U.S. Geological Survey
Principal investigator and interdisciplinary science lead for Pacific island conservation, including Laysan duck recovery, climate vulnerability, wildlife disease, and canine-detection research.
About the founder
A field biologist who learned to think like a dog.
Michelle H. Reynolds, MS, PhD, is a wildlife ecologist, former federal research scientist, detection-dog trainer and handler, and the founder of Hawaiʻi Detection Dogs.
More than 25 years of Pacific island conservation now informs every training plan, search track, indication, and conclusion.
Michelle built and led a 15-year USGS research portfolio spanning endangered-species recovery, waterbirds, seabirds, forest birds, wildlife disease, climate vulnerability, wetlands, and remote-island field operations.
Hawaiʻi Detection Dogs brings that scientific background into practical K9 work: defining a useful question, understanding target biology, developing odor, measuring performance, designing field effort, and communicating uncertainty clearly.
Qualifications at a glance
Field science + professional K9 training.
PhDBiology–Conservation Biology, Virginia Tech
25+ yrApplied Pacific island conservation research
50+Peer-reviewed publications and technical reports
K9 schoolsFord K9 + Michael Ellis Detection Dog Trainer School; Tarheel Canine School for Dog Trainers; School for Canine Science
USFWS Recovery ChampionDOI Outstanding Service AwardNPS Bark Ranger AwardZonta Women Entrepreneurs Award
Selected career arc
Research leadership to operational detection.
New conservation-dog applications
Led avian botulism detection research at Hanalei, co-led Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death trials, and co-led the Johnston Atoll project conducting the first U.S. conservation-dog surveys for yellow crazy ants.
Hawaiʻi Detection Dogs, LLC
Founded a science-driven field and training practice serving natural-resource agencies, researchers, and pet-dog teams across Hawaiʻi.
Rare seabird nest discoveries
Slater located the first confirmed ʻakēʻakē (endangered seabird) nest and fledgling in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. IkaIka located the first ʻakēʻakē on DOFAW-managed lands in Mauna Loa Forest Reserve.
New detection frontiers
Expanding CRB response work while seeking research and agency partners for ʻōpeʻapeʻa, sea turtles, pueo, water leaks, and other high-value detection questions.
Research + field stories
Selected publications and news.
Primary research, agency features, and independent reporting on the science and field teams behind the work.
Peer-reviewed research · 2021
Efficacy of detection canines for avian botulism surveillance and mitigation
Open-access field research comparing canine and human searches at Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge.
Read the paper National Park Service · 2022First documented ʻakēʻakē fledgling in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
The official story of Slater’s first confirmed park nest and the fledgling later recorded by wildlife camera.
Read the field story ABC News · 2022Detector dog leads biologists to a rare bird
National coverage of Slater, Michelle, and the ʻakēʻakē discovery on Mauna Loa.
Read the news story Honolulu Civil Beat · 2026Coconut rhinoceros beetle response reaches Hilo
Manu and Michelle are featured in coverage of the expanding East Hawaiʻi CRB response.
Read the news story U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service · 2021Dogs sniff out good news for seabirds at Johnston Atoll
Yellow crazy ant surveillance after eradication, including Michelle’s work co-leading field surveys and handling conservation dog Guinness.
Read the project story U.S. Geological Survey · 2017Sniffing out better tools for addressing avian botulism
Background on the Hanalei canine pilot and its role in endangered-waterbird surveillance.
Read the research feature Audubon · 2021These dogs are birds’ best friend
A broader look at detection dogs protecting birds, including work at Johnston Atoll and Hanalei.
Read the feature Research profileMichelle Reynolds on ResearchGate
Selected publications spanning island ecology, endangered-species recovery, disease, climate vulnerability, and detection.
View research profileProject inquiry
Bring a research question, a management need, or an unusual target.
The most valuable projects often start with a problem that conventional survey methods have struggled to solve.
Email Michelle