My Name is Dan Rapp and I served as a Wildlife Biology Member with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) at the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.
I have been working in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) for most of my professional career. I became enthralled and humbled the first time I stepped into this place back in 2010 at Lalo (French Frigate Shoals / Tern Island). Before working in the NWHI I had little knowledge of the place, embarrassingly I did not know these islands even existed until I saw the job postings on the Texas A&M University job board. Oh how things have changed, since my time at Lalo I have made every attempt to interweave my life with these atolls and islands.
Now a little background. The NWHI fall within Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary (PNMS), protecting 582,570 square miles of Pacific Ocean and numerous coral islands, seamounts, banks, and shoals. The PNMS is coextensive with the marine portions of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Further, the PNMS includes the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife refuge, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, Kure Atoll Seabird Sanctuary, and the Battle of Midway National Memorial. Lastly, the NWHI are of great cultural importance to Native Hawaiians with cultural sites encompassed by the PNMS.
The PNMS provides critical habitat for countless marine and terrestrial species including millions of seabirds, which is what initially brought me to the NWHI. I am a seabird biologist through and through, but I love all aspects of the PNMS and I came to my ACE position eager to work with species outside of seabirds. As mentioned, the PNMS provides critical habitat for many species, including four endangered land bird species found nowhere else in the world. During my ACE term I had the opportunity to work with one of the species, the Laysan Finch (Ekupuʻu).
The Laysan Finch was originally only found on Kauō (Laysan Island), but in 1967 a small number of birds were translocated to Manawai (Pearl and Hermes Atoll) to establish another population to help protect the species from extinction. Because the translocation to Manawai was successful, the USFWS decided to establish a third population on Eastern Island at Midway Atoll NWR. A population was established here in 1905 but was extirpated by introduced rats in the 1940’s. In 1996 the USFWS successfully eradicated rats from Midway (Kuaihelani), paving the way for the Laysan Finch to someday return to the atoll. 
This past July the USFWS collected 100 Laysan Finches from Manawai (Pearl and Hermes Atoll) to reestablish a population on Eastern Island at Midway Atoll NWR. During my ACE position I got to help monitor the Finches following their release at Midway on July 22nd. All 100 of the translocated birds were given unique colored bands allowing myself and other biologists to resight and observe each translocated individual. Eastern Island is relatively small (366 acres), but there are a lot of places for a Finch to hide. To help resight individuals, 20 of the translocated Finches were outfitted with radio transmitters, which I helped track across the island. It was a thrill to be part of this translocation and help conserve an endemic NWHI species. Additionally, before my ACE position I did not have much experience working with passerines, but now I have become a more well-rounded biologist having gained new knowledge and skills (the Finches are doing great by the way).
Through my ACE position I also got to return to my roots at Lalo (French Frigate Shoals / Tern Island). As mentioned, it is at Lalo that I fell in love with the NWHI. As part of my ACE position, I deployed to Lalo for 10-days to collect biological data and help the EPA remove hazardous materials from the island (old lead-acid batteries). Since my time a Lalo the atoll unfortunately was hit by a micro-burst and a category-5 hurricane. These weather events were extreme and severely damaged all the infrastructure on Tern Island (where field station was) which ultimately led to the closing of the field station.
While the island is much different than in 2010, it is still full of life and provides critical habitat to many seabird species, the endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal (ilio-holo-i-ka-uaua), and the endangered Hawaiian Green Sea turtle (Honu). The island is literally covered with seabirds (I’m not kidding). I am very grateful to have been able to return to Lalo and give back to a place that gave me so much. Additionally, through this work / my ACE position I gained experience working with a diverse team including representatives from the USFWS, EPA, and outside contractors. I also gained skills on how to deploy a short-term camp in the NWHI following USFWS protocols.
Though my ACE position I have become a more well-rounded and competent biologist. I have also gained more knowledge and understanding of a landscape I so dearly love.