U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuges of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument

Genealogy chants tell us voyaging Polynesians probably visited all of the islands, physical evidence of prehistoric inhabitation remains on Nihoa and Mokumanamana. For many Native Hawaiians the area is a sacred region where all life originates. Together, Nihoa and Mokumanamana possess some of the densest concentrations of pre-historical structures in Hawai‘i and are both on the National Registry of Historic Places.

Development of land-based commercial facilities was greatest on Laysan Island, where guano and feather harvesting operations continued legally until the establishment of the Refuge in 1909, and illegally for a few years beyond that. The Midway Atoll NWR lagoon Robert Shallenberger release of rabbits on Laysan and Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Lisianski during this period denuded the Monument, one of the largest fully Resources and Office of Hawaiian islands of vegetation and radically altered protected marine managed areas in the Affairs, the U.S.Department of their ecology. world, was established on June 15, 2006. Commerce through the National Oceanic Recognized for its inherent cultural and and Atmospheric Administration, and Marine Due to the geographical natural significance the Monument was U.S. Department of the Interior through isolation of the Hawaiian archipelago and inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage the Fish and Wildlife Service. prevailing ocean currents, coral reef Site in 2010. Dedicated to the ecosystem species diversity is relatively conservation of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands low throughout the islands, but endemism Hawaiian Islands, the Monument National Wildlife Refuge is relatively high. Approximately 27 encompasses an area northwest of the One hundred years ago President Teddy percent of the corals, 25 percent of the main Hawaiian Islands from Nihoa to Roosevelt set aside the reefs and islets of reef fish, and 30 percent of the Kure Atoll. All but one of those islands the Northwestern Hawaiian chain (except invertebrates in the Hawaiian Islands are lies within Midway Atoll National Midway Atoll) as the Hawaiian Islands found nowhere else in the world. Wildlife Refuge/Battle of Midway Reservation. Later renamed the Hawaiian About 240 fish species were recorded in National Memorial and Hawaiian Islands Islands National Wildlife Refuge, the site the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge. was established to provide legal during a comprehensive fish survey protection for the millions of seabirds conducted by the State of Hawai‘i in Distinct geology, biology, and cultural inhabiting the Northwestern Hawaiian 1984. In recent surveys, reef fish history make the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands at a time during our past when populations were found to be healthy and Islands one of the world’s greatest seabirds were being slaughtered by the the fish biomass more than 260 percent treasures. These remote environments thousands for their plumage and eggs. higher than in the main Hawaiian Islands. offer a rare glimpse of what a thriving, More than 90 percent of the Hawaiian intact, ecosystem looks like. The About 1,766 acres of emergent land population of threatened green turtles archipelago is home to more than surrounded by 252,652 acres of coral nests at French Frigate Shoals. The 7,000 marine species, a quarter of which reefs are included in the Hawaiian Islands majority of the population of endangered are found nowhere else on Earth, and is National Wildlife Refuge: Nihoa, Hawaiian monk seals breeds and feeds the primary habitat for endangered Mokumanamana, French Frigate Shoals, within the Hawaiian Islands National Hawaiian monk seals, seabirds, and Gardner Pinnacles, Maro Reef, Laysan Wildlife Refuge, and some 20 species of several Hawaiian endemic land bird and Island, Lisianski Island, and Pearl and cetaceans are found in these waters. plant species. Hermes Atoll. Terrestrial The Hawaiian Islands To meet the challenge of managing this Culture and Recent History The cultural National Wildlife Refuge provides vast, remote, and largely uninhabited and historic significance of most of the breeding sites for all but three of area, the Monument is cooperatively Northwestern Hawaiian Islands stems Hawai‘i’s 22 species of seabirds. managed by the State of Hawai‘i through from the discovery of individual island Millions of central Pacific seabirds its Department of Land and Natural groups and the subsequent commercial congregate on these islands to breed; for and military uses of these areas. some species, it is their only breeding 20th Century In 1903, President Dudresnaya babbittiana. A total of 266 site. Theodore Roosevelt placed the Midway species of fish, including 7 pelagic Islands and environs under the species, have been recorded at Midway, Although a few of the islands (notably jurisdiction and control of the Navy including some species either not found Laysan Island) were decimated by Department to stop the “wanton or very rare in the main Hawaiian introduced mammals, many of the islets destruction of birds that breed on Islands. Despite its low species diversity, and atolls have been relatively untouched Midway.” Midway’s role as an important Midway’s reef fish biomass is higher by humans. As a result, this group of communications link was established in than in the main Hawaiian Islands, islands has a mostly intact seabird that same year when the Commercial largely due to lower fishing pressures. population and healthy insect and plant Pacific Cable Company chose Sand Threatened green turtles are frequently communities. Like the coral reefs, the Island for one of its relay stations. seen inside the lagoon and basking on islets are home to many plant and animal beaches, and recently began nesting on species found nowhere else in the world, In 1935, Pan American World Airways the atoll. About 65 endangered Hawaiian including four land birds and 12 plants. established a seaplane base in the harbor monk seals are usually present at Midway and a small (but relatively luxurious) at any one time, and pupping levels have Midway Atoll hotel on Sand Island. The short-lived era increased significantly since 1996. National Wildlife Refuge of the “flying clipper” seaplanes ended Midway Atoll is located almost at the with the onset of World War II in the Terrestrial Despite significant human northwestern end of the Hawaiian Pacific. Midway is perhaps best known alteration of Midway Atoll, it is still a Archipelago, approximately 1,260 for its role in the Battle of Midway. Early wildlife habitat of worldwide importance. nautical miles from Honolulu. The atoll on June 4, 1942, is roughly 5 miles in diameter and Japanese carriers contains two main islands, Sand and launched three Eastern, and a smaller islet, Spit Island. waves of planes In addition to its National Wildlife to destroy the air Refuge status, as of 2000 the Refuge is base at Midway designated as the Battle of Midway and clear the way National Memorial. for occupation, causing extensive Almost three million breeding seabirds of physical damage and casualties on Sand 19 species make Midway one of the most Midway is an unincorporated U.S. and Eastern islands. From June 4-6, the important breeding areas of seabird territory and the only island in the majority of the battle was fought over the conservation in the Pacific. Midway hosts ocean northwest of Midway. The battle is the world’s largest populations of both known as the turning point of the World Laysan albatross (479,426 nesting pairs War II in the Pacific. in 2012) and black-footed albatross (27,498 pairs). Midway continued to be a strategic location for the military during the Midway’s breeding populations of white Korean conflict, the Cold War, and terns, black noddies, and red-tailed Vietnam War. In 1992, the Department of tropicbirds constitute the largest colonies Defense announced plans to close in the Hawaiian archipelago. After Midway Naval Air Facility. After an eradication of rats in the mid-1990s, the Bonin petrel colony at Midway has Hawaiian Archipelago that is not part of extensive cleanup, the Navy turned over rebounded to more than 900,000 the State of Hawai‘i. The refuge was Midway to the Fish and Wildlife Service in 1996. individuals. Endangered short-tailed established in 1988 when the U.S. Navy albatrosses generally visit Midway each invited the Fish and Wildlife Service to Marine Midway Atoll is the year. Two formed a pair in 2010 resulting manage the atoll’s extensive wildlife northernmost coral atoll in the National in the first recorded short-tailed albatross resources. In 1996, the atoll was Wildlife Refuge System, presenting a chick to be reared on Midway. transferred to the Service through an Midway Atoll NWR in 2010. USFWS/Pete Leary Executive Order. unique opportunity to study the effect of colder waters on the growth,

development, and ecology of coral reefs. Today, Midway Atoll serves as the hub The atoll drops off steeply outside the of operations for Papahānaumokuākea barrier reefs, making it possible to activities in the northwestern end of the Monument, however due to a budget observe in a relatively small area the shortfall resulting in 50% staff reduction different organisms and communities associated with pelagic, reef crest, ocean in October of 2012 the “window to the reef slope, deep reef, and lagoon habitats. Monument,” is now closed to visitors and volunteers. Strategies are being A total of 29 species of coral have been investigated that could give the public an recorded at Midway, along with more opportunity to once again experience the than 100 species of algae, including a world’s unique natural and historic seaweed species new to science, wonders.