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The article reports on the threat of extinction of the Laysan duck which is considered the rarest native duck in the U.S. and which has one of the most isolated and restricted ranges of any waterfowl species. In October 2004 and 2005, a team of biologists and refuge managers led by Dr. Michelle Reynolds of the U.S. Geological Survey captured juvenile birds on Laysan Island and these birds were translocated from the island in the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) to the Midway Atoll NWR. The translocation was perceived as the first crucial step in the recovery process of the animals. Random disasters were considered the greatest threats to the existence of Laysan ducks including hurricanes, accidental predator introductions, and disease outbreaks.

The article focuses on the endangered species of Nihoa millerbird found in the Hawaiian island of Nihoa. As stated, the species consisting of a small population is vulnerable to severe adversities like storms and droughts and hence a research was conducted by the U.S. Fish and Willife Service to establish a second population in a different area. It further states that the translocation of the species would ensure a second population for them and help in the restoration of the Laysan Island.