Developing the State of Hawaii Native Invertebrate Database, a tool for managers and researchers

The lack of data available relating to native invertebrates in Hawaii makes specific biological, ecological, conservation and management assessments exceedingly difficult to complete. Furthermore the insufficient information management (i.e. a lack of cohesive data compilation and storage tools) for data that have been collected is an even greater impediment to invertebrate conservation and management efforts. The lack of a cohesive data storage system, and an abundance of inaccessible grey literature and species records, currently precludes resource managers or researchers from systematically assessing populations and conservation needs of most native invertebrates. The State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resource, Division of Forestry and Wildlife is completing development of a relational database which will house biological, taxonomic, ecological, physical, and geographical for native invertebrates. Our objective is to publish this database online such that data are available for, and can be used to inform research, management, conservation and planning.