Wake Island Immunity

Instructions

Wake Island is a U.S. territory and wildlife refuge, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is home to various bird, invertebrates, and reptiles, as well as lacks a permanent population of humans. Surprisingly, the ecosystem remains largely intact, despite historical invasive species and military conflicts. The only documented extinction of this habitat included a flightless bird, called the Wake Island rail. It descended from mainland buff-banded rails and thrived in isolation, up until confined Japanese soldiers hunted the animals to extinction during WWII. It was a generalist that consumed invertebrates and seeds, obtaining most of their moisture from these food sources. Like other flightless birds, it lived and nested on the ground, making it quite vulnerable to predation by humans and ground-dwelling predators. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Predator-Free: Led by Island Conservation and local operations, extensive effort has successfully eradicated invasive rodents from Wake Atoll, allowing native birds, invertebrates, and reptiles to explode in population. These are all characteristics of a restored ecosystem, which makes the environment fit for long-term revival. Measures have also been implemented to ensure invasive species never touch the island again. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ecological Proxies: Because the atoll has been cleared of invasives, and was restored to its prime state, reintroducing an ancestral or flightless rail is much more feasible than islands, like Ascension or Saint Helena. A commonly proposed substitute is the Guam rail; this is a flightless bird found exclusively in Cocos and Rota islands, possessing a similar flightless niche to the Wake Island rail. It also located in a U.S. territory and could also benefit from an extended range, as well. However, the rail has evolved in biosphere with abundant freshwater and it is unsure, whether or not, if they could adapt to the same scarcity that the extinct species once had. Another option is to introduce a buff-banded rail population from the mainland or wait for them to naturally recolonize.