Pearl and Hermes Atoll

Pearl and Hermes Atoll

Native name: Holoikauaua
NASA picture of the Pearl and Hermes Atoll
Pearl and Hermes Pearl and Hermes (Pacific Ocean) Location of Pearl and Hermes Atoll in the Pacific Ocean
Geography
Location	Pacific Ocean
Coordinates	27°51′40″N 175°51′10″W / 27.8611°N 175.8529°W / 27.8611; -175.8529
Archipelago	Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
Administration
United States
State	Hawaii
County	Honolulu County
Demographics
Population	0
Additional information
Time zone	UTC−10

The Pearl and Hermes Atoll (Hawaiian: Holoikauaua), also known as Pearl and Hermes Reef, is part of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, a group of small islands and atolls that form the farthest northwest portion of the Hawaiian island chain. The atoll consists of a variable number of flat and sandy islets, typically between five and seven. More were noted in historical sources but have since been lost to erosion and rising sea levels.

The atoll is named after Pearl and Hermes, a pair of English whaleships that wrecked there in 1822. It has been the site of at least eight known shipwrecks, including the Japanese Wiji Maru, SS Quartette, and most recently the M/V Casitas, which ran aground on the reef in 2005.

The atoll is an important habitat for seabirds, marine life, and invertebrate species. Twenty-two bird species nest and breed on the islands, including twenty percent of the world's population of black-footed albatrosses. The atoll has historically been included with the rest of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands in conservation efforts. It is included in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, created in 2006. Ghost nets and other fishing debris, rising sea levels, and the invasive algae Chondria tumulosa pose a significant risk to the atoll and its wildlife.