Through our Agrosecurity Laboratory, we are leading a coordinated response that brings together high-level research and the frontline efforts of the Hawaiʻi State Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity (HDAB) and county biosecurity partners.
Originally established in 2014, the CRB Response is a multi-agency operation that leverages federal contracts, state funds, and private donations. CTAHR uses these funds to provide the scientific backbone and operational infrastructure to protect Hawaiʻi’s palms and fragile ecosystems.
While state agencies manage regulatory and border enforcement, the CRB Response team handles the specialized "boots on the ground" and "eyes in the lab" functions:
- Using highly trained detector dogs to identify breeding sites that human crews might miss.
- Managing complex data streams to map infestations and predict future infestation trends.
- Executing large-scale trapping and mitigation efforts where CRB is established, and partnering in eradication efforts where incipient populations are detected
CRB outreach staff based on Oʻahu and Kauaʻi provide information and guidance for management to residents, landowners, and landscape industries
Empowering Local Communities
CTAHR recognized that government agencies cannot be everywhere at once and launched the CRB Community Resource Program in January 2026. Funded by Act 236 of the 2025 Legislative session, this initiative provides local residents with the training and legal tools to manage beetles on private property.
The program held successful workshops in Kailua, Waimānalo, and Līhuʻe in its first month, distributing over 400 netting kits and 100 traps. This reduces the burden on county partners and creates a stronger, statewide biosecurity network.
The most significant contribution of the Agrosecurity Laboratory to the state’s biosecurity is the development of long-term "pathogen pivots." In August 2025, researchers successfully imported the Oryctes rhinoceros nudivirus from Palau.
In September 2026, CTAHR will host the 3rd Annual CRB Science & Management Symposium at the Campus Ballroom. Sponsored by the Forest Service International Foundation, the event will convene scientists and cultural experts from across Asia and the Pacific.
CTAHR’s Agrosecurity Laboratory has become the primary point of contact for international information requests as CRB detections rise in the Southern United States and Mexico. By leading the local response, CTAHR is establishing Hawaiʻi as the global center for invasive species management and island biosecurity innovation.