PHOENIX ISLAND PRIMAL OCEAN EXPEDITION
The New England Aquarium/NAI'A research expedition to the Phoenix Islands in the Republic of Kiribati was a resounding success, revealing a rare and truly untouched tropical marine paradises. The team of divers and scientists completed biological surveys and 46 research SCUBA dives along the remote Phoenix Island archipelago.
The expedition surveyed corals, fish, algae, seabirds, deep-sea sharks, turtles, and marine mammals among the islands of Nikumaroro, McKean, Sydney, Canton, Enderbury, Hull and Phoenix, in the Phoenix Island group of the country of Kiribati. Located more than one thousand nautical miles north of Fiji, these are among the most remote islands in the South Pacific and, with the exception of Canton (40 people), all are uninhabited. The reefs are free of the degrading influence of human fishing and coastal development and resemble prehistoric ocean conditions. Results of this research will be used to develop a conservation and management plan for this, one of the last isolated, uninhabited coral island regions in the Pacific Ocean.
Coral Reefs
The coral reefs are in an excellent state of health, free from the bleaching that has plagued reefs in other parts of the Pacific this year, and with no evidence of any coral diseases. The reefs - pounded on three sides by the large ocean swells of the Pacific, with only a narrow protected side providing protection for the boat - show evidence of the extreme isolation of these islands. Coral species diversity of the islands is moderately high, and lacking in some corals that tend to dominate other major reef areas. As a result, the reefs have interesting coral species assemblages, with prolific growth of some species normally sub-dominant in other reef systems.
Fish
The fish communities are diverse and abundant, illustrating what pristine reefs free from human impacts are like. Healthy coral reef fish populations as found are nearly impossible to find in areas inhabited by people. The research team encountered numerous gray reef, whitetip reef and blacktip reef sharks during the surveys, often with over 25 sharks surrounding the team at a time. Abundant shark populations indicate a healthy coral reef ecosystem; in many other parts of the world, shark populations are severely depleted and underwater sightings rare. The team observed pelagic fishes such as tuna, billfish and oceanic mackerels in great numbers and seemingly undisturbed by very close human contact. Reef macropredators (trevally, Napolean wrasse) are also abundant.
Deep Sea
The National Geographic-sponsored deep-sea camera was deployed seven times to the depth of three thousand feet each time. During three deployments, the baiting pole used to attract animals at depth was violently torn off by six gilled sharks. The science team believes that the expedition was the first confirmed record of this deep-sea specie for this region. The team also filmed the deep-sea Pacific sleeper shark in the waters around Sydney Island.
Turtles, Birds, Algae
In addition to reef surveys, the team searched for and assessed sea turtle and bird nesting sites on these islands. Tens of thousands of nesting spectacled, sooty, little white fairy and blue-gray terns; masked, brown and red-footed boobies; red-tailed tropicbirds; brown noddies; and greater and lesser frigate birds were found on Phoenix, McKean, Hull and Enderbury Islands. Green sea turtle nesting sites were identified on Nikumaroro, McKean and Phoenix Islands. The observations on Phoenix Island itself are the first confirmed green turtle nestings for that island. Seventy-eight specimens of algae were collected.
Marine Mammals
Numerous pods of bottlenose dolphins around these islands and one sighting of a beaked whale (Mesoplodon spp.) were made. The absence of sperm whales in the area surprised the research team. The region is famous for being one of the richest sperm whale grounds during the 19th century.
The expedition was sponsored NAI'A Cruises Fiji, the New England Aquarium and donor divers Kandy Kendall, Bruce Thayer, Mary-Jane Adams and Craig Cook. Additional funding and support came from the National Geographic Society, the Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation and the Environment, World Wide Fund for Nature - South Pacific Program.
