Incredible Snorkeling at Papahanaumokuakea - Midway Atoll

We have had some great days in the water here at Midway Atoll. Snorkeling under the cargo pier off the shore, and venturing out to the emergent reef have provided many opportunities to view some magnificent marine animals. These images are of a Frogfish sighted in about 2-ft. of water along one of the concrete supports of the large Cargo Pier. The next photos show a few of the many sea slugs that we also observed at the same location. Two snorkels have resulted in 5 varieties of sea slugs, or nudibranchs sighted. Thanks to the website of Keoki and Yuko Stender, former dive master's at Midway Atoll and avid underwater photographers I was able to ID some of the more unusual marinelife that we have been encountering on our snorkels. Many of these nudibranchs are easily seen since they are most commonly found on the support posts under the pier. No matter what month we arrive at Midway there always seems to be some species of slug busy navigating the substrate. Nudibranchs generally are brightly colored and feed on sponges, hydriods, or sometimes even each other. Their bright color serves to warn other marine organisms that they are not very tasty and would be a bad meal choice. In fact many nudibranchs can incorporate the stinging cells or chemicals from the animals they eat into their own bodies, using them for their own defense. Although brightly colored, most slugs are less than a few inches long. Under the pier larger animals are also encountered. We came face to face with many green sea turtles. They seem to enjoy the pier as a resting area and can be seen sleeping underneath the many beams and concrete pieces that are scattered underneath the pier. Once they are done resting they rise to the surface and head off to other areas of the island. It is always a great treat to have these marine reptiles swim right by you. Thanks to the great conservation efforts in Hawaiian waters over the last 30 + years the Hawaiian green sea turtle population is one of the true success stories in the conservation world. There are also many different fish species here as well. Sometimes small groups of large Ulua, with individuals weighting 70-lbs or more will swim right underneath you. Large schools of goatfish and Thicklipped jacks are also abundant. Eels are often found poking out of small holes in the pilings.













Each time we can get in the water, we are full of expectations about what we might be lucky enough to encounter. Rarely does time in the ocean at Papahanaumokuakea disappoint. Check back soon for more pictures from the lagoon snorkels.

First Day on Midway Atoll - Oceanic Society Ecotourist Visitors

Well all 15 of us arrived on Midway Atoll at about 8:45 PM on the 13th of April. After a 4.5 hour charter flight from Honolulu we arrive at night. During the "albatross nesting season" planes are only allowed to land at night, when albatross are less likely to be flying and bird strikes are less probable. On arrival we are met by two Refuge "limo" golf carts and are whisked away to what will be our home for the next 8 days amid the whines of dancing albatross and the erratic flight paths of the thousands of swooping Bonin Petrels. Once settled in the lobby of Charlie Barracks we are given a brief orientation and allowed to head off to our rooms. Many people quickly return to the lobby eager to get outside and listen to the birds and take a long look at the amazing display of starts that being so far away from any light source allows.

In the morning we head off to breakfast at the "Clipper House" Midway's central hub and mess hall, named to honor the history of the Pam Am Clippers that used to stop here in the 1930's on their way to Asia. It was a wonderful morning and for many their first true glimpse (in the daylight) of what Midway has to offer.

New arrivals to Midway must take part in a FWS orientation as their first activity on Midway. Since we are all sharing the island with many critically endangered and threatened species this orientation is vital to the visitors ability to understand the responsibilities, and role they play while on Midway in the safe stewardship of these islands. Additionally the orientation serves to make everyone aware of the significance these atolls have played in Hawaiian cultural history as well as more recent US history. During the orientation, which is presented by FWS visitor coordinator, Tracy Ammerman, all are given a map of Sand Island. This map helps everyone to navigate on their own around the island, understanding which areas are open and have maintained trails, and what areas are closed due to conservation or safety concerns. The orientation and the lectures that will be given throughout the week help everyone to understand and appreciate why certain places on the island are left as wildlife only areas, and where viewing and access points for visitors have been established. After orientation the next order of business is for everyone to choose their own traditional Midway "horse" that will be used to get around the island over the next week. These "horses" or bikes that we have to choose from were all supplied through donations made to the Friends of Midway Atoll an organization formed to specifically support Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge.

Now that all the visitors have the needed knowledge to explore the island on their own and have a "horse" to navigate the paths full of albatross and chicks they are ready to enjoy the next 7 days on Midway. We are lucky to start off this week with amazing weather. One of the first places everyone wanted to go was the beach. We headed off to the cargo pier to see what we would find. On arrival we saw a Hawaiian monk seal on a nearby beach, about 16 green sea turtles sunning on an adjacent beach known oddly enough as "Turtle Beach" and then heard 7 Bristle-thighed Curlews as they flew overhead. As we looked down one side of the beach we noticed some washed up nets and marine debris that could pose a hazard to the wildlife we were seeing. The group decided to collect the various pieces of netting and line that were there. In about 10 minutes we had cleaned the beach of about 50-lbs of marine debris and taken our first action to participate in one of the missions of the Refuge, to provide a safe habitat for the wildlife that live there.














all images are © Wayne Sentman 2009

Plastic Debris and Albatross on Midway Atoll

Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge (MANWR) is encompassed in the newly designated, and second largest marine protected area in the world, The Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument (PMNM) (Figure 1). Midway Atoll lies 1200 miles northwest of Honolulu, Hawaii and is home to the worlds largest breeding colonies of two of the 3 North Pacific albatross species, the Laysan Albatross (LAAL), listed globally as vulnerable (IUCN 2008), and the Black-footed Albatross (BFAL), listed globally as endangered (IUCN 2008). The 2009 annual nest counts (every albatross nest on Midway’s 3 islands are counted) were just completed (2 January) and the preliminary data show 398,182 nesting pairs of LAAL and 23,955 nesting pairs of BFAL (USFWS, unpubl. data).

Figure 1 – Map Showing the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument

Map reproduced with permission of NOAA monument office

Disturbingly these breeding grounds and the PMNM also are adjacent to two of the largest concentrations of floating marine debris in the world’s oceans. Plastic debris makes up the 90% of the floating marine debris found in the ocean (Weiss, 2006). One of those concentrations, the "Eastern Garbage Patch” is approximately twice the size of Texas (Silverman, 2007). Both Albatross species nesting on MANWR and throughout the rest of the atolls in the PMNM spend much of their time feeding in areas adjacent to or directly in this “Garbage Patch” (Fernandez et al. 2001 and Auman et al. 1997). It is primarily while feeding that albatross ingest a variety of plastic items (Figure 2).

Figure 2 - Diversity of Swallowed Plastic Items Recovered From Albatross Chicks

© 2009 Heidi Auman reproduced with permission

In doing so, they risk repeated exposure to an array of potentially toxic compounds (Jones et al. 1996, Ludwig et al. 1997, Mato et al. 2001, and Finkelstein et al. 2006). Further by regurgitating meals to their young, frequently loaded with this plastic, the true risks of this exposure may happen miles away from the point of contact, and some of these potential toxins may end up effecting the land-based albatross chicks more severely than the adults directly feeding in these areas.

Albatross chick carcass from Midway showing plastic present in gut at death.

© 2009 Wayne Sentman

Plastic debris has been identified as a growing problem in the Pacific Ocean (A.M.R.F., 2007). The currents or gyres that cause the pacific garbage patches to accumulate also are responsible for focusing some of that impact directly on LAAL and BFAL. This as a result of overlap between where these gyres concentrate marine debris and the areas of the north pacific in which the albatross are spending their time feeding (Naughton et al, 2007). Additionally while many species of seabirds are known to ingest plastic (Laist, 1997), both the LAAL and BFAL albatross chicks have been shown to regularly have relatively high, and increasing total amounts of plastic in their guts (Kenyon and Kridler, 1969, Auman et al. 1997, Naughton et al. 2007). This is also compounded (for chicks) by not being able to expel, through regurgitation, any items in their gut until about 3 to 4 months of age. Therefore plastic brought to the chicks through the parents many feedings tends to sit and accumulate in the chicks’ digestive tract for long periods of time.

© 2009 Wayne Sentman

This accumulated plastic has been shown to have detrimental effects to the success and survival of the albatross chicks (Sileo et al. 1990 and Fry et al. 1987). Additionally past research has shown high levels of organochlorine contaminants in albatross adults and chicks (Auman et al. 1997 and Finkelstein et al. 2007) and this likely has a relationship to ingested plastics.

November and December on Midway Atoll

Hello there,

I just spent two wonderful weeks on Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge leading two Oceanic Society ecotourist groups. We were able to see some amazing wildlife and participate in valuable projects while there. The weather at this time of year was a little blustery but overall we managed pretty well.

In 2008 Midway has again reopened to visitors after a 6-year hiatus. Oceanic Society is a marine conservation non-profit based in San Francisco that I work for. Oceanic Society organized all ecotour and volunteer research programs for visitors to the US Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) in the past (1997 - 2002). Currently we are working with the Midway Atoll refuge staff and the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument to continue in organizing naturalist led ecotours and groups interested in historic restoration now that the refuge has restarted its visitor services.

Since the formal designation of the Marine Monument in 2007 encompassing Midway and the other Northwestern Hawaiian Islands there has been renewed interest in traveling to Midway Atoll, really the only visitor accessible site for the entire monument. To learn how to pronounce the Hawaiian name of the monument click on this link, Papahanaumokuakea. The monument is the second largest fully marine protected area in the world (the largest is the Phoenix Islands Protected Area in Kiribati). It is home to the largest nesting colonies of the Laysan and Black-footed Albatross. The last refuge of the critically endangered Hawaiian Monk seal, the most endangered marine mammal found wholly within US waters. Other critters that call Midway Atoll home are the Green sea turtle and the Spinner Dolphin. 3 other species of sea turtle and 9 additional whale species that can be sighted in the protected waters surrounding the atoll.

There are 17 other seabirds that are known to nest on Midway, The "Golden Gooney" or Short-tailed Albatross can also been seen on the islands of Midway. Thanks to the establishment of a decoy plot about 8-years ago on Eastern Island (one of the 3 islands found at Midway) there is hope that the Short-tailed Albatross will again start breeding on these islands. In addition to the seabirds a duck, the critically endangered Laysan Teal was also recently reintroduced to Midway Atoll and has quite successfully re-established itself on Eastern and Sand Islands.

This year (2008) Oceanic has been able to bring out 7 different tourist groups to Midway Atoll, a little over 100 visitors in all have participated in our programs. In 2009 Oceanic Society anticipates offering 13 different program dates, I have been fortunate to lead all of our 2008 programs. Over the next few entries I will post information about what we were able to see and participate in while visiting the refuge this year. Here is a video that was taken just last week of a Laysan Albatross laying an egg to get you interested in exploring more!