Palmyra Atoll
A Center for Scientific Study
Located a 1,000 miles south of Hawai'i, Palmyra Atoll is one of the most spectacular marine wilderness areas on Earth. The Nature Conservancy bought Palmyra in 2000 from the Fullard-Leo family, who had previously turned down offers to have the atoll used as a nuclear waste site and a casino.
Today, Palmyra is a national marine monument and the Conservancy and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service are partnering to protect it. Through the Palmyra Atoll Research Consortium, it is also being developed as a center for scientific study. What we can learn at Palmyra—about global climate change, coral reefs, marine restoration and invasive species—promises to inform conservation strategies for island ecosystems throughout the Pacific and around the world.
Latest News & Features
Hope Spot
Dr. Sylvia Earle Names Palmyra Atoll 'Hope Spot' for World's Oceans
Two for One
When rats were removed from Palmyra Atoll, so too was a disease-carrying mosquito.
Restoring Palmyra's Rainforest
The Conservancy plans to replant Palmyra's native Pisonia tree and reestablish its rainforest.
175 Years of Science
Over the last 175 years, Palmyra atoll has played a role in some of the key scientific investigations of the 20th century.
Latest Photos
Atoll -- Images of Palmyra
Photographer Andrew Wright focuses his lens on Palmyra’s fantastic terrestrial and marine wildlife.
Latest Videos
Journey to Palmyra
NBC TV visits Palmyra Atoll and discovers a place that is as close to paradise as any place left on Earth.
Why Palmyra?
Find out why this remote Pacific Atoll is so important to conservation and science.
