Tern Island, Disappearing Island - in western Hawaiian chain

Mostly submerged beneath the ocean surface, the remote Tern Island shows as a thin strip of white against the shallow turquoise and deeper black waters of the Pacific Ocean. Tern Island is a large coral reef atoll that is part of the western Hawaiian chain of islands called the French Frigate Shoals. Sitting about 500 miles northwest of Honolulu (Oahu Island), Tern Island is within the Hawaiian National Wildlife Refuge, and as such is a protected home many species of wildlife, including the Hawaiian Monk Seal and the Green Sea Turtle.

The Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge was designated in 1909 by President Theodore Roosevelt and contains nine islands: Nihoa, Necker, French Frigate Shoals, Gardner Pinnacles, Maro Reef, Laysan, Lisianski, and the Pearl and Hermes Reef. The entire chain of islands extends about 800 miles northwest from the island of Kaui.

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Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

Published November 29, 2002
Data acquired November 28 - 28, 2002

Source:

Terra > MODIS