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Palmyra provies sanctuary to many endangered species, including the rare coconut crab, the world's largest land invertebrate, and the globally threatened green sea turtle. The atoll is also a refuge for a million nesting seabirds, for whom Palmyra is the only resting stop within 450,000 square miles of ocean.

Avian - Palmyra Atoll possesses 29 bird species in all, including the bristle-thighed curlew (7,000 in the world) and among the largest nesting colonies of red-footed boobies and black noddies in the world.  

Marine - Palmyra’s unusual submerged coral reefs jut seaward for miles beyond the islets. With 125 species, the atoll’s reefs support three times the number of coral species found in the Caribbean and Hawai'i and five times the number of species found in the Florida Keys. Palmyra’s biodiversity holds great promise for future generations as scientists look to coral for potential cures and new medicines.  

Terrestrial - People who have visited Palmyra particularly enjoy watching the rare coconut crab husk and devour coconuts. Green sea turtles, an endangered species, bask in the Palmyra sands where they dig nests for their eggs.

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