For centuries, Hawadax Island in the western Aleutian Islands was known as Rat Island due to the presence of invasive Norway Rats that dominated the island and destroyed native seabird populations. But, following removal of invasive rats in 2008, biologists have documented that seabirds are returning to the island...
Palmyra Atoll has one of the best remaining examples of a tropical coastal strand forest found in the Pacific and one of the last predator-dominated marine ecosystems in the world. Many nationally and internationally threatened, endangered, and depleted species thrive at Palmyra Atoll, including sea turtles, pearl oysters, giant clams, reef sharks, coconut crabs, a large diversity of fish, and more...