Atoll Research Bulletin
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ATOLL RESEARCH BULLETIN 192. THE NATURAL HISTORY OF JOHNSTON ATOU, L PAUFIC OCEAN by A. Binion Jr., 4PhBi C Shehon Tmued by THE SNITHSONIAN INSTITUTION Wdimgton, D.C., U.S.A. In Atoll Research Bulletin //I86 the names of the authors, Roger B. Clapp and William 0. Wirtz, 11, were accidently omitted from the covet^. On the title page of #186 the publication information at the bottom should have read as it appears below. The part of this page below the dotted line may be cut out and pasted over the bottom of the title page of ij186. Issued by The Smithsonian Institution with the assistance of The Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Department of the Interior Washington, D. C., U.S.A. February 15, 1975 In ARB 11184 a line was omitted in final typing. On page 5, in paragraph 4, line 4, after the word nesting there should be inserted 11 does occur to some extent. It was not determined if increased nest- ing". We regret the occurrence of these errors.--Eds. ATOLL RESEARCH BULLETIN NO. 192 THE NATURAL HISTORY OF JOHNSTON ATOLL, CENTRAL PACIFIC OCEAN by A. Binion Amersoi~,Jr., and Philip C. Shelton Issued by THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION with the assistance of The Fish and Wildlife Service U. S. Department of the Interior Washington, D. C., U.S.A. December, 1976 ACKNOWLEDGMENT The Atoll Research Bulletin is issued by the Smithsonian Insti- tution as a part of its Tropical Biology Program. It is co- sponsored by the Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian Press. The Press supports and handles production and distribution. The editing is done by the Tropical Biology staff, Botany Department, Museum of Natural History and by D. R, Stoddart. The Bulletin was founded and the first 117 numbers issued by the Pacific Science Board, National Academy of Sciences, with financial support from the Office of Naval Research. Its pages were largely devoted to reports resulting from the Pacific Science Board's Coral Atoll Program. The sole responsibility for all statements made by authors of papers in the Atoll Research Bulletin rests with them, and statements made in the Bulletin do not necessarily represent the views of the Smithsonian nor those of the editors of the Bulletin. Editors F. R. Fosberg M.-H.. Sachet Smithsonian Institution Washington, D. C. 20560 D. R. Stoddart Department of Geography University of Cambridge Downing Place Cambridge, England TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures ............................................... v List of Tables .................................................. xiv List of Appendix Tables ...................................... ..-xvix Introduction ........ ... ......................................... 1 Physical Environment ......................~..o~~........... 3 Islands ............................................. 3 Geology ..................................................... 7 Geomorphology ...............................................12 Climate .................................**..........*..... *. 15 Temperature............................................. 15 Winds ................................................... 15 Precipitation........................................... 18 Relative Humidity ....................................... 22 Sky Cover ............................................... 22 Oceanography ............................9.*ae.....o...... .. 24 Major Water Masses and Currents ......................... 24 Local Waters and Currents ............................... 26 Tides ...................................a......e.o..a....a .. 30 Seismic or Tsunami Waves ................................ 30 30 History ..........................ae......9.3*.....o9e.....e..+a. .. Discovery and Early Exploration............................. 32 Guano Period ................................................ 34 Military Occupation ............. ........................... 43 Biota ........................................................... 47 Plants ....................................................... 47 Algae ........................o..........9...*...a...... 47 Vascular Plants .....................................*..... 51 Original Flora . ..................................... 51 Recent Vegetation ................................... 61 Island account^....................^................ 62 Akau Island.................................... 62 Hikina Island ................................... 63 Johnston Island . ................................ 63 Sand Island..................................... 65 Original.................................... 65 Man-made .................................... 65 Invertebrates ........o.aa.......................a........... 65 Cnidaria (Coelenterata) ..........................a*....s 67 Molluscs. ..............................................*... 70 Annelida ................................................ 70 Arthropoda .............................................. 70 Marine ............................................... 70 Terrestrial......................................... 77 Medically Important Species ..................... 79 Ixodides .................................... 79 Trombiculidae ............................... 84 Rhinonyssidae ............................... 86 Mallophaga .................................. 86 Hippoboscidae ............................... 86 Echinodermata ........................................... 86 Vertebrates ................................................. 86 Fishes .................................................. 89 Pelagic Fishes ...................................... 89 Inshore Fishes ...................................... 90 Distribution and Abundance Within the Atoll ......... 90 Effects of Dredging ................................. 92 Ciguateric Fishes ...................................103 Species Accounts ....................................110 Moray Eel .......................................110 Surgeonfishes ...................................111 Reptiles ................................................112 Species Accounts ....................................112 Black Sea Turtle................................ 112 House Gecko .....................................113 Fox Gecko ....................................... 113 Mourning Gecko .................................. 113 Snake-eyed Skink................................ 113 Birds ...................................................114 Introduction........................................ 116 Seabirds............................................ 118 Breeders ........................................118 Former Breeders ................................. 118 Visitors........................................ 118 Waterfowl. Marsh. and Land Birds .................... 119 Regular Migrants ................................119 ~rregularVisitors .............................. 119 Stragglers ...................................... 119 Accidentals .....................................119 Introductions ................................... 119 Annual Cycles .......................................119 Breeding Cycles .................................120 Winter and Spring ...........................120 Spring and Summer ........................... 120 Summer ...................................... 122 Summer and Fall............................. 122 Extended ....................................122 Population Cycles ...............................122 Breeding Seabirds........................... 122 Former Breeding Seabirds .................... 125 Regular Migrants ............................ 125 Irregular Visitors. Stragglers. and Accidental Birds ........................125 Introduced Birds ............................ 126 At-Sea Birds ................................126 Effects of Weather Patterns ..................... 134 Ecological Distribution Within the Atoll ............ 135 Seabirds ........................................ 135 Breeding ................................ 135 Visitors ....................................135 Waterfowl. Marsh. and Land Birds ................ 135 Regular Migrants ............................ 135 Irregular Visitors. Stragglers. and 135 Accidentals ............................. 135 Introductions............................... 135 Island Accounts .................................136 Akau Island .................................136 Hikina Island ...............................136 Johnston Island .............................136 Sand Island ................................. 137 Mortality ........................................... 139 Banding and Interisland Movement .................... 141 Banding ......................................... 141 Interisland Movement ............................ 141 Avifaunal Affinities................................ 145 Techniques .......................................... 148 Specimens ........................................... 149 Species Accounts .................................... 151 Black-footed Albatross .......................... 151 Laysan Albatross ................................ 153 Phoenix Petrel.................................. 155 Bulwer's Petrel................................. 155 Wedge-tailed Shearwater ......................... 165 Christmas Shearwater............................ 178 Newell's Shearwater ............................. 187 Sooty Storm Petrel ..............................188 Red-billed Tropicbird ........................... 188 Red-tailed Tropicbird ........................... 192 White-tailed Tropicbird ......................... 205 Blue-faced Booby ................................ 206 Brown Booby