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Laysan (; ) is one of the
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands also known as the Leeward Hawaiian Islands, are a series of islands and atolls located northwest of Kauai and Niihau, Niihau in the Hawaiian Islands, Hawaiian island chain. Politically, these islands are part of ...
, located northwest of
Honolulu Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...
. It has one land mass of , about in size. It is an
atoll An atoll () is a ring-shaped island, including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon. There may be coral islands or cays on the rim. Atolls are located in warm tropical or subtropical parts of the oceans and seas where corals can develop. Most ...
of sorts, although the land completely surrounds Laysan Lake, some
above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...
, that has a
salinity Salinity () is the saltiness or amount of salt (chemistry), salt dissolved in a body of water, called saline water (see also soil salinity). It is usually measured in g/L or g/kg (grams of salt per liter/kilogram of water; the latter is dimensio ...
approximately three times greater than the ocean. Laysan's Hawaiian name, ''Kauō'', means "egg". It was mined for guano in the late 19th century and early 1900s, which resulted in the release of rabbits who had been brought in for food. After mining ceased, the rabbits ate up the natural vegetation causing a couple dozen plant and one bird species to go extinct. The rabbits were removed by 1923, and from then on until modern times it has been a nature reserve. The island is the home of the rarest duck in the world, the
Laysan Duck The Laysan duck (''Anas laysanensis''), also known as the Laysan teal, is a dabbling duck endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Fossil evidence reveals that Laysan ducks once lived across the entire archipelago, but today survive only on Laysan Isl ...
.


Geology

Laysan is the second largest single landmass in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, after Sand Island at
Midway Atoll Midway Atoll (colloquialism, colloquial: Midway Islands; ; ) is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. Midway Atoll is an insular area of the United States and is an Insular area#Unorganized unincorporated territories, unorganized and unincorpo ...
. Laysan was created by coral growth and geologic upshift. The
fringing reef A fringing reef is one of the three main types of coral reef. It is distinguished from the other main types, barrier reefs and atolls, in that it has either an entirely shallow backreef zone (lagoon) or none at all. If a fringing reef grows direc ...
s surrounding the island cover about . The tallest point on the island is above sea level, on a large dune that covers much of the northern portion of the island. Lake Laysan, a , brown, hypersaline lake in the island's interior, has varied in depth over the decades. In the 1860s, the lake was at most deep, but by the 1920s it averaged only in depth, because of the build-up of sand that had been blown into it by
sandstorms A dust storm, also called a sandstorm, is a meteorological phenomenon common in arid and semi-arid regions. Dust storms arise when a gust front or other strong wind blows loose sand and dirt from a dry surface. Fine particles are transport ...
. The best way to find fresh water on Laysan is to observe where the
finches The true finches are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. Finches generally have stout conical bills adapted for eating seeds and nuts and often have colourful plumage. They occupy a great range of habitats where the ...
are drinking, because fresh water floats on the saltier water and accumulates around the shore. A
U.S. Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on March ...
study found that Laysan, Midway Atoll, and Pacific islands like them, could become inundated and unfit to live on during the 21st century.


History


Discovery and early expeditions

Native Hawaiians Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians; , , , and ) are the Indigenous Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiʻi was settled at least 800 years ago by Polynesian ...
may have known about Kauō before Americans and Europeans sailed their ships into the region in the early 19th century (see below). The first reported sightings of the island were by
Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
-based whalers in the 1820s. ''The Nantucket Enquirer'' reported a sighting in 1825, which is probably the first reference to the name "Laysan" in print. The whalers were among many who took advantage of the newly discovered whaling grounds off the coast of
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
, making the waters around the Northwest Hawaiian archipelago an increasingly popular commercial route. A United States government survey of Pacific Ocean geography in 1828 included the earlier whalers' reports, as well as a sighting of an island fitting Laysan's description by a Captain "Brigs". That might refer to Captain John Briggs of
New Bedford New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast (Massachusetts), South Coast region. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, New Bedford had a ...
, who could have come across the island as early as 1822. Various publications name Captain Stanyukovich, of the
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
n ship ''Moller'', as the discoverer of Laysan. Although he mapped the island in 1828, and attempted to name it for his ship, he was clearly there after the
New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
ers, at least. In 1857, Captain John Paty, of the ''Manuokawai'', annexed Laysan to the
Kingdom of Hawaii The Hawaiian Kingdom, also known as the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ɛ ɐwˈpuni həˈvɐjʔi, was an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country from 1795 to 1893, which eventually encompassed all of the inhabited Hawaii ...
. The island had an economic value due to the presence of
guano Guano (Spanish from ) is the accumulated excrement of seabirds or bats. Guano is a highly effective fertiliser due to the high content of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium, all key nutrients essential for plant growth. Guano was also, to a le ...
. In 1859, Captain Brooks, of the ship ''Gambia'', traveled to the island and wrote that there was guano there, but "not of sufficient quantity to warrant any attempts to get it". Despite that, in 1890, George D. Freeth and Charles N. Spencer successfully petitioned the Kingdom of Hawaii for permission to mine guano on Laysan and agreed to make royalty payments to the Kingdom. Around were extracted per day. Given that, towards the end of the guano mining era, iron-hulled sailing ships had a capacity of , Laysan produced a shipload every two months. Working conditions at the guano mine were grueling. In August 1900,
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
ese workers mutinied against the American management. The
strike action Strike action, also called labor strike, labour strike in British English, or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to Working class, work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Str ...
turned to violence because of a
language barrier A language barrier is a figurative phrase used primarily to refer to linguistic barriers to communication, i.e. the difficulties in communication experienced by people or groups originally speaking different languages (or different dialects in ...
. As a result, there were two deaths and two injuries. The publicity about Laysan attracted scientists and, in the next decade, many of the island's unique species were scientifically examined for the first time.Rauzon 2001, p.104. However, the guano mining affected the island's ecosystem dramatically. Professor William Alanson Bryan of the Bernice P. Bishop Museum estimated that there were 10 million seabirds on Laysan in 1903 but, eight years later, the estimate was that there were little more than a million. In those eight years, the ''
Pritchardia The genus ''Pritchardia'' (family Arecaceae) consists of between 24 and 40 species of fan palms (subfamily Coryphoideae) found on tropical Pacific Ocean Pacific Islands, islands in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Tuamotus, and most diversely in Hawaiian ...
'' palms that were unique to Laysan, and the island's sandalwood trees ('' Santalum ellipticum''), both became extinct. 1894 marked the arrival of Laysan's most notorious inhabitant,
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
immigrant Max Schlemmer, who was the superintendent of the guano mining operation. He released
domestic rabbit The domestic rabbit (''Oryctolagus cuniculus domesticus'') is the domestication, domesticated form of the European rabbit, a member of the lagomorph order. A male rabbit is known as a ''buck,'' a female as a ''doe,'' and a young rabbit as a ''k ...
s, Belgian hares, English hares and
guinea pigs The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig (''Cavia porcellus''), also known as the cavy or domestic cavy ( ), is a species of rodent belonging to the genus ''Cavia'', family Caviidae. Breeders tend to use the name "cavy" for the animal, but "gui ...
on the island, expecting them to multiply and provide supplies for a future meat-canning business. That had a disastrous effect on Laysan's indigenous flora and fauna.


Period of extinction

The
rabbit Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also includes the hares), which is in the order Lagomorpha (which also includes pikas). They are familiar throughout the world as a small herbivore, a prey animal, a domesticated ...
s reproduced rapidly, and their appetite soon far exceeded the available vegetation on the island. Complaints about that, and about
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
ese
poachers Poaching is the illegal hunting or capturing of wild animals, usually associated with land use rights. Poaching was once performed by impoverished peasants for subsistence purposes and to supplement meager diets. It was set against the hunti ...
of the bird population, led President
Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...
to declare the Northwestern Hawaiian chain a bird sanctuary in 1909. Schlemmer continued to allow the Japanese to export bird wings illegally and so was removed from the island. However, without plant cover, much of the soil and sand became loose and blew about in dust storms. By 1918, the rabbits had eaten so much that the remaining vegetation was only enough to sustain 100 of them. Twenty-six plant species had been eradicated, and the Laysan millerbird had become extinct. In 1923, the
Tanager Expedition The ''Tanager'' Expedition was a series of five biological surveys of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands conducted in partnership between the Bureau of Biological Survey and the Bishop Museum, with the assistance of the United States Navy. Four ex ...
arrived and achieved its aim of exterminating the last rabbits. The bird population had been reduced to about a tenth of its former size. Three
endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
taxa had become
extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...
, as had numerous other plant species. Two other endemic species, the
Laysan duck The Laysan duck (''Anas laysanensis''), also known as the Laysan teal, is a dabbling duck endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Fossil evidence reveals that Laysan ducks once lived across the entire archipelago, but today survive only on Laysan Isl ...
and the
Laysan finch The Laysan finch (''Telespiza cantans'') is a species of Hawaiian honeycreeper, that is endemic to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It is one of four remaining finch-billed Hawaiian honeycreepers and is closely related to the smaller Nihoa fin ...
, still survive, but are
endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...
.


Recent history

Like most of the Northwestern Hawaiian islands, Laysan is currently uninhabited. It is protected by the Hawaiian Natural Life Act of 1961 and is under the stewardship of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who have had success in eliminating pests, restoring the island's vegetation, and boosting the populations of species considered endangered. Garbage from passing ships often washes ashore on Laysan. That poses a danger to birds because they can swallow
plastic waste Plastic pollution is the accumulation of plastic objects and particles (e.g. plastic bottles, bags and microbeads) in the Earth's environment that adversely affects humans, wildlife and their habitat. Plastics that act as pollutants are cate ...
, which remains undigested and crowds their stomachs, leaving no room for their normal food. According to observations in her 2006 mission log, Patricia Greene, a NOAA Teacher-at-Sea, found that most of the plastic was of Japanese origin. Additionally, in the 1990s, biologists found that a container of poisonous
carbofuran Carbofuran is a carbamate insecticide, banned in the US, the EU and Canada but still widely used in South America, Australia and Asia. It is a systemic insecticide, which means that the plant absorbs it through the roots, and from there the pla ...
had floated ashore and burst open above the
high tide Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide tables ...
line, creating a "dead zone" in which any living thing was killed.


Sandbur eradication

In 1991, the
United States Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is a List of federal agencies in the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior which oversees the management of fish, wildlife, ...
began an effort to eradicate sandbur, an alien grass, which was first introduced in the 1960s by US Armed Forces personnel. Sandbur crowds out the native
bunchgrass Tussock grasses or bunch grasses are a group of grass species in the family Poaceae. They usually grow as singular plants in clumps, tufts, hummocks, or bunches, rather than forming a sod or lawn, in meadows, grasslands, and prairies. As perennia ...
, which is habitat for birds. At a cost of almost one million dollars, the sandbur had been almost was completely removed by 2000. With that threat gone, the USFWS hoped to restore Laysan to its condition prior to
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
an discovery. To replace the native ''Pritchardia'' palms that had become extinct, the FWS wanted to bring in '' Pritchardia remota'' from
Nihoa Nihoa (; or ), also known as Bird Island or Moku Manu, is the tallest of ten islands and atolls in the uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). The island is located at the southern end of the NWHI chain, southeast of Necker ...
, a similar species to Laysan's lost fan palm. The next step was to be introducing
Nihoa millerbird The Nihoa millerbird (''Acrocephalus familiaris kingi'') is a subspecies of the millerbird. It gets its name from its preferred food, the Miller moth. The long millerbird has dark, sepia-colored feathers, white belly, and dark beak. Its natura ...
s, to replace the extinct Laysan millerbirds that are closely related. Those transfers were to accomplish a two-fold goal: to restore Laysan to an ecology similar to its pre-industrial one, and to protect those two species from extinction by maintaining a second population on Laysan. That way, if diseases, fires, or hurricanes obliterate the Nihoa population, the population can be revived by translocation from Laysan.


"Laysan fever"

In 1991, several workers on Laysan contracted a feverish illness previously unknown there or anywhere else. It affected workers on Laysan in varying levels of severity: one woman was evacuated for persistent fever, but others exhibited very mild symptoms. Cedric Yoshimoto, of the University of Hawaii at Mānoa School of Public Health, wrote that "surveillance has identified a newly-described illness of humans termed 'Laysan fever (LF)' It is associated with bites of the seabird tick '' Ornithodoros capensis''... nd/nowiki> joins a short list of human illnesses associated with seabird colonies..." The symptoms of
Q fever Q fever or query fever is a disease caused by infection with ''Coxiella burnetii'', a bacterium that affects humans and other animals. This organism is uncommon, but may be found in cattle, sheep, goats, and other domestic mammals, including ...
overlap significantly with those of Laysan fever, and scientists have speculated as to their possible common causes.


Possible ancient Hawaiian presence

In 2003, an
archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...
examining
sediment Sediment is a solid material that is transported to a new location where it is deposited. It occurs naturally and, through the processes of weathering and erosion, is broken down and subsequently sediment transport, transported by the action of ...
cores found pollen from
coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...
palms deep below the bottom of the central lagoon. That unexpected find raised several questions. Before that, no evidence existed that the coconut ever reached any of the
Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands () are an archipelago of eight major volcanic islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the Pacific Ocean, North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the Hawaii (island), island of Hawaii in the south to nort ...
before the arrival of the
Polynesia Polynesia ( , ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of more than 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are called Polynesians. They have many things in ...
n voyagers. Further, there has never been any physical evidence that the ancient Hawaiians extended their exploration of the Hawaiian chain beyond
Nihoa Nihoa (; or ), also known as Bird Island or Moku Manu, is the tallest of ten islands and atolls in the uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). The island is located at the southern end of the NWHI chain, southeast of Necker ...
and Mokumanamana (Necker). Dating the sediment containing the ''Cocos'' pollen is imprecise, but appears to have been deposited some time between 5,500 years ago and the arrival of Europeans in Hawaiian waters in the late 18th century. The full length of the core was and is thought to represent a record spanning 7,000 years. Coconut pollen was not found in the deeper (older) part of the core. However, cores from
Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...
in the western
Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...
show the presence of coconut trees there as early as 9,000 years ago, well before human habitation. Hawaiian traditions suggest that the Hawaiians were aware that islands existed to the north-west, and the pollen evidence could be interpreted as proof of early Hawaiian visits to Laysan. More precise dating of the sediment layers will be needed to better interpret the find.


Distinctive species of Laysan

Laysan is generally regarded as the "gem" of the NWHI, with the most biodiversity. It is home to the
Laysan duck The Laysan duck (''Anas laysanensis''), also known as the Laysan teal, is a dabbling duck endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Fossil evidence reveals that Laysan ducks once lived across the entire archipelago, but today survive only on Laysan Isl ...
, the rarest duck in the world. The other native land bird of Laysan is the
Laysan finch The Laysan finch (''Telespiza cantans'') is a species of Hawaiian honeycreeper, that is endemic to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It is one of four remaining finch-billed Hawaiian honeycreepers and is closely related to the smaller Nihoa fin ...
, an opportunistic hunter. Eighteen other bird species nest there and use Lake Laysan, the only lake in the NWHI, as a rest stop or breeding ground. Laysan also has its share of native plants, many of which, such as '' Eragrostis variabilis'', were extirpated from Laysan during its "extinction period" and then reintroduced from other leeward islands by scientists.Liittschwager 2005, p.128. Like most other of the NWHI, Laysan is home to
Hawaiian monk seal The Hawaiian monk seal (''Neomonachus schauinslandi'') is an endangered species of earless seal in the family Phocidae that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. The Hawaiian monk seal is one of two extant monk seal species; the other is the ...
s and
green sea turtle The green sea turtle (''Chelonia mydas''), also known as the green turtle, black (sea) turtle or Pacific green turtle, is a species of large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Chelonia''. Its range exte ...
s.


Birds

*
Laysan finch The Laysan finch (''Telespiza cantans'') is a species of Hawaiian honeycreeper, that is endemic to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It is one of four remaining finch-billed Hawaiian honeycreepers and is closely related to the smaller Nihoa fin ...
, ''Telespiza cantans'' – endemic *
Laysan duck The Laysan duck (''Anas laysanensis''), also known as the Laysan teal, is a dabbling duck endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Fossil evidence reveals that Laysan ducks once lived across the entire archipelago, but today survive only on Laysan Isl ...
, ''Anas laysanensis'' – endemic *
Laysan albatross The Laysan albatross (''Phoebastria immutabilis'') is a large seabird that ranges across the North Pacific. The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are home to 99.7% of the population. This small (for its family (biology), family) gull-like albatross i ...
, ''Phoebastria immutabilis'' – nearly endemic *
Black-footed albatross The black-footed albatross (''Phoebastria nigripes'') is a large seabird of the albatross family Diomedeidae from the North Pacific. All but 2.5% of the population is found among the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It is one of three species of al ...
, '' Phoebastria nigripes'' *
Short-tailed albatross The short-tailed albatross or Steller's albatross (''Phoebastria albatrus'') is a large rare seabird from the North Pacific. Although related to the other North Pacific albatrosses, it also exhibits behavioural and morphological links to the alb ...
, ''Phoebastria albatrus'' *
Great frigatebird The great frigatebird (''Fregata minor'') is a large seabird in the frigatebird family (biology), family. There are major nesting populations in the tropical Pacific Ocean, such as Hawaii and the Galápagos Islands; in the Indian Ocean, colonies ...
, ''Fregata minor'' *
Lesser frigatebird The lesser frigatebird (''Fregata ariel'') is a seabird of the frigatebird family Fregatidae. At around 75 cm (30 in) in length, it is the smallest species of frigatebird. It occurs over tropical and subtropical waters across the Indian ...
, ''Fregata ariel'' *
White tern The white tern or common white tern (''Gygis alba'') is a small seabird found across the tropical oceans of the world. It is sometimes known as the fairy tern, although this name is potentially confusing as it is also the common name of ''Sternul ...
(or "fairy tern"), ''Gygis alba'' * Sooty tern, ''Onychoprion fuscatus'' *
Spectacled tern The spectacled tern (''Onychoprion lunatus''), also known as the grey-backed tern, is a seabird in the family Laridae. Description A close relative of the bridled and sooty terns (with which it is sometimes confused), the spectacled tern is l ...
, ''Onychoprion lunata'' *
Bristle-thighed curlew The bristle-thighed curlew (''Numenius tahitiensis'') is a medium-sized shorebird that breeds in Alaska and winters on tropical Pacific islands. It is known in Mangareva as ''kivi'' or ''kivikivi'' and in Rakahanga as ''kihi''; it is said to b ...
, ''Numenius tahitiensis'' * Pacific golden plover, ''Pluvialis fulva'' *
Christmas shearwater The Christmas shearwater or ''aoū'' (''Puffinus nativitatis'') is a medium-sized shearwater of the tropical Central Pacific. It is a poorly known species due to its remote nesting habits, and it has not been extensively studied at sea either. ...
, ''Puffinus nativitatis'' * Red-tailed tropicbird, ''Phaethon rubricauda rothschildi'' * Brown noddy, ''Anous stolidus'' * Black noddy, ''Anous minutus melangogenys'' *
Masked booby The masked booby (''Sula dactylatra''), also called the masked gannet or the blue-faced booby, is a large seabird of the booby and gannet family, Sulidae. First described by the French naturalist René-Primevère Lesson in 1831, the masked boob ...
, ''Sula dactylatra'' *
Brown booby The brown booby (''Sula leucogaster'') is a large seabird of the booby family Sulidae, of which it is perhaps the most common and widespread species. It has a pantropical range, which overlaps with that of other booby species. The gregarious bro ...
, ''Sula leucogaster'' * Red-footed booby, ''Sula sula rubripes'' * Bonin petrel, ''Pterodroma hypoleuca'' *
Laysan rail The Laysan rail or Laysan crake (''Zapornia palmeri'') was a flightless bird endemic to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Northwest Hawaiian Island of Laysan. This small island was and still is an important seabird colony, and sustained a num ...
, ''Porzana palmeri'' – extinct, endemic *
Laysan honeycreeper The Laysan honeycreeper (''Himatione fraithii''), also known as the Laysan apapane or Laysan honeyeater, is an extinct species of finch that was Endemism, endemic to the island of Laysan in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The bird was first ...
''Himatione fraithii'' – extinct, endemic * Laysan millerbird, ''Acrocephalus familiaris familiaris'' – extinct, endemic


Invertebrates

*
Laysan dropseed noctuid moth The Laysan dropseed noctuid moth (''Hypena laysanensis'') was a species of moth in the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Otto Herman Swezey in 1914. This species is now extinct. This moth was endemic to Laysan Island, one of t ...
, (''Hypena laysanensis'') – extinct * Laysan noctuid moth, (''Agrotis laysanensis'') – endemic * Procellaris grotis noctuid moth, (''Agrotis procellaris'') – endemic * Laysan weevil, ('' Oedemasylus laysanensis'') – extinct * Bryan’s Kauō weevil, ('' Rhyncogonus bryani'') – endemic and extinct * Bryan’s northwestern hawaiian snail, ('' Tornatellides bryani'') – also present on Lisianski and Midway, extant


See also

*
Desert island An uninhabited island, desert island, or deserted island, is an island, islet or atoll which lacks permanent human population. Uninhabited islands are often depicted in films or stories about shipwrecked people, and are also used as stereotypes ...
*
List of islands This is a list of the lists of islands in the world grouped by country, by continent, by body of water A body of water or waterbody is any significant accumulation of water on the surface of Earth or another planet. The term most often refer ...


Notes


References