Millennium Atoll
The Millennium AtollMilennium Iceland, Kiribati
The Millennium Islands - before 2000 known as Caroline Islands - is situated at the south end of the liner islands in the South Pacific. It is part of the Republic of Kiribati, an archipelago with 32 atols ('Millennium Island' included) and an elevated cayenne. The Millennium Islands are a series of smaller islands that have been constructed on the reef.
A volcano summit has now been sunken and the core of the corals has left a ring of corals around an inner lake. Millennium Island was classified by the United Nations as highly endangered at a max. altitude of about 6m. Millennium Island's little islands are clearly discernible on this photo as uneven vegetation areas around the inner bay.
Two of the biggest islands are Nake Islet and Southern Islet, which are situated at the northern and southern end of Millennium Islet. Millennium Island's ecosystems are relatively untouched, despite times of settlement, wildlife, guano mines and farming, and the islands have been declared a World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve.
Caroline/Millennium Atoll Lagoon, Republic of Kiribati: Natuurhistory of an almost untouched ecosystem
Caroline Bay, Republic of Kiribati: Abstract: During a research mission in April 2009, a number of studies were conducted to characterise the millenium axis lagoon's physics and biology features. Milennium is a secluded central Pacific island of the Republic of Kiribati and belongs to the Southern Line Islands.
It is one of the few relatively untouched marine eco-systems left on the sea canal. It is fenced in high and was characterised by net-shaped cliffs in the middle of the lake and surrounding cliffs at the edge of the Atolls. Depths of 33.3 metres in the centre of the lake were between 8.8 and 13.7 metres in most basins.
In the lowest areas large decks of Favia matthaaii were found, which probably formed a basis on which the dominating coral (Acropora spp.) developed into a net-like one. Benthian seaweed populations mainly comprised crustweed ( "CCA"), microfilamentary grassweed, and insulated spots of Halimeda and Caulerpa and half the abundance of lagoons as on the pro-ripen.
It is probably an important home for a number of important fishes, such as the black tip sharks and the Napoleon fish, which are widely used in other parts of the globe but were widespread in the Millennium Bay. It is also rich in Tridacna maxa (giant mussels).
This is an ideal place for a relatively unspoiled marinelife. Like the majority of marine life around the globe, the populations of the lagoons of Millennium can be endangered by climatic changes and the associated global warming, ocean degradation and rising as well as the occasional depletion of indigenous resources, which is hard to control and implement due to the secluded area.
The remoteness of Millennium has made it possible to stay one of the few almost untouched marine eco-systems in the worid, but it is essential that this eco-system is protected so that it can live for coming generation.