull fouling
and ballast water management plan, protocols for hull cleaning and maintenance, and a
threat matrix for inbound and inter island vessels. Also, the U.S Navy is conducting
research on technologies to minimize hull fouling.
