Phoenix Islands

Courtesy of John Heidenstrom:
The Phoenix Islands are over one thousand miles south west of Hawaii and still largely unpopulated by humans. Other than a small settlement of around fifty people, no other human inhabitants exist on the Phoenix Islands. That’s group of people that are there are only their to monitor the islands as instructed by the Kiribati government. The Phoenix Islands are important because they are one of the last oceanic coral archipelago ecosystems, or coral reefs that exist naturally and unharmed. Although the Phoenix Islands are extremely remote even by comparison to Hawaii they were first visited by humans over two hundred years ago. Any visit by humans is shore to result in some type of destruction to the habitat or nature in general. The Phoenix Islands are no different; the large sperm whale population of the area promoted heavy whaling activities for a number of years. The whale population as almost completely knocked out as a result. Fallowing the whaling the United States and Brittan also took advantage of the large amount of guano in the island chain and harvested it to a great extent. The guano or animal droppings were useful due to the large amount of phosphate found in it. The islands were also used as a fueling stop for sea planes flying to New Zealand. All of this activity did leave its mark on the area. Some divers have found traces of metal ship parts attached to the coral reefs and in other areas around the islands. The government of Kiribati is now in control of the Phoenix Islands since 1979 when they declared their independence. Today the Phoenix Islands are the world’s largest protected marine area. That accomplishment is largely due to the help of the New England Aquarium and their conservation efforts. The fact that even such a remote area as the Phoenix Islands can be impacted by the great extent of the human race obviously alarmed the New England Aquarium research team and the Kiribati government, and it should. The fact that an area that remote can even fall victim to the destructions of the human race does not say much for the future of the habitats right near our home. People need to be carful when they develop areas that they don’t completely destroy all the nature around it. With all of the organization and governments protecting it, hopefully the Phoenix Islands will remain a shining example of what the world used to look like.