Map of French Frigate Shoals

The French Frigate Shoals (Hawaiian: Mokupāpapa) is the largest atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Its name commemorates French explorer Jean-François de La Pérouse, who nearly lost two frigates when attempting to navigate the shoals. It consists of a 20-mile long crescent-shaped reef, twelve sandbars, and the 120 ft. (36 m) high La Perouse Pinnacle, the only remnant of its volcanic origins. The total land area of the islets is 61.508 acres (248,914 m²). Total coral reef area of the shoals is over 232,000 acres (938 km²). Map of French Frigate Shoals. ... Map of French Frigate Shoals. ... The Hawaiian language is an Austronesian language that takes its name from that of the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. ... An atoll is a type of low, coral island found in tropical oceans and consisting of a coral-algal reef usually surrounding an interior body of water called a lagoon or peninsula. ... The Hawaiian island chain. ... Lapérouse by François Rude (1784-1855), in 1828 Lapérouse Jean François Galaup, count (comte) de La Pérouse (August 23, 1741 - 1788) was a French naval officer and explorer whose expedition vanished in Oceania. ... For the bird, see Frigatebird. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Some of the biodiversity of a coral reef. ... In geography, a bar is a linear shoaling landform feature within a body of water. ... An acre is the name of a unit of area in a number of different systems, including Imperial units and United States customary units. ...

The French Frigate Shoals is about 560 miles northwest of Honolulu. Nickname: Sheltered Bay Location within the island of Oahu in the state of Hawaii Coordinates: Country United States State Hawaii County City and County of Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann Area    - City 105 mi² / 272. ...

History

School of reef fish

Although there is no evidence of extensive human activity or presence in the area, the earliest human visitors to French Frigate Shoals probably came from the larger Hawaiian Islands, which were settled by Polynesians between 1100 and 1300 CE. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3000x2090, 1580 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Swarm French Frigate Shoals Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3000x2090, 1580 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Swarm French Frigate Shoals Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner... Carving from the ridgepole of a Māori house, ca 1840 Polynesia (from Greek: πολύς many, νῆσος island) is a large grouping of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. ... Events William II of England dies in a hunting accident - Henry I becomes King of England King Henry I proclaims the Charter of Liberties, one of the first examples of a constitution. ... Events February 22 - Jubilee of Pope Boniface VIII. March 10 - Wardrobe accounts of King Edward I of Englanddo (aka Edward Longshanks) include a reference to a game called creag being played at the town of Newenden in Kent. ... The Common Era (CE), sometimes known as the Current Era or as the Christian Era, is the period of measured time beginning with the year 1 on the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Hawaiian island chain lay outside the routes followed by early European explorers, and it was not until La Pérouse's near-disastrous discovery that the shoals were known to the outside world. La Pérouse, aboard the frigate Broussole, was sailing westward from Monterey en route to Macao. During the night of November 6, 1786, sailors sighted breakers directly in their path, about a thousand feet ahead. Both the Broussole and her companion vessel, the frigate Astrolabe, were immediately brought about, passing within a few hundred feet of the breakers. At daybreak, the ships returned and mapped the southeastern half of the atoll, as well as finding the rock that would later be named after La Pérouse. La Pérouse named the shoals Basse des Fregates Françaises, the "Shoal of the French Frigates". Nickname: The Cradle of History, Californias First City Location of Monterey, California County Monterey Mayor Chuck Della Sala Area    - City 11. ... November 6 is the 310th day of the year (311th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 55 days remaining. ... 1786 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Pennant coralfish and Pyramid and Milletseed butterflyfish school at Rapture Reef

During the late 1800s, American and European companies became interested in the possibility of mining guano in the Hawaiian Islands. U.S. Navy Lieutenant John M. Brooke, sailing on the naval schooner Fenimore Cooper, formally took possession of French Frigate Shoals for the United States on 14 January 1859, in accordance with the Guano Islands Act. In 1894, French Frigate Shoals, Kure Atoll, Midway Atoll, and Pearl and Hermes Reef were leased for 25 years by the Republic of Hawaii to the North Pacific Phosphate and Fertilizer Company; however, guano and phosphate deposits at French Frigate Shoals were found to be impractical to mine. Oddly enough, the Republic did not formally claim possession of the shoals until July 13, 1895. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3000x2001, 4710 KB) Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3000x2001, 4710 KB) Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Binomial name Heniochus acuminatus Linnaeus, 1758 The pennant coralfish or longfin bannerfish, Heniochus acuminatus, is a tropical fish of the family Chaetodontidae. ... Genera Amphichaetodon Chaetodon Chelmon Chelmonops Coradion Forcipiger Hemitaurichthys Heniochus Johnrandallia Parachaetodon Prognathodes The butterflyfish are a group of conspicuous tropical marine fish of the family Chaetodontidae. ... The Chincha guano islands in Peru. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... Lieutenant is a military, naval, paramilitary, fire service or police officer rank. ... John Mercer Brooke (18 December 1826–14 December 1906) was an American sailor, engineer, scientist, and educator who resigned his U.S. Navy commission in 1861 to join the Confederate Navy in the American Civil War. ... January 14 is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1859 (MDCCCLIX) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar). ... The Guano Islands Act was federal legislation passed by the U.S. Congress on August 18, 1856 enabling citizens of the U.S. to take possession of islands containing guano deposits. ... 1894 (MDCCCXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Satellite image of Kure Atoll Kure Atoll or Ocean Island (Hawaiian: Kānemiloha‘i) lies some 55 miles beyond Midway Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands at . ... Orthographic projection centred over Midway. ... Discovered in 1857, the Pearl and Hermes Reefs (Hawaiian: Holoikauaua), are part of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. ... Iolani Palace in Honolulu, formerly the residence of the Hawaiian monarch, was the capitol of the Republic of Hawaii. ... July 13 is the 194th day (195th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 171 days remaining. ... 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

French Frigate Shoals was included among the islands acquired by the United States on July 7, 1898, when Hawaii became a United States Territory. In 1909 it was made a part of the Hawaiian Islands Bird Reservation. July 7 is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 177 days remaining. ... 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... United States territory is any extent of region under the jurisdiction of the federal government of the United States, including all waters (around islands or continental tracts). ... Year 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

World War II

During the early months of the U.S.-Japanese conflict in World War II, Japanese seaplanes occasionally used French Frigate Shoals as a rendezvous point for refuelling by submarine. By mid-1942, increasing U.S. naval activity in the area prevented further Japanese use. After the Battle of Midway, the U.S. Navy built a Naval Air Station on Tern Island, enlarging the island sufficiently to support a 3300 ft. (1005 m) landing strip. The Station's main function was as an emergency landing site for planes flying between Hawaii and Midway Atoll. The original seawall, runway, and some of the buildings remain. Tern Island has a land area of 105,276 m² (26.014 acres). Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000,000 Total dead: 50,000,000 Military dead: 8,000,000 Civilian dead: 4,000,000 Total dead 12,000,000 World War II (abbreviated WWII), or the Second World War, was a worldwide conflict... A DeHavilland Single Otter floatplane in Harbour Air livery A seaplane is an aircraft designed to take off and land on water. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders Chester W. Nimitz, Frank J. Fletcher, Raymond A. Spruance Isoroku Yamamoto, Chuichi Nagumo, Tamon Yamaguchi † Strength 3 carriers, ~50 support ships, 233 carrier aircraft, 127 land-based aircraft 4 carriers, 7 battleships, ~150 support ships, 248 carrier aircraft, 16 floatplanes Casualties 1 carrier... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... A Naval Air Station is an airbase of the United States Navy. ... Orthographic projection centred over Midway. ... Seawall protecting homes from storm waves and beach erosion. ...

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service continues to maintain a permanent field station there. In 2000, the atoll became part of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve, which was incorporated into the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Monument in 2006. The USFWS logo The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a unit of the United States Department of the Interior that is dedicated to managing and preserving wildlife. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument is the largest Marine Protected Area in the world and is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. ...

Ecology

The atoll is an important refuge for Hawaiian Monk Seals and Laysan Albatrosses

The reef system at French Frigate Shoals supports 41 species of stony corals, including several species that are not found in the main Hawaiian Island chain. More than 600 species of marine invertebrates, many of which are endemic, are found here as well. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3456x2304, 3133 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): French Frigate Shoals User:Sabines Sunbird/fridge door Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3456x2304, 3133 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): French Frigate Shoals User:Sabines Sunbird/fridge door Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from... Binomial name Monachus schauinslandi Matschie, 1905 The Hawaiian Monk Seal (Monachus schauinslandi) in the Family Phocidae, is an endangered marine mammal that is endemic to the warm, clear waters of the Hawaiian Islands. ... Binomial name Phoebastria immutabilis (Rothschild, 1893) The Laysan Albatross, Phoebastria immutabilis, is a large seabird that ranges across the North Pacific. ... Families Suborder Astrocoeiina   Acroporidae   Astrocoeniidae   Pocilloporiidae Suborder Caryophylliina   Caryophylliidae Suborder Dendrophylliina   Dendrophylliidae Suborder Faviina   Astrangiidae   Faviidae   Meandrinidae   Mirulinidae   Mussidae   Oculinidae   Pectiniidae   Trachyphyllidae Suborder Fungiina   Agariciidae   Fungiidae   Poritidae   Siderastreidae   Thamnasteriidae Scleractinia, also called Stony star corals, are exclusively marine animals; they are very similar to sea anemones but generate a hard... Invertebrate is a term coined by Chevalier de Lamarck to describe any animal without a backbone or vertebra, like insects, squids and worms. ... In biology and ecology endemic means exclusively native to a place or biota, in contrast to cosmopolitan or introduced. ...

More than 150 species of algae live among the reefs. Especially diverse algal communities are found immediately adjacent to La Perouse Pinnacle. This has lead to speculation that an influx of additional nutrients — in the form of guano — is responsible for the diversity and productivity of algae in this environment. The reef waters support large numbers of fish. The masked angelfish (Genicanthus personatus), endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, is relatively common here. Most of Hawaii's green sea turtles travel to the shoals to nest. The small islets of French Frigate Shoals provide refuge to the largest surviving population of Hawaiian monk seals, the second most endangered pinniped in the world. A seaweed (Laurencia) up close: the branches are multicellular and only about 1 mm thick. ... Rainforests are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on earth Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variation of taxonomic life forms within a given ecosystem, biome or for the entire Earth. ... A giant grouper at the Georgia Aquarium Fish are aquatic vertebrates that are typically cold-blooded; covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins. ... Binomial name Chelonia mydas (Linnaeus, 1758) This page redirects from Chelonia, which is the genus name of this turtle, but has also been used for the order Testudines of all turtles and tortoises. ... Binomial name Monachus schauinslandi Matschie, 1905 The Hawaiian Monk Seal (Monachus schauinslandi) in the Family Phocidae, is an endangered marine mammal that is endemic to the warm, clear waters of the Hawaiian Islands. ... Families Odobenidae Otariidae Phocidae Pinnipeds (fin-feet, lit. ...

The islands are also an important seabird colony. 18 species of seabird, the Black-footed Albatross, Laysan Albatross, Bonin Petrel, Bulwer's Petrel, Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Christmas Shearwater, Tristam's Storm Petrel, Red-tailed Tropicbird, Masked Booby, Red-footed Booby, Brown Booby, Great Frigatebird, Gray-backed Tern, Sooty Tern, Blue-gray Noddy, Brown Noddy, Black Noddy and White Tern nest on the islands, most of them (16) of them on Tern Island. Two species, the Blue-gray Noddy and the Brown Booby, nest only on La Perouse Pinnacle. The island also is the wintering ground for several species of shorebird. Colonial seabirds in Hawaii. ... The Sooty Tern is highly aerial and marine and will spend years flying at sea without returning to land. ... Binomial name Phoebastria nigripes (Audubon, 1839) The Black_footed Albatross, Phoebastria nigripes, is a large seabird from the North Pacific. ... Binomial name Phoebastria immutabilis (Rothschild, 1893) The Laysan Albatross, Phoebastria immutabilis, is a large seabird that ranges across the North Pacific. ... Binomial name Pterodroma hypoleuca (Salvin, 1888) The Bonin Petrel, Pterodroma hypoleuca, is a seabird in the family Procellariidae. ... Binomial name Bulweria bulwerii Jardine & Selby, 1828 The Bulwers Petrel (Bulweria bulwerii) is a small petrel, the only bird in the genus Bulweria (Bonaparte, 1843). ... Binomial name Puffinus pacificus (Gmelin, 1789) The Wedge-tailed Shearwater (Puffinus pacificus) is a medium-large shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. ... Binomial name Puffinus nativitatis Streets, 1877 The Christmas Shearwater, Puffinus nativitatis is a medium sized shearwater of the tropical Central Pacific. ... Binomial name Phaethon rubricauda Boddaert, 1783 The Red-tailed Tropicbird, Phaethon rubricauda, is a seabird that nests across the Indian and Pacific Oceans. ... Binomial name Sula dactylatra (Lesson, 1831) The Masked Booby, Sula dactylatra, is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. ... Binomial name Sula sula (Linnaeus, 1766) Red-footed Boobies on Palmyra Atoll. ... Binomial name Sula leucogaster (Boddaert, 1783) The Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. ... Binomial name Fregata minor (Gmelin, 1789) The Great Frigatebird (Fregata minor), also known as the Iwa, is a migratory seabird in the frigatebird family. ... Binomial name Onychoprion lunata (Peale, 1848) Synonyms Sterna lunata Peale, 1848 The Grey-backed Tern, Onychoprion lunata, is a seabird in the tern family. ... Binomial name Sterna fuscata Linnaeus, 1766 The Sooty Tern, Sterna fuscata, is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. ... Binomial name Anous stolidus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Brown Noddy or Common Noddy Anous stolidus is a seabird from the tern family. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Binomial name Gygis alba (Sparrman, 1786) The White Tern, Gygis alba is a beautiful small seabird found across the tropical oceans of the world. ... Families Scolopacidae Rostratulidae Jacanidae Thinocoridae Pedionomidae Burhinidae Chionididae Pluvianellidae Ibidorhynchidae Recurvirostridae Haematopodidae Charadriidae Dunlin (Calidris alpina). ...

A three-week research mission in October 2006 by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) led to the discovery of 100 species never seen in the area before, including many that are totally new to science. The research findings will be used to establish what species live in the area. Further studies will also determine how well the shoals' ecosystem is being managed and the threats it faces. The French Frigate Shoals project is part of the Census of Coral Reef Ecosystems of the International Census of Marine Life. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce. ...

Whale-Skate Island is a submerged island in the French Frigate Shoals. These islands suffered considerably from erosion starting in the 1960s, and by the late 1990s, Whale-Skate Island was completely washed over.

References

• French Frigate Shoals: Blocks 1002 thru 1011, Census Tract 114.98, Honolulu County, Hawaii United States Census Bureau

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

French Frigate Shoals

• http://www.midwaycommemoration.org/www.midwaycommemoration.org/2005/History.htm
• http://www.wfu.edu/albatross/hawaii/history.htm
• Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve site
• The French Frigate Shoals Web Page
• Quick Facts on French Frigate Shoals from the PBS Ocean Adventures site
• The google earth view
• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 23.8689° -166.2860°
  • Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
  • Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA