Home > Islets > Lanai > Poopoo ISLETS: LANAI > POOPOO Poopoo - Photo: F & K Starr   Poopoo - Photo: F & K Starr Poopoo - Photo: F & K Starr   Poopoo - Photo: F & K Starr Physical Features Poopoo is a 2 acre islet, approximately 60 feet high, located near Huawai Bay. The top of the islet is vegetated and farily flat. There is a marine bench and tidepools on the south side. Regulations The islet is a State Seabird Sanctuary managed by the Hawaii DOFAW. Regulations in Hawaii Administrative Rules, Title 13 Chapter 125, protect wildlife and plants and restrict human activities in seabird sanctuaries. Federal law also protects seabirds, shorebirds, and threatened or endangered species. Birds An April 2006 survey noted small numbers of nesting wedge-tailed shearwaters on the islet. A 1979 survey documented breeding by Bulwer’s Petrel (Bulweria bulwerii) and Wedge-tailed shearwaters (Puffinus pacificus). In 1979, and possibly today, Poopoo was the largest of Lanai’s offshore islet seabird colonies. Plants The 2006 survey noted that the top of the islet is vegetated primarily with a non-native buffel grass, Cenchrus ciliaris, interspersed with a few native plants. Only 5 out of the 11 plant species observed were native. This contrasts with reports from the 1982 surveys which found the islet dominated by native species, including the endemic native grass, Panicum xerophilum, which was not found in 2006. In 1982, 25 species were present; 12 native and 13 introduced. Endangered Scaevola coriacea were outplanted in 2002, but none were seen in 2006. In 2003, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated critical habitat on Poopoo for the endangered plant, Portulaca sclerocarpa. This plant was observed in 1982 but was not found in 2006. Insects No data on Poopoo’s insects is available. Marine Organisms No marine survey data has been published. Tide pools are present on the south side. Human Uses Human uses are unknown. Threats Non-native invasive grasses, such as Cenchrus ciliaris and Cenchrus echinatus, pose the most serious threats. > Back to top of page Home  Islets  Species  Projects  Outreach  Links  About Us