123STA T . 3 58 3 PROCL A M AT I O N 833 6—J AN. 6 , 2 0 0 9wher e t h isp he nom enon is possi bl e .T hese isl a n d sarehi g hin c oral co v er and biodiversit y and are predator - dominated systems. Their bio- mass o f top predators e x ceeds that of the G reat B arrier R eef or K enyan M arine P rotected A reas. The islands now host abo u tado z en nesting bird species including several nesting and migratory bird species that are of conservation significance. J arvis alone has nearly 3 million pairs of S ooty Terns. There are about 3 0 0 fish species found off the islands. Giant clams (Tridacn a ),N apoleon wrasses, and Bumphead parrotfish are common, and shar k s of many species are especially abundant at Jarvis and commonly larger there than elsewhere. E ndangered hawksbill turtle and threatened green turtles forage in nearshore wa- ters. All three islands afford uni q ue opportunities to conduct climate change research at the equator, far from population centers. The coral skeletons there have recorded the earth ’ s climatic history for many mil- lions of years. Johnston Atoll, the northernmost island in the island chain, is an an- cient atoll and probably one of the oldest in the Pacific O cean. U nlike most atolls, it does not have a surrounding barrier reef but has a semi- circular emergent reef around the north and western margins of the is- land. F our ma j or habitats characterize Johnston
low-lying islets con- sisting of the remains of corals and shells, shallow coral reefs to depths of 15 0 meters, deeper reefs to depths of 1,000 meters or more, and the slope of the ancient volcano on which the island rests. Johnston is a genetic and larval stepping stone from the Remote I slands to the H awaiian Islands for invertebrates, other reef fauna, corals, and dolphins. D espite its isolation, Johnston supports thriving communities of Table corals ( A cr op ora) and a total of 4 5 coral species, including a dozen species confined to the Hawaiian and northern L ine Islands. Some 300 species of reef fish are at Johnston, including the endemic Nahacky’s pygmy angelfish. Many threatened, endangered, and de- pleted species thrive there, including the green turtle, hawksbill turtle, pearl oyster, giant clams, reef sharks, groupers, humphead wrasse, bumphead parrotfish, whales, and dolphins. Endangered Hawaiian Monk Seals occasionally visit the atoll. Deep diving submersible sur- veys have revealed that Johnston supports the deepest reef building corals ( Le p t o s eris) on record and large populations of hydrozoan corals ( M i l lepora ,D istic h opora, S ta y laster). Land areas support large popu- lations of migratory shorebirds and resident seabird species, including populations of regional, national, or international significance: W edge- tailed Shearwaters, C hristmas Shearwaters, Red-tailed Tropicbirds, Brown Boobies, Great Frigatebirds, Gray-backed Terns, and White Terns. Approximately 2 00 threatened Green turtles forage at Johnston. The surrounding waters are used by six depleted or endangered listed cetacean species: Sperm, Blue, Sei, Humpback, and North Pacific Right whales. Spinner dolphins are abundant, and endangered Humpback whales may calve there. Palmyra Atoll is a classic Darwinian atoll that formed atop a sinking Cretaceous-era volcano. Kingman Reef formed in the same manner but is considered an atoll reef because it lacks permanent fast land areas or islands. Kingman Reef contains a sheltered lagoon that served as a way station for flying boats on Hawaii-to-American Samoa flights dur- ing the late 1 9 30s. There are no terrestrial plants on the reef, which is frequently awash, but it does support abundant and diverse marine fauna and flora. Palmyra Atoll is managed by the United States Fish
