Kauai Research Articles

Evacuation planning for plausible worst case inundation scenarios in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Honolulu is susceptible to coastal flooding hazards. Like other coastal cities, Honolulu&s long-term economic viability and sustainability depends on how well it can adapt to changes in the natural and built environment. While there is a disagreement over the magnitude and extent of localized impacts associated with climate change, it is widely accepted that by 2100 there will be at least a meter in sea level rise (SLR) and an increase in extreme weather events. Increased exposure and vulnerabilities associated with urbanization and location of human activities in coastal areas warrants serious consideration by planners and policy makers. This article has three objectives. First, flooding due to the combined effects of SLR and episodic hydro-meteorological and geophysical events in Honolulu are investigated and the risks to the community are quantified. Second, the risks and vulnerabilities of critical infrastructure and the surface transportation system are described. Third, using the travel demand software, travel distances and travel times for evacuation from inundated areas are modeled. Data from three inundation models were used. The first model simulated storm surge from a category 4 hurricane similar to Hurricane Iniki which devastated the island of Kauai in 1992. The second model estimates inundation based on five tsunamis that struck Hawaii. A 1-m increase in sea level was included in both the hurricane storm surge and tsunami flooding models. The third model used in this article generated a 500-year flood event due to riverine flooding. Using a uniform grid cell structure, the three inundation maps were used to assess the worst case flooding scenario. Based on the flood depths, the ruling hazard (hurricane, tsunami, or riverine flooding) for each grid cell was determined. The hazard layer was analyzed with socioeconomic data layers to determine the impact on vulnerable populations, economic activity, and critical infrastructure. The analysis focused both on evacuation needs and the critical elements of the infrastructure system that are needed to ensure effective response and recovery in the advent of flooding. This study shows that the coastal flooding will seriously affect the economy and employment. Extreme flooding events could affect 38 percent of the freeways, 44 percent of the highways, 69 percent of the arterial roads, and 40 percent of the local streets in the area examined. Approximately 80 percent of the economy and 76 percent of the total employment in the urban core of Honolulu is exposed to flooding. Evacuation modeling, shelter accessibility, and travel time to shelter analyses revealed that there is a significant shortage in sheltering options, as well as increases in travel times and distances as inundation depth increases. The findings are useful for evacuation and shelter planning for extreme coastal events, as well as for climate change adaptation planning in Honolulu. Recommendations for emergency responders as well as those interested in the integration of long-term SLR and low probability, high consequence coastal hazards are included. The study shows how to integrate travel demand modeling across multiple hazards and threats related to evacuating, sheltering, and disaster risk reduction.

Breeding biology of two endangered forest birds on the island of Kauai, Hawaii

ABSTRACT Two forest bird species endemic to the island of Kauai in the Hawaiian Archipelago were listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 2010 due to recent population declines. This research represents the first comprehensive breeding biology study of both species, the ‘Akikiki or Kauai Creeper (Oreomystis bairdi) and ‘Akeke‘e or Akekee (Loxops caeruleirostris). The 2-year study was initiated in 2012 to determine if low nesting success may be a cause of their population declines. We monitored 20 ‘Akikiki and 8 ‘Akeke‘e nests to assess basic nesting biology parameters (e.g., brood size; nest height; length of construction, incubation, and nestling periods) and to derive estimates of nesting success and investigate causes of failure. In general, ‘Akikiki and ‘Akeke‘e breeding biology was similar to other insectivorous Hawaiian honeycreepers. Mean nest height for ‘Akikiki and ‘Akeke‘e was high (9.2 ± 2.3 m SD and 11.1 ± 2.3 m SD, respectively) compared to most Kauai forest birds. Nesting success, cal...

Roaming Romeos: male crickets evolving in silence show increased locomotor behaviours

Loss of sexual signals should be strongly selected against when these signals are necessary for mate attraction or acquisition. Male Teleogryllus oceanicus field crickets produce a long-distance calling song to attract females. Separate genetic mutations recently evolved on the Hawaiian Islands of Kauai and Oahu, rendering approximately 90% and 50% of males, respectively, incapable of calling. We examined whether males from three populations, each with a distinct prevalence of this silent ‘flatwing’ phenotype, show behavioural plasticity in response to being reared in a call-less environment. Crickets from Kauai, Oahu and Mangaia, a Cook Islands population without the flatwing phenotype, either were or were not exposed to calling song during late juvenile and early adult development. Movement assays showed that when males originating from Kauai were reared in silence, they moved sooner, moved more and spent more time walking during silent behaviour trials than did their counterparts reared with calling song. Males from Oahu and Mangaia, however, showed no such effect of acoustic rearing environment on these behaviours. This suggests that there has been directional selection on Kauai for males to respond to a silent environment by increasing their mobility, thus compensating for their lack of song and increasing their chance of encountering receptive females.

Preliminary Observations on the Behavior of Feral Chickens on the Island of Kauai; Reflections on Domestication as Complexity

Two study sessions of fieldwork on the Hawaiian island of Kauai were undertaken in 2012 and 2014 on the behavior of the feral chickens on the island. The inquiry was directed to understand the nature of social organization given the animals had no natural predators and were largely ignored by the present population. Comparisons with other vertebrate populations with out natural predators was considered.

Effects of the Hawaiian Islands on the vertical structure of low‐level clouds from CALIPSO lidar

AbstractThe steady northeast trade winds impinge on the Hawaiian Islands, producing prominent island wakes of multispatial scales from tens to thousands of kilometers. Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) reveal rich three‐dimensional structures of low‐level clouds that are induced by the islands, distinct from the background environment. The cloud frequency peaks between 1.5 and 2.0 km in cloud top elevation over the windward slopes of the islands of Kauai and Oahu due to orographic lifting and daytime island heating. In the nighttime near‐island wake of Kauai, CALIPSO captures a striking cloud hole below 1.6 km as the cold advection from the island suppresses low‐level clouds. The cyclonic eddy of the mechanical wake behind the island of Hawaii favors the formation of low‐level clouds (below 2.5 km), and the anticyclonic eddy suppresses the low‐level cloud formation, indicative of the dynamical effect on the vertical structure of low‐level clouds. In the long Hawaiian wake due to air‐sea interaction, low‐level clouds form over both the warmer and colder waters, but the cloud tops are 400–600 m higher over the warm than the cold waters. In addition, the day‐night differences and the sensitivity of low‐level clouds to the background trade wind inversion height are also studied.

The Effects of the Trade Winds on the Distribution of Relative Humidity and the Diurnal Air Temperature Cycle on Oceanic Tropical Islands

On many oceanic tropical islands the trade winds blow from the east and as the air passes over the island it loses moisture to rain. The two hypotheses for this study are that the western part of the island is less humid and has a larger diurnal air temperature cycle. Using data available on the Internet, the two hypotheses were assayed 7 times on 6 different islands in the Pacific and Caribbean. The islands used in this study are Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Big Island of Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, and Kauai. The first hypothesis was tested only on Hispaniola and is true. The second hypothesis was tested on all the islands and is true on all the islands except on the Big Island of Hawaii and Maui. Using a p-value of 0.05, these hypotheses are as predicted 5 of the 7 times, which has a p-value of 6 x 10-6. These findings should apply to thousands oceanic tropical islands where data are sparse.

The Effects of the Trade Winds on the Distribution of Relative Humidity and the Diurnal Air Temperature Cycle on Oceanic Tropical Islands

On many oceanic tropical islands the trade winds blow from the east and as the air passes over the island it loses moisture to rain. The two hypotheses for this study are that the western part of the island is less humid and has a larger diurnal air temperature cycle. Using data available on the Internet, the two hypotheses were assayed 7 times on 6 different islands in the Pacific and Caribbean. The islands used in this study are Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Big Island of Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, and Kauai. The first hypothesis was tested only on Hispaniola and is true. The second hypothesis was tested on all the islands and is true on all the islands except on the Big Island of Hawaii and Maui. Using a p-value of 0.05, these hypotheses are as predicted 5 of the 7 times, which has a p-value of 6 x 10-6. These findings should apply to thousands oceanic tropical islands where data are sparse.

Counterculture and Alternative Media in Utopian Contexts: A Slice of Life from the Rainbow Region

Counterculture and Alternative Media in Utopian Contexts: A Slice of Life from the Rainbow Region

Abstract PL02-03: Overcoming cultural and geographic barriers to participation in clinical trials among Native Hawaiians

Abstract The Native Hawaiian population of Hawaii has disproportionately high cancer incidence and mortality rates. Native Hawaiian women with breast cancer present at an advanced stage and have death rates that are 52 % above the state average. Prostate cancer among Native Hawaiian men is diagnosed at more advanced stage. Native Hawaiian participation in cancer clinical trials was historically low. Reasons for this were varied including access, health literacy, lack of primary and referring physician awareness/time constraints and cultural barriers. Since the establishment of the University of Hawaii Minority Based Clinical Oncology Program (UHMBCCOP) participation in cancer clinical trials has definitely increased. MBCCOP provided clinical trial promotion, increased access and clinical trial support for a group of hospital and office based oncologists across the islands of Oahu and Kauai have all contributed to the increase. Education programs in Hawaii by multiple organizations, in particular, Imi Hale, the Native Hawaiian Cancer Network Program have enhanced knowledge of cancer and clinical trials in the Native Hawaiian community. Imi Hale's emphasis has focused on community based patient training, patient navigation and referring physician cancer clinical trial training. In fact, a recent program was recently initiated in conjunction with Education Network to Advance Clinical Trials (ENNACT) and Queens Medical Center. Review of Native Hawaiian participation in both cancer prevention and treatment trials through the UHMBCCOP over the last 20 years shows a significant gender difference with more women participating in both prevention and treatment trials. The reasons for this are not well understood but are under investigation. In summary, increased focused access and community based education have improved Native Hawaiian participation in cancer clinical trials but challenges persist including gender disparities in enrollment onto clinical trials and lack of access outside of Oahu and Kauai islands. Citation Format: Jeffrey L. Berenberg. Overcoming cultural and geographic barriers to participation in clinical trials among Native Hawaiians. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Sixth AACR Conference: The Science of Cancer Health Disparities; Dec 6–9, 2013; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2014;23(11 Suppl):Abstract nr PL02-03. doi:10.1158/1538-7755.DISP13-PL02-03

The Hawaiian freshwater algae biodiversity survey (2009-2014): systematic and biogeographic trends with an emphasis on the macroalgae.

BackgroundA remarkable range of environmental conditions is present in the Hawaiian Islands due to their gradients of elevation, rainfall and island age. Despite being well known as a location for the study of evolutionary processes and island biogeography, little is known about the composition of the non-marine algal flora of the archipelago, its degree of endemism, or affinities with other floras. We conducted a biodiversity survey of the non-marine macroalgae of the six largest main Hawaiian Islands using molecular and microscopic assessment techniques. We aimed to evaluate whether endemism or cosmopolitanism better explain freshwater algal distribution patterns, and provide a baseline data set for monitoring future biodiversity changes in the Hawaiian Islands.Results1,786 aquatic and terrestrial habitats and 1,407 distinct collections of non-marine macroalgae were collected from the islands of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, Lanai and Hawaii from the years 2009–2014. Targeted habitats included streams, wet walls, high elevation bogs, taro fields, ditches and flumes, lakes/reservoirs, cave walls and terrestrial areas. Sites that lacked freshwater macroalgae were typically terrestrial or wet wall habitats that were sampled for diatoms and other microalgae. Approximately 50% of the identifications were of green algae, with lesser proportions of diatoms, red algae, cyanobacteria, xanthophytes and euglenoids. 898 DNA sequences were generated representing eight different markers, which enabled an assessment of the number of taxonomic entities for genera collected as part of the survey. Forty-four well-characterized taxa were assessed for global distribution patterns. This analysis revealed no clear biogeographic affinities of the flora, with 27.3% characterized as “cosmopolitan”, 11.4% “endemic”, and 61.3% as intermediate.ConclusionsThe Hawaiian freshwater algal biodiversity survey represents the first comprehensive effort to characterize the non-marine algae of a tropical region in the world using both morphological and molecular tools. Survey data were entered in the Hawaiian Freshwater Algal Database, which serves as a digital repository of photographs and micrographs, georeferenced localities and DNA sequence data. These analyses yielded an updated checklist of the non-marine macroalgae of the Hawaiian Islands, and revealed varied biogeographic affinities of the flora that are likely a product of both natural and anthropogenic dispersal.

Studying the biosonar activities of deep diving odontocetes in Hawaii and other western Pacific locations

Ecological acoustic recorders (EARs) have been deployed at several locations in Hawaii and in other western Pacific locations to study the foraging behavior of deep-diving odontocetes. EARs have been deployed at depths greater than 400 m at five locations around the island of Kauai, one at Ni’ihau, two around the island of Okinawa, and four in the Marianas (two close to island of Guam, one close to the island of Saipan and another close to the island of Tinian). The four groups of deep-diving odontocetes were blackfish (mainly pilot whales and false killer whales), sperm whales, beaked whales (Cuvier and Bainsville beaked whales) and Risso’s dolphin. In all locations, the biosonar signals of blackfish were detected the most followed by either by sperm and beaked whales depending on specific locations with Risso’s dolphin being detected the least. There was a strong tendency for these animals to forage at night in all locations. The detection rate indicate much lower populations of these four groups of odontocetes around Okinawa and in the Marianas then off Kauai in the main Hawaiian island chain by a factor of about 4–5.

Genetic Diversity of Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae) on the Hawaiian Islands: Implications for an Introduction Pathway Into California.

Population genetic diversity of the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), on the Hawaiian islands of Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii (the Big Island) was estimated using DNA sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene. In total, 932 flies representing 36 sampled sites across the four islands were sequenced for a 1,500-bp fragment of the gene named the C1500 marker. Genetic variation was low on the Hawaiian Islands with >96% of flies having just two haplotypes: C1500-Haplotype 1 (63.2%) or C1500-Haplotype 2 (33.3%). The other 33 flies (3.5%) had haplotypes similar to the two dominant haplotypes. No population structure was detected among the islands or within islands. The two haplotypes were present at similar frequencies at each sample site, suggesting that flies on the various islands can be considered one population. Comparison of the Hawaiian data set to DNA sequences of 165 flies from outbreaks in California between 2006 and 2012 indicates that a single-source introduction pathway of Hawaiian origin cannot explain many of the flies in California. Hawaii, however, could not be excluded as a maternal source for 69 flies. There was no clear geographic association for Hawaiian or non-Hawaiian haplotypes in the Bay Area or Los Angeles Basin over time. This suggests that California experienced multiple, independent introductions from different sources.

Replicated evolutionary divergence in the cuticular hydrocarbon profile of male crickets associated with the loss of song in the Hawaiian archipelago.

Female choice based on male secondary sexual traits is well documented, although the extent to which this selection can drive an evolutionary divergence in male traits among populations is less clear. Male field crickets Teleogryllus oceanicus attract females using a calling song and once contacted switch to courtship song to persuade them to mate. These crickets also secrete onto their cuticle a cocktail of long-chained fatty acids or cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs). Females choose among potential mates based on the structure of male acoustic signals and on the composition of male CHC profiles. Here, we utilize two naturally occurring mutations that have arisen independently on two Hawaiian islands and render the male silent to ask whether the evolutionary loss of acoustic signalling can drive an evolutionary divergence in the alternative signalling modality, male CHC profiles. QST -FST comparisons revealed strong patterns of CHC divergence among three populations of crickets on the islands of Hawaii, Oahu and Kauai. Contrasts between wild-type and flatwing males on the islands of Oahu and Kauai indicated that variation in male CHC profiles within populations is associated with the loss of acoustic signalling; flatwing males had a relatively low abundance of long-chained CHCs relative to the short-chained CHCs that females find attractive. Given their dual functions in desiccation resistance and sexual signalling, insect CHCs may be particularly important traits for reproductive isolation and ultimately speciation.

An Airborne Study of an Atmospheric River over the Subtropical Pacific during WISPAR: Dropsonde Budget-Box Diagnostics and Precipitation Impacts in Hawaii

AbstractThe Winter Storms and Pacific Atmospheric Rivers (WISPAR) experiment was carried out in January–March 2011 from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Dryden Flight Research Center as a demonstration for utilizing unmanned aerial systems in meteorological research and operations over data-sparse oceans. One of the campaign’s three missions was coordinated with a manned National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Gulfstream-IV (G-IV) flight out of Honolulu, Hawaii, on 3–4 March 2011. The G-IV, which flew through a developing atmospheric river (AR) west of Hawaii, represents the cornerstone observing platform for this study and provided the southernmost dropsonde observations of an AR published to date in the subtropical Northern Hemisphere. The AR exhibited characteristics comparable to those observed in previous studies farther north in the subtropics and midlatitudes, save for larger integrated water vapor and weaker winds in the AR core and stronger equatorward vapor fluxes in the shallow post-cold-frontal northeasterly flow. Eight dropsondes released in a ~200-km-wide box formation provided a novel kinematic assessment of tropospheric vorticity, divergence (mass, water vapor, sensible heat), and vertical velocity in the AR region, as well as sea surface fluxes. The budget-box diagnostics were physically consistent with global-gridded reanalysis datasets, while also providing useful additional kinematic and thermodynamic information on the mesoscale. Meteorological impacts of the AR were assessed on Hawaii’s island of Kauai, where the state’s heaviest rainfall was observed for this case. Rainfall on Kauai was modulated significantly by its steep orography, including on the normally dry side of the island where heavy rains fell.

Integration of coastal inundation modeling from storm tides to individual waves

Modeling of storm-induced coastal inundation has primarily focused on the surge generated by atmospheric pressure and surface winds with phase-averaged effects of the waves as setup. Through an interoperable model package, we investigate the role of phase-resolving wave processes in simulation of coastal flood hazards. A spectral ocean wave model describes generation and propagation of storm waves from deep to intermediate water, while a non-hydrostatic storm-tide model has the option to couple with a spectral coastal wave model for computation of phase-averaged processes in a near-shore region. The ocean wave and storm-tide models can alternatively provide the wave spectrum and the surface elevation as the boundary and initial conditions for a nested Boussinesq model. Additional surface-gradient terms in the Boussinesq equations maintain the quasi-steady, non-uniform storm tide for modeling of phase-resolving surf and swash-zone processes as well as combined tide, surge, and wave inundation. The two nesting schemes are demonstrated through a case study of Hurricane Iniki, which made landfall on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai in 1992. With input from a parametric hurricane model and global reanalysis and tidal datasets, the two approaches produce comparable significant wave heights and phase-averaged surface elevations in the surf zone. The nesting of the Boussinesq model provides a seamless approach to augment the inundation due to the individual waves in matching the recorded debris line along the coast.

Rapid Convergent Evolution in Wild Crickets

The earliest stages of convergent evolution are difficult to observe in the wild, limiting our understanding of the incipient genomic architecture underlying convergent phenotypes. To address this, we capitalized on a novel trait, flatwing, that arose and proliferated at the start of the 21st century in a population of field crickets (Teleogryllus oceanicus) on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. Flatwing erases sound-producing structures on male forewings. Mutant males cannot sing to attract females, but they are protected from fatal attack by an acoustically orienting parasitoid fly (Ormia ochracea). Two years later, the silent morph appeared on the neighboring island of Oahu. We tested two hypotheses for the evolutionary origin of flatwings in Hawaii: (1) that the silent morph originated on Kauai and subsequently introgressed into Oahu and (2) that flatwing originated independently on each island. Morphometric analysis of male wings revealed that Kauai flatwings almost completely lack typical derived structures, whereas Oahu flatwings retain noticeably more wild-type wing venation. Using standard genetic crosses, we confirmed that the mutation segregates as a single-locus, sex-linked Mendelian trait on both islands. However, genome-wide scans using RAD-seq recovered almost completely distinct markers linked with flatwing on each island. The patterns of allelic association with flatwing on either island reveal different genomic architectures consistent with the timing of two mutational events on the X chromosome. Divergent wing morphologies linked to different loci thus cause identical behavioral outcomes--silence--illustrating the power of selection to rapidly shape convergent adaptations from distinct genomic starting points.

Presence and seasonal variation of deep diving foraging odontocetes around Kauai, Hawaii using remote autonomous acoustic recorders

Ecological acoustic recorders (EARs) were moored off the bottom in relatively deep depths (609-710 m) at five locations around the island of Kauai. Initially, the EARs had an analog-to-digital sample rate of 64 kHz with 30-s recordings every 5 min. After the second deployment the sampling rate was increased to 80 kHz in order to better record beaked whale biosonar signals. The results of the 80 kHz recording are discussed in this manuscript and are the results of three deployments over a year's period (January 2010 to January 2011). Five categories of the biosonar signal detection of deep diving odontocetes were created, short-finned pilot whales, sperm whales, beaked whales, Risso's dolphins, and unknown dolphins. During any given day, at least one species of these deep diving odontocetes were detected. On many days, several species were detected. The biosonar signals of short-finned pilot whales were detected the most often with approximately 30% of all the signals, followed by beaked and sperm whales approximately 22% and 21% of all clicks, respectively. The seasonal patterns were not very strong except in the SW location with distinct peak in detection during the months of April-June 2010 period.

Survival estimates of wild and captive-bred released Puaiohi, an endangered Hawaiian thrush

ABSTRACT Estimating and monitoring adult and juvenile survival are vital to understanding population status, informing recovery planning for endangered species, and quantifying the success of management. We used mark–recapture models to estimate apparent annual survival of the Puaiohi (Myadestes palmeri), an endangered thrush endemic to the Hawaiian island of Kauai, from 2005 to 2011. Our sample included 87 wild birds and 123 captive-bred birds that were released at various ages. Survival was higher for wild adult males (0.71 ± 0.09) than for wild adult females (0.46 ± 0.12). Survival of wild juveniles (0.23 ± 0.06) was lower than that of wild adults of both sexes, indicating that recruitment may limit population growth. Captive-bred birds released when <1 yr old had survival (0.26 ± 0.21) comparable with that of wild juveniles, but captive-bred birds released at 1–3 yr old had very low survival (0.05 ± 0.06). Only 8 of 123 (7%) captive birds were seen again after release. Two wild birds resighted five ye...

Hoea Ea: land education and food sovereignty in Hawaii

This short piece offers two literal and figurative snapshots of what land education looks like in action in Hawaii. The first snapshot depicts a contemporary example of Indigenous Hawaiian taro cultivation in the Limahuli valley on the island of Kauai. The second snapshot illustrates the food sovereignty movement in Waianae, Oahu located at the Kaiao Garden grown by the Hilo Boys and Girls Club.

The importance of molecular dating analyses for inferring Hawaiian biogeographical history: a case study with bark lice (Psocidae: Ptycta)

AbstractAimThe use of intuitive or explicit biogeographical reconstruction techniques to estimate the timing of species radiations on the Hawaiian Islands, while often incorporating evidence on the timing of island formation, may be misleading if the effects of extinction are overlooked. Using phylogenies of the bark louse genus Ptycta (Psocidae), we compared results from biogeographical character mapping with those from molecular dating analyses. These results were used to evaluate the ‘progression model’, which predicts an oldest‐to‐youngest pattern of island colonization.LocationThe main Hawaiian Islands (Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Hawaii).MethodsWith a data set including 101 Hawaiian Ptycta specimens and 18 outgroup species, we constructed molecular phylogenies based on sequences of the nuclear gene wingless and mitochondrial genes 12S, 16S and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI). Maximum‐likelihood, maximum‐parsimony and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses were used. We used beast to estimate a time‐calibrated tree under a relaxed clock model.ResultsOur analyses suggested a single colonization event, followed by extensive movement of Ptycta among islands and species radiations within and between islands. This monophyletic radiation is composed of two well‐supported clades that are also supported by two synapomorphic characters of the male genitalia.Main conclusionsVery different biogeographical patterns are inferred by molecular dating versus approaches based on character mapping. Simple biogeographical reconstruction over the molecular phylogeny supports a pattern of youngest‐to‐oldest island colonization, the reverse of that predicted by the ‘progression model’, and implies that this radiation could be as young as the most recent islands of Maui (1.4 Ma) or Hawaii (0.5 Ma). Molecular dating, however, infers a pattern consistent with oldest‐to‐youngest island colonization, and suggests a lineage age of 7.1 Ma. Extinction on the oldest island of Kauai may account for the differences in results between the two analyses.