French Frigate Shoals

thumb|French Frigate Shoals, 2003

thumb|The towering La Pérouse Pinnacle is made of hard volcanic rock and rises

thumb|Monk seal and noddy terns at Tern Island, French Frigate Shoals

thumb|[[Red-footed Booby on French Frigate Shoals]]

The French Frigate Shoals (Hawaiian: Kānemilohai) is the largest atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, located about northwest of Honolulu. Its name commemorates French explorer Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse, who nearly lost two frigates when attempting to navigate the shoals. It consists of a crescent-shaped reef, twelve sandbars, and the La Perouse Pinnacle, the only remnant of its volcanic origins. The total land area of the islets is , while the total coral reef area of the shoals is over . Tern Island, with an area of , has a landing strip and permanent habitations for a small number of people. It is maintained as a field station in the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. East and Trig, the two largest islands after Tern, have mostly washed away. The islands are surrounded by a coral reef, and the islands themselves are noted breeding ground for turtles, seals, and birds. Habitation is difficult with little vegetation and no fresh water. The French Frigate Shoals are also called Lalo as part of the marine nature reserve, and along with other islands are visited periodically for research. The highest point in the shoals is on La Perouse Pinnacle, which is a volcanic rock that rises above the surrounding lagoon.

In the 20th century, the shoals were used by the Imperial Japanese Navy as part of an operation to attack Hawaii. Afterwards, a small United States Navy base was established there to prevent it from being used again. After the war it was used by the United States Coast Guard for a LORAN radio navigation station. By the 21st century, it was primarily used for oceanographic and biological study as a nature reserve. Studies at the island helped establish the nature of plastic pollution, and in 2020 one island was designated as contaminated by plastic pollution from the ocean. The reefs are noted for having survived many Pacific storms, although these storms have damaged facilities, wildlife, and significantly reduced the area of some islands.

History

left|thumb|A sign noting Tern Island as part of a United States nature reserve in the French Frigate Shoals

The islands were discovered by the French in the late 18th century and were formally claimed by the United States in 1859 under the Guano Islands Act. The main focus of the USA was to administer the territory as a wildlife refuge, but it became involved in military events during WW2. The shoals were used by Japan as a staging point for their surprise attack on the Hawaiian Islands, but were then occupied by U.S. forces. A few months later, the shoals were again near the front lines in the battle of Midway. After that battle, one island, Tern, was made into an airstrip and base. East Island also had a base. After World War II, the shoals were turned over to Hawaii, and served several purposes. The shoals were used for a LORAN radio location base, and the airstrip was used for fishing. A coast guard base was on the islands until 1979, and then the Fish and Wildlife Service until 2012. One issue was the Pacific storms that affect the islands. In the 21st century, the decayed Tern Island seawall was partially repaired, and in 2018 East Island was nearly washed away. In the 2020s, the shoals are a noted nature reserve, regularly visited for research on marine life, including coral, sharks, fish, seals, sea turtles, and many types of birds. There is also marine archeology conducted on sea wrecks, including a rare whaling vessel wreck.

Overview and early history

thumb|Blue trevally swim in the French Frigate Shoals

thumb|Hawaiian monk seal takes a rest on East Island

Although there is no evidence of extensive human activity or presence in the area, the earliest human visitors to the French Frigate Shoals probably came from the main Hawaiian Islands, which were settled by Polynesians between 1100 and 1300 AD.

The Hawaiian island chain lay outside the routes followed by early European explorers, and it was not until Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse's near-disastrous discovery that the shoals were known to the outside world. La Pérouse, aboard the frigate Boussole, was sailing westward from Monterey en route to Macau. During the night of 6 November 1786, sailors sighted breakers directly in their path, about a thousand feet ahead. Both the Boussole and her companion vessel, the frigate Astrolabe, were immediately brought about, passing within a few hundred feet of the breakers. At daybreak, the ships returned and mapped the southeastern half of the atoll, as well as finding the rock that would later be named after La Pérouse. La Pérouse named the shoals Basse des Frégates Françaises, the "Shoal of the French Frigates". His ships were Astrolabe (under command of Fleuriot de Langle) and the Boussole. La Pérouse was on a mission of exploration from the French Academy of Sciences, and they made many discoveries in across the Pacific. The expedition was lost at sea in 1788 while still on the expedition, but was able to send its logs home. This wreck was discovered in the early 21st century.

In 1841 the French Frigate Shoals were visited by the United States Exploring Expedition authorized by President Andrew Jackson. That same year the whaler South Seaman wrecked on the shoals. The crew of 12 survived.

In 1937, a member of a USN seaplane crew died at the French Frigate Shoals while his PK-1 seaplane was moored there.

World War II

thumb|left|Tern Island was made into an airstrip base, the famous "coral carrier", after the Battle of Midway in World War II

In March 1942, Imperial Japanese Navy planners took advantage of the shoal's isolation to use its protected waters as an anchorage and refueling point for the long-range flying boats employed in Operation K, a reconnaissance operation that aimed to disrupt salvage and repair operations following the attack on Pearl Harbor. The operation involved three IJN submarines and two Kawanishi H8K flying boats. It was the combat debut of the H8K. The H8K flying boats stopped to refuel in the shoals from two of the submarines, and . After the operation, United States Pacific Fleet Commander Chester W. Nimitz ordered a permanent United States Navy presence at the shoals.

Some U.S. Navy ships that were stationed at the Shoals in 1942 were the seaplane tender and the mine warfare ship . Over twenty flying boats were operated from the French Frigate Shoals during World War II, typically flying reconnaissance missions.

After the Battle of Midway, the United States Navy built a naval air station on Tern Island, enlarging the island sufficiently to support a landing strip, increasing its land area to . The station's main function was as an emergency landing site for planes flying between Hawaii and Midway Atoll. French Frigate Shoals Airport comprises what remains of the original naval air station.

The ship YHB-10 arrived at French Frigate Shoals in August 1942, carrying staff to help establish the naval base there. It was moored on the north side of Tern Island and used as a floating barracks.

United States Coast Guard station

thumb|The Coast Guard [[LORAN base on East Island, 1945]]

The United States Coast Guard operated a LORAN navigation station on East Island until 1952, and Tern Island until 1979. At any one time, 15 to 20 military personnel were billeted to French Frigate Shoals. As with all Coast Guard isolated duty stations, the Service attempted to fill open billets with volunteers. If there were no volunteers for essential billets, the Coast Guard would at times fill open slots as a disciplinary measure.

thumb|left|Birds and damaged buildings at East Island in June 1966

The LORAN station commanding officer was typically a lieutenant junior grade officer, the executive officer a chief petty officer enlisted rank. The station was staffed with USCG enlisted specialists such as Radioman, Electronic Technician, Fireman, Boatswain's Mates, plus seaman or seaman apprentice nonrated service members (assigned to perform maintenance and other generalized duties).

The Coast Guard designated the French Frigate Shoals billet as "isolated duty", thereby entitling Coast Guard members serving at the station to additional monthly "isolated duty pay". Because of the billet's remoteness, a duty term was limited to one year.

thumb|Tern Island airstrip in 1966

In December 1969, a tsunami devastated the islands, forcing the crew on Tern Island to evacuate the station, which was destroyed. The station was off the air from 1 to 6 December. The USCGC Kukui (WAK-186) was sent to help support repairs.

Whale-Skate Island washed away in the 1990s.

21st century

A United States Fish and Wildlife Service field station was active at the island from 1979 to 2012. In 2000, the atoll became part of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve, which was incorporated into the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Monument in 2006. In 2009 the islands were evacuated during the approach of Hurricane Neki by landing a USCG C-130 on Tern's coral airstrip.

In 2000/1 the United States Congress approved US$10 million to repair the islands, one of the major issues being that the double-wall steel sea wall around Tern Island had deteriorated and was trapping sea life such as seals. By 2004, the Army Corps of Engineers, with additional funding from the Fish & Wildlife Service, conducted a US$12 million project to repair the seawall and conduct other maintenance.

thumb|left|A pot from the shipwreck of Two Brothers

In 2008 a shipwreck of a 19th-century whaling ship was found near Shark island. Captain Pollard is noted for inspiring the novel Moby Dick when his sailing ship the Essex was rammed by a whale. The discovery was important in the field of maritime archeology for various reasons; there is only one surviving whaling ship from this period, and the wreck of the Two Brothers had been lost for nearly two centuries. They departed by boat from Tern Island and travelled back to Honolulu. Since then, the island has only been visited periodically.

In 2016, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ship conducted a 33-day survey expedition of the French Frigate Shoals, including reporting on the condition of the reefs.

thumb|Infographic illustrating the damage to the shoal's East Island

In October 2018, Hurricane Walaka eroded away most of East Island, the second largest island of the French Frigate Shoals. About 11 acres of East Island were eliminated, which was thought to be caused by the large storm surge that Walaka caused in the area. The hurricane damaged many of the shoal's islands, and underwater many coral reefs were stripped of sea life. Following the destruction of East Island, researchers have been forced to make camp at the smaller Tern Island when conducting field work in the French Frigate Shoals.

In 2020, the Papahanaumokuakea Marine Debris Project, working in conjunction with government agencies, removed tens of thousands of pounds of debris from the region.

In the 2020s, concerns about the decaying seawall on Tern Island trapping turtles and seals were brought to light. The double steel wall on the island has not been maintained; as a result, holes have rusted out.

In 2023 the NOAA visited the island for a research expedition along with other islands of the chain. The researchers camped on Tern Island and took trips to East Island where many turtle breeding grounds were located.

Whale-Skate Island is a submerged island in the French Frigate Shoals. These islands suffered considerably from erosion starting in the 1960s, and by the late 1990s, Whale-Skate Island was completely washed over.

The reef system at French Frigate Shoals supports 41 species of stony corals, including several species that are not found in the main Hawaiian Island chain. More than 600 species of marine invertebrates, many of which are endemic, are found there as well.

thumb|[[Great frigatebirds and red-footed boobies at Tern Island]]

More than 150 species of algae live among the reefs. Especially diverse algal communities are found immediately adjacent to La Pèrouse Pinnacle. This has led to speculation that an influx of additional nutrients – in the form of guano – is responsible for the diversity and productivity of algae in this environment. In addition to scientific analysis, a National Geographic photographer was also on board.

The activity of Tiger and Galapagos sharks at the shoals was studied, in particular their interaction with monk seal pups, though the study was hampered by a shark cull intended to protect seal pups leading to an inconclusive result. Due to a miscommunication, the study was undertaken in part to study if a shark cull would be worthwhile to protect endangered monk seals, but in fact a cull took place at the same time a study was being conducted, leading to various difficulties including that sharks that had been tracked with a transmitter could be killed.

Coral

thumb|401x401px|Coral of genus [[Acropora (Acroporidae) in the waters of the French Frigate Shoals, 2006]]

thumb|402x402px|Coral near Shark Island, 2011. From left to right: cauliflower coral (Pocillopora meandrina), lobe coral (Porites lobata), and finger coral (Porites compressa).

Coral species found in the French Frigate Shoals between 1907 and 2006, as reported in a 2011 paper by Brainard et al.: is not listed in the Census Tract. A 1971 publication says Bare Island has an area of .<br />

<sup> 4) </sup> As of October 2018, East Island has mostly submerged.

La Perouse Pinnacle

thumb|La Perouse Pinnacle, 1966

La Perouse Pinnacle is a volcanic pinnacle approximately west southwest of East Island (Hawaii). It is the oldest and most remote volcanic rock in the Hawaiian Islands. La Pèrouse Pinnacle stands tall. It is surrounded by coral reefs and a shorter, rocky islet about tall. Because of its distinct shape, the pinnacle can be mistaken for a ship from a distance.

It has been called a "volcanic rock islet" and is known for its central position in the French Frigate Shoals between north and south sides of the atoll. The pinnacle is visible from a distance of about 8 miles (12.8 km) away at sea.

The pinnacle is composed mainly of very hard basalt rock, and the island is thought to be the remains of a volcano from millions of years ago.

The pinnacle's resemblance to a sailing ship at distance nearly caused the wrecking of the sailing ship Rebecca in the 19th century. The whaling ship Rebecca sighted the pinnacle at nightfall, but mistook it for a sailing ship and tried to signal with it.

Locations

thumb|center|upright=1.4|450px|Location of the French Frigate Shoals in the chain of islands

References

Bibliography

External links

The Smithsonian Magazine July 10, 2023 The Lonely Battle to Save Species on a Tiny Speck in the Pacific

The French Frigate Shoals Web Page
Quick Facts on French Frigate Shoals from the PBS Ocean Adventures site