Papahanaumokuakea and Lisianski Island

Lisianski Island (Papa‘apoho) in Papahanaumokuakea is a flat, sandy and coral island which covers about 380 acres. The highest point is about 40 feet above sea level, with the interior covered by native plants, and the island encircled by a white sandy beach. The land vegetation of Lisianski Island is intact and pristine, with ten indigenous species and three endemic species.

In 1805, Captain Iurii Lisianskii and his ship Neva ran aground here. In 1844, a ship picking up survivors of another shipwreck introduced mice, then rabbits were introduced, and together they devastated the island’s ecology. Feather collecting began on Lisianski about 1904, and in response to public outcry, Theodore Roosevelt established the Hawaiian Island Bird Reservation from Nihoa to Kure Atoll (with the exception of Midway). Migratory shorebirds now on the island include the Golden Plover (kolea), wandering tattler (ulili), and Bristle-thighed Curlew (kioea). The island also has the largest breeding colony of Bonin Petrels in Hawai’i, and more than a million Sooty Terns.

About twenty-four species of stony corals have been recorded from around Lisianski and Neva Shoals, with a variety of growth forms including spires, castles, and other shapes. Reef fish are abundant and diverse, as well as large numbers of Hawaiian Monk Seals and Green Sea Turtles.