A University of Hawaii at Hilo faculty member was recently awarded nearly $2 million from the Department of Defense’s Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program to develop methods for mitigating the impact of invasive species through early detection using DNA and predictive modeling.
A University of Hawaii at Hilo faculty member was recently awarded nearly $2 million from the Department of Defense’s Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program to develop methods for mitigating the impact of invasive species through early detection using DNA and predictive modeling.
The project is a collaboration with the Construction Engineering Research Laboratory in Champaign, Ill.
Natalie Graham, assistant professor of biology, received a collaborative award of $1.99 million for “A Predictive Model for Invasive Terrestrial Arthropod Species in the Indo-Pacific.”
The project, which begins in January 2026, will be conducted with collaborators at various institutions, including PI Mark D. Johnson of the Construction Engineering Research Laboratory, and co-investigators at UC Berkeley, Virginia Tech, Northern Arizona University, University of Hawaii at Manoa and the United States Geological Survey.
“This project aims to address the urgent need for early warning capabilities for invasive terrestrial arthropod species that threaten biodiversity and Department of Defense operations in the Indo-Pacific,” Graham said. “By developing a comprehensive DNA reference library and predictive models, we aim to pinpoint potential threats and enhance biosecurity measures to protect sensitive island habitats, which are increasingly vulnerable to biodiversity loss and invasive species.”
