Island Conservation, a California-based group dedicated to saving endemic species, revealed today (August 17) that they have actually successfully cleared all 12 islets of Tetiaroa, a French Polynesian atoll in the Pacific Ocean near Tahiti, of two species of invasive rats. The job– focusing on the ecology of the island system when owned by Marlon Brando and now home to The Brando, an expensive resort for A-list celebs– is the largest, successfully completed intrusive species removal effort of its kind to date.Rat numbers grew rapidly on Tetiaroa after they were inadvertently brought to the islands. Bird guano is a crucial source of nutrients for coral reefs surrounding the islands, and the increased health of these systems advantages regional marine life and even remote marine communities and food webs linked to the reef systems.Take a peek at some of the types that will benefit from these efforts:
