241:, Orona is covered with coconut palms (mostly on the western side), towering 12–18 metres (39–59 ft) above the surface. The remainder of the atoll is covered with scrub forest, herbs, and grasses, with a maximum height of 6–12 metres (20–39 ft). Feral cats exist on the island, together with rats, pigs, and dogs. Ducks and chickens were raised by the former inhabitants, but it is unknown whether any remain. Orona also boasts three species of lizards, land and hermit crabs, together with approximately fifty species of insects. Turtles are also known to use the island as a nesting area.
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295:). Towards the center and windward side of the lagoon the sandy bottom became coarser with coral growth developing around dead bommies and small patch reefs. Coral diversity increased progressively towards the lagoon channel, with increasing presence of outer-reef species. The most abundant coral species at Orona were:
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and other algae. Live Coral Cover was extremely low at less than 5%, though coral heads typical of a healthy reef were abundant though dead, which suggested there was chronic mortality over an extended period of time. At inner leeward lagoon sites, coral species were identified typical of high-silt
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with depths of 15–20 metres (49–66 ft). Numerous passages connect the lagoon to the surrounding ocean, only a couple of which will admit even a small boat. Total land area is 3.9 km (2 sq mi), and the maximum elevation is nine metres.
430:, circa 1967, may be seen here. Hull Island Post Office opened on 1 January 1939 and closed around January 1964. After being abandoned, the island was reoccupied by American authorities in 1970 and administered from the
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The 2000 surveys (Obura, et al.) found that the extent of algae cover showed evidence of high nutrient levels by a high cover of filamentous wispy brown algae on all surfaces including rock, coral rubble,
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there catching turtles. It continued to be generally known by this name until the
Republic of Kiribati was granted independence in 1979, when its name was changed to the I-Kiribati
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in 2006, with the park being expanded in 2008. The 164,200-square-mile (425,300-square-kilometer) marine reserve contains eight coral atolls including Orano.
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in which the US retains the right to re-establish a military base. Administration was transferred to
Kiribati authority in 1981.
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No one is certain who discovered Orona or when, but history shows that it was named "Hull Island" in honor of
Commodore
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colony. Orona was leased in 1916 to a
Captain Allen of the "Samoan Shipping and Trading Company", and became a
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Although occupied at various times during the past, including as late as 2004, Orona is uninhabited today.
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Unlike Manra, whose lagoon is too salty for marine life, Orona's lagoon teems with fish and giant clams.
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stands on the eastern tip of the island, together with ruins of shelters, graves and other platforms.
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A Directory for the
Navigation of the Pacific Ocean: The islands, etc., of the Pacific Ocean
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Obura, D. O., Stone, G., Mangubhai, S., Bailey, S., Yoshinaga, A., and Barrel, R. (2011).
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Orona, together with the other
Phoenix Islands, was proclaimed in 2008 to be part of the
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plantation. Allen's lease was bought out by the
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Digest of United States
Practice in International Law, Vol. 1979, pp. 783
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624:. Government of Kiribati. Archived from the original on 3 December 2019
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were located on the island in 2009, as well as more than 20 cats.
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592:"Pacific Nation Bans Fishing in One of World's Largest Marine Parks"
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A survey of Orona carried out in 2006 did not detect rats. However,
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Lush Orona Island, part of the remote
Phoenix Islands Protected Area
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The island was briefly reoccupied between 2001 and 2004 by
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when he visited the island on 26 August 1840 in the
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Pacific islands claimed under the Guano
Islands Act
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Location of Orona in Kiribati and the Pacific Ocean
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836:. Archived from the original on December 23, 2010
449:supported by a patrol boat of the Kiribati Navy.
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691:. New England Aquarium - Phoenix Islands Blog
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263:giant clams in the lagoon of Orona
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420:Phoenix Islands Settlement Scheme
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863:US-Kiribati Treaty of Friendship
812:News from the LinNix in Kiribati
622:"Phoenix Islands Protected Area"
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666:"Hull Island - Phoenix Group"
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553:List of Guano Island claims
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1206:Phoenix Islands (Kiribati)
409:Gilbert and Ellice Islands
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16:Pacific island of Kiribati
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834:"Rawaki Islands - Orona"
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233:Orona's flora and fauna
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63:NASA Satellite Imagery
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458:marine protected area
298:Goniastrea stelligera
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1153:Outline of Kiribati
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201:in the Republic of
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769:. R.H. Laurie.
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146:Archipelago
38:Hull Island
1200:Categories
1073:Kiritimati
1035:Nikumaroro
940:Butaritari
695:25 January
672:25 January
628:25 January
569:References
443:trepangers
368:Isaac Hull
325:Cyphastrea
318:Leptastrea
311:Echinopora
304:Goniastrea
181:Population
1088:Tabuaeran
980:Tabiteuea
840:March 14,
445:from the
391:Frenchman
387:Tahitians
378:Vincennes
332:Montipora
313:lamellosa
279:Montipora
141:Geography
1173:172°10′W
850:cite web
815:Archived
730:: 1–61.
638:cite web
531:See also
320:purpurea
306:edwardsi
292:Tridacna
273:Halimeda
261:Tridacna
203:Kiribati
169:Kiribati
21:Kiribati
1093:Teraina
970:Nonouti
965:Nikunau
960:Marakei
925:Aranuka
920:Abemama
915:Abaiang
428:Arariki
399:Unlike
374:of the
351:History
341:varians
1170:4°30′S
1114:Banaba
1045:Rawaki
1015:Canton
991:Tarawa
985:Tamana
975:Onotoa
950:Maiana
930:Arorae
788:5 July
606:15 May
395:Orona.
389:and a
339:Pavona
211:lagoon
207:Kanton
1123:Reefs
1040:Orona
1025:Manra
955:Makin
945:Kuria
720:(PDF)
413:copra
405:guano
401:Manra
361:marae
357:Manra
355:Like
239:Manra
237:Like
191:Orona
122:Orona
89:Orona
30:Orona
935:Beru
856:link
842:2009
790:2013
750:link
697:2015
674:2015
644:link
630:2015
608:2015
376:USS
343:and
154:Area
23:and
732:doi
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