Why are the Phoenix Islands Protected Area?
Due to its great isolation, Phoenix Islands Protected Area occupies a unique position in the biogeography of the Pacific as a critical stepping stone habitat for migratory and pelagic/planktonic species and for ocean currents in the region.
Where is the Phoenix Islands Protected Area located?
The Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) is a massive mid-ocean wilderness in the remote Pacific about halfway between Hawaii and Fiji. The California-size (157,626-square-mile, or 408,250-square-kilometer) marine protected area includes huge tracts of deep ocean studded with some 30 large submerged volcanoes.
Where is the Phoenix Islands located?
Republic of Kiribati
Phoenix Islands Protected Area. As one of the world’s most remote island chains, the Phoenix Islands — located within the Republic of Kiribati in the heart of the Pacific Ocean — comprise an island archipelago and ocean wilderness area of immense global value.
Who lives on the Phoenix islands?
Crabs, lizards, turtles, and rats also live on the islands, and marine life abounds around their reefs. Archaeological ruins on Manra suggest brief settlement or extended visits by early Polynesians, but the shortage of fresh water limited habitation. Whaling ships reached the islands in the early 1800s.
Who owns the Phoenix islands?
the Republic of Kiribati
They are part of the Republic of Kiribati. Their combined land area is 28 square kilometres (11 sq mi). The only island of any commercial importance is Canton Island (also called Abariringa).
What language is spoken in Kiribati?
Kiribati
English
Kiribati/Official languages
Where are the Phoenix Islands in Kiribati?
The Republic of Kiribati, in partnership with the non-governmental conservation organizations Conservation International and the New England Aquarium, has formed the Phoenix Island Protected Area Conservation Trust (PIPA Trust)..
How big is the Phoenix Island protected area?
The Phoenix Island Protected Area (PIPA) is a 408,250 sq.km expanse of marine and terrestrial habitats in the Southern Pacific Ocean. The property encompasses the Phoenix Island Group, one of three island groups in Kiribati, and is the largest designated Marine Protected Area in the world.
Where are the Phoenix Islands in the Pacific?
The Phoenix Islands Protected Area ( PIPA) is located in the Republic of Kiribati, an ocean nation in the central Pacific approximately midway between Australia and Hawaii.
What kind of habitat are the Phoenix Islands?
The New England Aquarium (NEAq) and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution have carried out scientific research expeditions of these seamount habitats, which have been identified being rich in deep-water coral and biodiversity supporting a variety of oceanic pelagic species.