December 4, 2024
The Ebiil Society: Champions of Palau
Ann Singeo, founder of our partner organization the Ebiil Society, shares her vision for a thriving Palau and a flourishing world of indigenous science!
Our new online shop is live!
Published on
March 23, 2021
Written by
jade
Photo credit
jade
Located 1,000 miles southwest of Hawaii, Palmyra Atoll is an important biodiversity hotspot and a scientific hub for ecological and climate change research. Palmyra’s extreme isolation makes the atoll sensitive as an environment, however, it also makes the spot a sensational place of study for climate science and restoration success.
Palmyra has had a long history of use and abuse. Formerly a U.S. military base during World War II, rats were introduced to Palmyra through vessels. Within a few years, the rat population on Palmyra became out of hand, leading to ecosystem fallout, harming native crab and bird populations and inducing the spread of another invasive species. The island also has a history of former use as a coconut palm plantation. This led to invasive coconut palms nearly taking over Palmyra, crowding out native tree species, and thus eliminating preferred nesting sites for native birds.
In 2011, The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Island Conservation successfully removed invasive black rats from the atoll to secure nesting habitat for the region’s seabirds. The island saw remarkable recovery over the next several years, including a 5000% increase in native vegetation. However, without the rodents around, the rapidly growing coconut trees were able to spread in greater numbers, forming dense thickets and outcompeting the islands’ many native tree species. The partners are now shifting focus towards removing the coconut palms to make way for native trees, in hopes of restoring Palmyra from rainforest to reef.
Consisting of 26 islets, Palmyra provides unique habitat for a wide range of threatened species including Sea Turtles, Giant Clams, Reef Sharks, Coconut Crabs, and Pearl Oysters. Palmyra also supports a colony of nearly 25,000 red-footed boobies as well as 400 species of fish within its reefs. Mele Khalsa, island restoration specialist from Island Conservation witnessed Palmyra’s incredible biodiversity firsthand, explaining:
One of the things that really sticks with me is going out at night and just seeing armies of crabs marching down the beach… There were just so many of them, and they’re all just kind of ambling alone with no care in the world for humans and all the drama of the world.”
In recent years, emerging scientific research has begun to make the connection between islands free of invasive species and the health of their nearshore ocean ecosystems. One of the key areas of research on Palmyra is in this link between the health of the terrestrial environment and the health of the surrounding coral reefs. As scientists warn that climate change could destroy almost all of Earth’s coral reefs by 2100, this connection is deeply relevant for the future of Palmyra as well as countless coral reef ecosystems around the world.
What Palmyra demonstrates is that coral reefs are capable of taking the same impacts of climate change that are killing reefs, changing others, and are capable not only of surviving, but continuing to be diverse, healthy, and abundant,” says Chad Wiggins, the Nature Conservancy’s Palmyra programme director.
Wiggins calls Palmyra a “hope spring” and “conservation sandbox” from which important lessons can be learned about the ways restoration and resilience can push beyond artificial boundaries and provide a different form of support against future climate disturbances.
Palmyra’s success depends largely upon human support in continuing to remove invasive species. The atoll is 1,000 miles by plane from the nearest hub in Honolulu. Thus, it’s restoration possibilities require an enormous amount of resources and support. There is a lot of potential for reversing the damage inflicted by humans on wild and special places including the Palmyra Atoll. Restoring and protecting islands has large positive impacts for coral reefs which will only grow more important as climate change progresses.
Source: The Independent
Feature Photo: Coconut palms crowd out the native trees on the coastline of Palmyra Atoll. Credit: Andrew Wright
Check out other journal entries we think you might be interested in.
December 4, 2024
Ann Singeo, founder of our partner organization the Ebiil Society, shares her vision for a thriving Palau and a flourishing world of indigenous science!
November 22, 2024
This historic agreement aims to protect the marine and coastal areas of the Southeast Pacific.
November 18, 2024
Our projects to restore key islets in Nukufetau Atoll forecast climate resilience and community benefits in Tuvalu!
November 5, 2024
Island Conservation attended the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity!
October 3, 2024
Island Conservation and partners have published a new paper quantifying ecosystem resilience on restored islands!
September 10, 2024
Climate Week NYC: what is it and why is it important? Read on to find out why Island Conservation is attending this amazing event!
September 5, 2024
With sea levels on the rise, how are the coastlines of islands transforming? Read on to find out how dynamic islands really are!
June 24, 2024
Part 2 of filmmaker Cece King's reflection on her time on Juan Fernandez Island in Chile, learning about conservation and community!
April 18, 2024
Everything you need to know about nature-based carbon capture and how it helps islands build climate resilience!
April 4, 2024
Learn how bird poop is the key to healthy island wildlife, coral reefs, and communities!