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About Pohnpei
Pohnpei is the capital island of the Federated States of Micronesia, a nation of 607 small islands located in the Western Pacific about 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii, 800 miles east of Guam and only six degrees north of the equator.While its total land area is only 270 square miles, the FSM occupies more than one million square miles of the Pacific Ocean, spanning more than 1,700 miles from Kosrae in the east to Yap in the west. Each of the four States center around one or more "high islands," and include numerous atolls.
Considered to be the “emerald” of Micronesia, Pohnpei is a lush, green island formed five million years ago by turbulent volcanic activity. Of the four FSM states, Pohnpei has outstanding biological significance. It is one of the few central Pacific high island “bridges” that enabled marine and terrestrial life to migrate from the Indo-Malay region into the Pacific. This characteristic, along with its geographic isolation, has resulted in high levels of species diversity and endemism. Pohnpei State (including its outer atolls) contains the highest percentage land mass of “Areas of Biological Significance” (ABS) sites in the FSM, with 128.28 km2 (80 mi2) or 57% of the designated terrestrial ABS sites in the Federated States of Micronesia (The Nature Conservancy 2003). Recently it has been found, using the Myers et al. criterion, that Pohnpei should be recognized as the fourth highest conservation hotspot in the world (when based on an assessment of endemic plant species) and be worthy of inclusion into what Myers et al. (2000) described as the world’s “hottest hot spots”.(Myers, N., R.A. Mittermeier, C.G. Mittermeier, G.A.B. da Fonseca, and J. Kent. 2000. Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities. Nature 403: 853-858.)
The island is home to a wide variety of natural habitats including barrier reefs, lagoons, mangrove forests and upland forests. It is one of the wettest places on earth, with an average rainfall in excess of 400 inches/year. Over 50% of the islands in the FSM are covered by dense native rainforests. Pohnpei boasts the world’s lowest dwarf cloud forest at 450 meters elevation, and Pohnpei’s Nanmeir en Salapwuk valley holds what is considered to be the largest intact lowland tropical forest in the Pacific outside of Hawaii. These habitats support a remarkable abundance of unique flora and fauna, sixteen percent of which is found nowhere else on earth. The Serehd (Pohnpei Lory), a brilliant red bird with hints of green and gold, and the Pohnpei mountain skink, a tiny coppery lizard, are both completely unique to the island. In addition, there are at least 25 species of terrestrial tree snails, three species of fish, and numerous plant species. (Saxon, Earl. 2000. Measuring Conservation Success on Pohnpei, FSM.)
Pohnpei’s extensive reefs and lagoons feature a wide diversity of productive and relatively intact natural habitats, including barrier reefs, fringing reef flats, reef passages, seagrass beds, and mangroves. These habitats support a remarkable abundance of biodiversity, including more than 900 species of fish and 400 species of coral. Pohnpei’s numerous barrier islands support small populations of nesting green and hawksbill turtles, as well as some of the region’s last healthy seabird rookeries. Pohnpei’s 35,000 residents depend heavily on the island’s 179 square mile lagoon for both subsistence and commercial purposes. Offshore waters are also important for tuna spawning sites and rich stocks of yellowfin, bigeye, and skipjack tuna.Outside the reefs of Pohnpei, scientists recorded the largest grouper spawning aggregation in the Indo-Pacific region. Recent assessments have revealed new coral and fish species on Pohnpei’s reefs, as well as coral species range extensions.
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