After Dark in the Park presentations are 7 p.m. Tuesdays in the Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium

* May 10 – “Open-Ocean Melon-Headed Whales Resident in Shallow Water off Hawaii Island”

Hawaiian waters are home to at least 24 species of whales and dolphins, including the melon-headed whale, which is normally considered to be an open-ocean species.

Melon-headed whales were first described from Hilo Bay, where in 1841 approximately 60 animals were driven ashore and harvested for their meat and oil.

Off the Kohala coast resides a small population of these animals. Jessica Aschettino, a research associate with Cascadia Research Collective, shares information on this unique population – including the research being done on their habitat use, population information, and local threats.

* May 17 – “The Endangered Hawaiian Petrel: A Comparative Analysis”

The Hawaiian Petrel, or Uau, nests in small numbers on sub-alpine lava flows within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and on each of the main Hawaiian Islands. The species has suffered a drastic decline because of numerous threats.

Seth Judge, from the University of Hawaii-Hilo Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science program presents his graduate research.

Seth collected data on the traits of this rare seabird from colonies on the Islands of Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, and Kauai. Vocalizations, breeding cycles, and the size of petrels from each island are unique.

Seth presents the seabird paradox, where a highly mobile species display variation in small geographic areas. The species’ instinct to return to natal sites to breed contributes to the isolation of petrel colonies.

Join Seth for an amazing evening with one of the rarest of Hawaiian seabirds.