Waters Surrounding Palmyra Atoll Receive Federal Protection

Date: 01/18/2001

In an action that took place late Thursday night, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved the establishment of a National Wildlife Refuge for the waters off of Palmyra Atoll. Palmyra, which is located 1,000 miles south of Hawaii and is the last intact marine wilderness in the U.S. tropics, was purchased by The Nature Conservancy in December of last year. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's action also afforded National Wildlife Refuge status to the Kingman Reef, which along with Palmyra is part of the Line Islands chain.

Palmyra Atoll consists of 680 acres of land and 15,512 acres of pristine coral reefs, emerald islets and turquoise lagoons. Thanks to its geographic location, Palmyra provides habitat for more than a million nesting seabirds and a remarkably diverse assortment of coral and marine species. Species from both the eastern and western Pacific meet in the waters around Palmyra, including a diverse assortment of coral. The atoll’s reefs support three times the number of coral species found in Hawaii and the Caribbean, and five times the number of species found in the Florida Keys.

"I am pleased that these magnificent underwater coral gardens will now get the protection they richly deserve," Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt said. "Safeguarding our nation's coral reefs has been one of the priorities of this administration, and today we have ensured that some of the most pristine coral reefs in U.S. waters will be forever protected within the National Wildlife Refuge System."

Secretary Babbitt also specifically directed praise towards The Nature Conservancy for negotiating the purchase of Palmyra Atoll from private landowners. "This latest addition to the National Wildlife Refuge System will be a lasting legacy for [former Nature Conservancy President] John Sawhill, who saw the incredible value of protecting Palmyra as one of the last undeveloped atolls in the Pacific," he said.

More than 16,000 acres of coral reef habitat will protected within the 515,232 acres of tidal and submerged lands at Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. "The heavy rainfall in this equatorial region provides for lush vegetation on these islets, including rare stands of Pisonia rainforest," said Anne Badgley, Pacific Regional Director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "Palmyra hosts the second-largest nesting colony of red-footed boobies in the world and large colonies of other seabirds, including 750,000 sooty terns. These birds rely on the surrounding waters to provide the food they and chicks need, and it's critical that the entire atoll ecosystem be protected."

Marine species found around Palmyra include pilot whales, bottle-nosed dolphins, hawksbill turtles, black-tip sharks, tiger sharks, manta rays and giant clams. The globally threatened green sea turtle nests on Palmyra’s white sand beaches. The atoll also is home to the world’s largest land-based invertebrate, the coconut crab, so-named because of its ability to crack open a coconut with its huge claws.

Palmyra's pristine lands and waters and abundant wildlife make the atoll a world-class destination for individuals interested in nature photography, birdwatching and catch-and-release sportfishing. For the few snorklers and scuba divers who have seen it, Palmyra ranks as one of the world’s most spectacular coral gardens. The crystal-clear waters of Palmyra teem with hundreds of fish species and more than 130 species of hard corals.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is currently negotiating to purchase part of the 680 acres of emergent lands at Palmyra Atoll owned by The Nature Conservancy, and both entities will work together to conserve the atoll's rich biological diversity. The submerged lands and waters of Palmyra were administered by the Office of Insular Affairs and, like those at Kingman Reef, were transferred to the Fish and Wildlife Service today.