Update on Midway Atoll's Tsunami

The tsunami washed over the red-shaded areas; USFWS graphic.

Have you heard the unhappy news?  According to the USFWS's press release on Friday, March 18, "Seabird Losses at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge Greatly Exceed Early Estimates."  (When you get to the link, if it doesn't show this title, you may have to put the title into the website's "Headline" box and do a search.)  Briefly, the article reports this news about albatross:

•  "...more than 110,000 Laysan and black-footed albatross chicks – about 22 percent of this year’s albatross production..." have been lost this year as a result of winter storms followed by the tsunami
• "At least 2000 adults were also killed."
• "Wisdom, the 60-year-old albatross that recently hatched a chick, was initially reported as surviving the event because her nest site was not overwashed, but biologists have not been able to confirm her survival."
• Only 4 albatross chicks have been found on the Atoll's smallest island, Spit.  Before the winter storms and tsunami, there had been 1520 albatross nests.
• Although the Short-tailed Albatross has survived all winter storms and the tsunami, the "chick's parents...have not been seen since the tsunami.  Since the chick is incapable of fending for itself, the Service will carefully consider whether hand-rearing this bird is appropriate if it is determined that it is not being fed by its parents."

Read the press release for more information about some of Midway's other birds.  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), joins the USFWS and the state of Hawai`i in managing the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, which includes Midway and all of the NW Hawaiian Islands.  It will be NOAA's job in the months ahead to survey the tsunami's effect on the Hawaiian Monk Seal, or `Ilio-holo-i-ka-uaua, and the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle, or Honu.

There's nothing we can do to prevent tsunamis and other natural disasters.  Even with loss of many individual birds, albatross species have survived these events before, and we expect them to survive this one, too.  

But what we can do is work to prevent human disasters on wildlife.  For example, we can be more careful about keeping plastic out of the ocean, so that albatross don't die from swallowing it by mistake.  Fishing boats can catch fish with gear that doesn't accidentally catch albatross.   

Let's try harder to protect albatross and our Planet Earth!

Is this place a Refuge, a Memorial or a Monument?

It's all three...and more!

(1) REFUGE -- Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge
In 1903 President Teddy Roosevelt placed the Atoll under the U.S. Navy's control.  The Navy stopped the poaching of bird feathers and eggs.  Beginning in the 1940's during World War II Midway Atoll was operated as a Naval Air Facility.  In 1998 the Atoll was transferred away from the Navy and became the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge.  The birds were really protected now!  

(2) MEMORIAL --  Battle of Midway National Memorial
On December 7, 1941 Japan attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor in Hawai`i.  The attack caused the U.S. to join World War II against Japan.  Six months later the U.S. fought and won the Battle of Midway.  That victory turned the tide and finally resulted in victory by the United States and its Allies over Japan in 1945.  In 2000 Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge was also designated as the Battle of Midway National Memorial.

(3) MONUMENT -- Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
On June 15, 2006 President Bush proclaimed what came to be called the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.  The Monument map shows that PMNM includes all the islands, including Midway Atoll, stretching northwest beyond the state of Hawai`i.  The PMNM virtual visit says, if the Monument "...were laid atop the continental United States, [it] would cover a distance equal to that between New York City and Omaha, or Boston and the Florida Everglades." Please listen to these mp3 recordings about the Hawaiian meaning and proper Hawaiian pronunciation for Papahānaumokuākea.

(4) World Heritage Center?
As of today, July 17, 2010, we're waiting to hear if the wildlife of Midway Atoll will get even one more level of protection, by becoming a United Nations World Heritage Center.  Stay tuned!
[Update!! -- Read FOAM's July 30th post: "This place is a WORLD HERITAGE SITE!!"]

(5) Pihemanu
FOAM has been calling this land mass "Midway Atoll," but many people think the ancient Hawaiians called it Pihemanu, meaning "the loud din [noise] of birds."  Good name!  Listen to the "pihemanu" in FOAM's July 19th post.

NOAA's ship, the Hi`ialakai, visits Midway

The Hii`ialakai left Midway this morning about 9 a.m., after having been here a few days.  They had several science projects that they were studying here in the Midway area, as well as other areas in the NW Hawaiian archipelago.  Here are 2 of them:

• Dr. Carl Meyer from the Un. of Hawai`i and the Hawai`i Institute of Marine Biology is interested in the movements of top/apex predators among the Hawaiian islands.  On this expedition, I think he's attaching acoustic (sound) tags to fish known as groupers, probably the endemic Hawaiian grouper, Hapu`upu`u or Epinephelus quernus.  Dr. Meyer and his fellow scientists will be able to track these individual fish by following their tag's sound.

• Dr. Kelly Gleason maritime archaeologist with the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument conducts annual resurveys of known wrecks, as well as surveys in areas suspected to be locations for undiscovered historic wrecks.

The Hi`ialakai, and other research ships, are like floating communities.  Compare a ship to a house with this fun matching activity! 

E komo mai! (Welcome!)

I'm going to Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge!!...which is part of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, located about 1200 miles northwest of Honolulu, Hawai`i.  From its name you can understand that it's in about the middle of the North Pacific Ocean!  I'll be working as a volunteer there for about 3 months, doing all kinds of wildlife management work.  My friends and I are going to author this blog about Midway together.  Let's introduce ourselves.