Marine National Monuments

0: Mariana Trench Marine National Monument

Site Description
The Mariana Trench Marine National Monument protects a large area off the Mariana Islands including the Marianas Trench, site of the deepest point on Earth, and the surounding undersea volcanoes and vents (79,103 square miles), as well as majestic coral reefs surounding the nothernmost Mariana Islands (16,405 squre miles).

The Marianas trench is more than 5 times longer than the Grand Canyon and deeper than Mount Everest is tall. Although deep into the abyss, strange and wonderful creatures live even at these depths, and geologic wonders abond. Suronding the trench are many undersea volcanoes and cents that spew forth acidic and boiling water filled with hydrogen.These hydrothermal vents support a vibrant community of life living under some of the harshest conditions imaginable. Without access to light, communities survive on energy bacteria capture from the hydrothermic vents. Scientists believe it is possible life first came into existance under similar conditions.

Explore More:
Marine National Monuments
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Marine Conservation Biology Institute
The PEW Environment Group

1: Baker Island

Site Description
Baker Island encompasses approximately 426 acres of emergent reef and land and nearly 32,000 acres of submerged lands. Baker Island and surrounding waters out to 3 nautical miles are currently managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the Pacific Remote Island Area Refuge Complex. The refuge is currently closed to all uses. The new Pacific Remote Island Areas National Monument protects protects 20,568 square miles of ocean surounding Baker and Howland Island out to a distance of 50 nm. Baker Island is home to a wide variety of terrestrial and marine species, many of which are threatened or endangered. Baker Island is also known for the high diversity and density of fish species in the waters surrounding the island.

Importance

• Located on the Equator, Baker Island is an important global climate change research and monitoring site
• Localized upwelling by the Equatorial Undercurrent on the western flanks of the island enrich nearshore waters and provide nesting seabirds food
• Eradication of rats by the FWS led to the revival of nesting seabirds, which now include 11 seabird species and almost one million pairs of sooty terns
• Baker Island (along with Howland Island and Jarvis Island) is one of the few known areas where lesser frigatebirds nest on the ground, rather than in trees
• Strong cultural value for the early history of Polynesians and Micronesians
• Exploited for guano and phosphate rock deposits in the mid to late 19th century
• During WWII, Baker Island was occupied by American troops and a US military airstrip was built in 1943 in an effort to combat Japanese forces

2: Howland Island

Site Description
Howland includes approximately 453 acres of emergent reef and land and nearly 32,096 acres of submerged lands. Howland Island and surrounding waters from the shore to 3 nautical miles are managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the Pacific Remote Islands Area Refuge Complex and the refuge is closed to all uses. The new Pacific Remote Island Areas National Monument protects protects 20,568 square miles of ocean surounding Baker and Howland Island out to a distance of 50 nm. Howland Island is home to a wide variety of terrestrial and marine species, many of which are threatened or endangered including the globally depleted Tridacna maxima, commonly known as the small giant clam.

Importance

• Localized upwelling off the western side of the island from the Equatorial Undercurrent supports higher levels of marine productivity
• Nesting seabird species have increased from 4 to 12 since the FWS eradicated cats from Howland Island in the early 1990s, and approximately 162,822 birds are present
• Restoration potential exists for seven more species, including the blue noddy (the world’s smallest tern, exclusively found in the central Pacific), the phoenix petrel, and the white-throated storm-petrel. These last two have been extirpated from most of their range in the Pacific due to vulnerability to rats and other mammalian predators
• Exploited for guano and phosphate rock deposits in the mid to late 19th century
• Strong cultural value for the early history of Polynesians and Micronesians; the last reported destination for Amelia Earhart’s ill-fated attempt to fly around the world
• During WWII, Howland Island was occupied by American troops and a US military airfield was built in 1937

3: Jarvis Island

Site Description
Jarvis Island encompasses approximately 1,100 acres of emergent reef and land and 36,342 acres of submerged lands. Jarvis Island and surrounding waters out to 3 nautical miles are currently managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the Pacific Remote Island Area Refuge Complex, and is currently closed to all uses. The new Pacific Remote Island Areas National Monument protects protects 13,816 square miles of ocean surounding Jarvis Island out to a distance of 50 nm from shore. Jarvis Island is home to a wide variety of seabirds including a large population of breeding seabirds. Jarvis Island is also known for high diversity and density of fish species in surrounding waters including a large variety of shark species such as gray reef sharks, blacktip reef sharks, whitetip reef sharks, silvertip sharks, scalloped hammerhead sharks, and great hammerhead sharks.

Importance

• Elimination of rats, goats, and mice and cats by the FWS in 1990, led to the dramatic rise in the numbers of seabirds; 15 species of breeding seabirds is second only to Kiritimati Atoll in the Central Pacific Islands
• Supports communities of deep water corals at depths greater than 1000 meters
• Refuge for resident and migratory fish and wildlife including one of the largest sooty tern colonies, estimated at over one million individuals
• Strong cultural value for the early history of Polynesians and Micronesians
• Exploited for guano and phosphate rock deposits in the mid to late 19th century

4: Johnston Island

Site Description
Johnston Atoll comprises two natural islands (Johnston and Sand Islands) and two humanmade islands of dredged coral (North and East Islands). The marine environment consists of a shallow coral reef platform encompassing roughly 50 square miles. The surrounding waters are home to a variety of marine mammals, marine reptiles, coral species, cartilaginous fish, marine invertebrates and algae. Approximately 200 threatened green sea turtles are known to utilize the shores of Johnston Island for feeding and the threatened Hawaiian monk seals have been seen foraging in nearby waters and hauling out on the shore. Johnston Island is currently under the control of the US Air Force, which has ceased all operations on the island. Measures to transfer ownership to the US Fish and Wildlife Service are currently underway. Prior to Air Force use, Johnston Island was designated as a federal bird refuge in 1926. Waters surrounding Johnston Island up to 3 nautical miles are designated as a Naval Defensive Sea under the Department of Defense. The new Pacific Remote Island Areas National Monument protects protects 13,922 square miles of ocean surounding Johnston Island out to a distance of 50 nm from shore.

Importance

• Important source of coral, fish, and gastropod larvae that flow between the Papah?naumoku?kea Marine National Monument and neighboring reefs and islands in the Line Islands
• Only stepping stone between Hawaii and the Line Islands for the dispersal of marine mammals, shorebirds, sea turtles and other fish and wildlife
• Refuge for resident and migratory fish and seabirds, especially after military abandonment of the island in 2005
• Strategic air station in WWII and during Korean War
• Exploited for guano deposits in late 19th century
• Former US nuclear weapons test site and a missile launch site for some of the first spy satellites

5: Kingman Reef

Site Description
Kingman Reef encompasses approximately 2.6 acres of emergent reef and nearly 483,713 acres of submerged lands. Kingman Reef and surrounding waters out to 12 nautical miles are currently managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as National Wildlife Refuge as a fully protected biological reserve. The new Pacific Remote Island Areas National Monument protects protects 20,857 square miles of ocean surounding Kingman Reed and Palmyra Atoll out to a distance of 50 nm from shore. Kingman Reef is home to a variety of marine species, including the largest populations of large clam species, Tridacna squamosa and Tridacna maxima, in the Central Pacific Ocean. Kingman Reef has the only known occurrence of any finger coral species within a 2,500 kilometer radius.

Importance

• Kingman Reef lies within the inter-tropical convergence zone and path of the eastward moving Equatorial Countercurrent, bringing more rainfall and the larvae of additional reef species from the more diverse West Pacific
• Most pristine US reef with top predator biomass of 85%
• Highest coral recruitment, live cover, mean diameter, and second highest diversity of coral in Central Pacific Islands
• Serves as a baseline from which to evaluate the condition of other coral reefs and seabird populations elsewhere that have been degraded
• Refuge for resident and migratory fish, marine mammals, sea turtles and a resting spot for seabirds and migratory shorebirds

6: Palmyra Atoll

Site Description
Palmyra Atoll includes approximately 680 acres of emergent reef and land and nearly 515,000 acres of submerged lands. Palmyra Atoll and surrounding waters out to 12 nautical miles are currently managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and closed to public entry except for limited catch and release and sustenance fishing. The new Pacific Remote Island Areas National Monument protects protects 20,857 square miles of ocean surounding Kingman Reed and Palmyra Atoll out to a distance of 50 nm from shore. Palmyra Atoll is home to a diverse array of terrestrial and marine species, many of which are threatened or endangered. Palmyra Atoll is known to have the third largest colony of red-footed boobies in the world.

Importance

• Atoll lies within the inter-tropical convergence zone and path of the eastward moving Equatorial Countercurrent, which bring more rainfall and the larvae of additional reef species from the more diverse West Pacific
• The only uninhabited “wet” atoll in the Pacific when rediscovered by American explorers two centuries ago
• Serves as a baseline from which to evaluate the condition of other coral reefs and seabird populations elsewhere that have been degraded
• Protects many depleted species, including coconut crabs, giant clams, resident whales, and sea turtles
• Strong cultural value for the early history of Polynesians, Micronesians, guano miners and recent colonists
• During WWII, Palmyra Atoll Naval Air Station was occupied by American troops
• Location of the biological research station managed by The Nature Conservancys

7: Wake Island

Site Description
Wake Island is a small island in the Central Pacific with a rich array of natural and cultural resources. It has been designated as a National Historical Landmark in 1985. Wake Island is an unincorporated possession under the Department of Interior’s (DOI) authority, but currently used and managed by the DOD. DOD currently restricts access within a 3 nautical mile Naval Defensive Sea. Since DOD restricts access, there has been little fishing pressure, and marine biomass and biodiversity is likely to be extremely high. The new Pacific Remote Island Areas National Monument protects protects 14,193 square miles of ocean surounding Wake Island, protecting waters out to a distance of 50 nm from shore.

Importance

• Historically important to the Northern Marshall islanders who periodically visited Wake Island to harvest fish and other foods
• Site of significant battle with the Japanese during WWII and the first US land to fall during WWII
• Relatively pristine coral reefs that have not been fished extensively since WWII
• Numerous surrounding seamounts very near to Wake Atoll
• An endemic rail, Rallus wakensis, inhabited the atoll and went extinct during the WWII Japanese occupation. The atoll could provide suitable habitat for the intoduction of the Guam rail, a similar species endemic to Guam but now limited to captive propagation
• Declared Island of Significant Importance for its capacity to hold more albatross
• Presence of the rare plant species, Lepturus gasparricensis

8: Rose Atol National Monument

Site Description
Rose Atoll is an uninhabited island that is part of the Territory of American Samoa. The atoll and surrounding waters out to 3 nautical miles are currently managed cooperatively by the American Samoan Government and the US Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the Pacific Remote Islands Area Refuge Complex, and the refuge is closed to public use. The new Rose Atoll National Monument protects protects 13,450 square miles of ocean surounding Rose Atoll, protecting waters out to a distance of 50 nm from shore. Rose Atoll is the easternmost Samoan island and the southernmost point of the United States. It is among the few islands in the Western Pacific that was never permanently inhabited and one of the very few that is now protected. Rose Atoll is home to a very diverse assemblage of terrestrial and marine species, many of which are threatened or endangered. Threatened Pisonia atoll forest trees are found here. Rose Atoll supports 97% of the seabird population of American Samoa, including 12 federally protected migratory seabirds and 5 species of federally protected shorebirds. Rose Atoll is the largest nesting ground in the Samoan Islands for threatened green sea turtles and is also an important nesting ground for the endangered hawksbill turtle. It also provides sanctuary for the giant clam, which is severely depleted throughout the Pacific.

Importance

• Smallest atoll in the world
• Largest concentration of nesting sea turtles, nesting sea birds, Pisonia trees, and giant clams in American Samoa
• Strong cultural value for the early history of Samoa and Nu‘u O Manu