The approximately 39 small islets of Caroline Island, a crescent-shaped atoll located some south of the Hawaiian Islands in the central Pacific, surround a shallow central lagoon. Caroline Island's islets, which only rise a few meters above sea level, share a common geologic origin and consist of sand deposits and limestone rock set atop a coral reef.
Three large islets — Nake, Long, and South Islets — make up 68 percent of the land area. The remaining assembly of small islets, divided into four groupings, was surveyed during a 1988 ecological survey, conducted by Angela and Cameron Kepler; at that time, many of the thus-far-unnamed islets were given names of Polynesian derivation. Several of the smallest islets have been observed to appear or disappear entirely following major storms, and the shapes of some larger islets have changed significantly over the past century.
Flora, the most distinguishing feature of each islet, varies as a function of both islet size and prior human habitation. Larger islets support inward zones of shrub, primarily Tournefortia argentea, and the largest possess a central forested region usually dominated by groves of Pisonia grandis trees. Artifacts, including wells, homesites, and marae, on several islets, speak to prior human habitation, as do stands of non-indigenous Cocos palms; however, many islets have little or no evidence of human influence, despite past disturbance.
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List of islet groups and single islets
Islet or group Land area(m2) Coordinates Location Number ofisletsNake Islet917,000north1Long Islet (Millennium Island)760,000...northeast1 1)Southern Nake Islets162,000...northwest7Central Leeward Islets479,000...west11Southern Leeward Islets112,000...southwest5Windward Islets513,600...east13South Islet (Rimapoto)1,044,000...south1Caroline Atoll3,987,600 2) 391) originally a chain of 5 islets that have grown together2) area in 1988, current area only 3,760,000
List of islets
Islet Land Area(m2) Coordinates SubgroupNake Islet917,000-Long Islet (Millennium Island)760,000...-Pandanus Islet74,000...South Nake IsletsDanger Islet27,000...South Nake IsletsBooby Islet8,000...South Nake IsletsCoral Islet17,000...South Nake IsletsLone Palm Islet20,000...South Nake IsletsMotu Kota ("Red-footed Booby Islet")6,000...South Nake IsletsMotu Mouakena ("Masked Booby Islet")10,000...South Nake IsletsMotu Mannikiba ("Seabird Islet")215,000...Central Leeward IsletsBlackfin Islet26,000...Central Leeward IsletsMotu Matawa ("White Tern Islet")17,000...Central Leeward IsletsEmerald Islet83,000...Central Leeward IsletsShark Islet80,000...Central Leeward IsletsScarlet Crab Islet5,000...Central Leeward IsletsMotu Nautonga ("Sea Cucumber Islet")3,000...Central Leeward IsletsAzure Islet2,000...Central Leeward IsletsReef Flat Islet1,000...Central Leeward IsletsBird Islet41,000...Central Leeward IsletsFishball Islet6,000...Central Leeward IsletsMotu Raurau ("Blue-Gray Noddy Islet")35,000...Southern Leeward IsletsMotu Eitei ("Frigatebird Islet")14,000...Southern Leeward IsletsPisonia Islet24,000...Southern Leeward IsletsMotu Kimoa ("Rat Islet")18,000...Southern Leeward IsletsMotu Ana-Ana ("Anne's Islet")21,000...Southern Leeward IsletsBosun Bird Islet9,000...Windward IsletsWindward Islet114,000...Windward IsletsCrescent Islet31,000...Windward IsletsMotu Atibu ("Coral Rubble Islet") 1)200...Windward IsletsNorth Pig Islet54,000...Windward IsletsPig Islet72,000...Windward IsletsSkull Islet200...Windward IsletsNorth Brothers Islet17,000...Windward IsletsBrothers Islet43,000...Windward IsletsNoddy Rock200...Windward IsletsNorth Arundel Islet9,000...Windward IsletsArundel Islet73,000...Windward IsletsTridacna Islet91,000...Windward IsletsSouth Islet (Rimapoto)1,044,000...-Caroline Atoll3,987,600 2)Caroline Atoll1) reportedly disappeared in a February 1990 storm2) area in 1988, current area only 3,760,000
Details of islets