vegetated. Its herb mats are composed of Heliotropium on the 

 south side and Portulaca (plus Suriana) on the north. The 

 interior Tournefortia-Pisonia-Cordia forests (to 1 1 m) cover 

 nearly one-half of the islet's area. 



Birds : Four species of seabirds bred in 1988: red-footed 

 booby (21 pairs), great frigatebird (3 pairs), black noddy 

 (2 pairs), and white tern (7 pairs). Red-footed booby nests were 

 located along the perimeter. 



39. MOTU ANA- ANA "Anne 's Islet" ( 2. 1 6 ha) (Figs. 29,57; 

 Pis. 5a. 14,54,78,81) 



This motu includes a small settlement with three thatched 

 huts (cooking, eating, sleeping), a water tank, chicken coop, 

 and garden. It was occupied from 1 989- 1 99 1 by Anne and Ron 

 Falconer, 2 small children, chickens, Muscovy ducks, and a 

 dog. When we discovered a wooden sign marked "Ana-Ana" 

 and adorned with a shell lei, we knew the islet had been named. 



It is interesting to compare Pis. 5a and 8 1 , identical views 

 of Ana-Ana 105 years apart. The profiles are indistinguishable, 

 showing how little this motu has changed over the years. 



Physiography : Ana-Ana is the southernmost motu in the 

 Southern Leeward Islets, 120 m long by 222 m wide at its 

 widest point. Approximately 3 m high, it is roughly oval, with 

 a hooked point and curved bay facing the lagoon. This point is 

 actively growing as more and more rubble is deposited by the 

 large flow of water passing through the channel (430 m wide) 

 that separates Ana- Ana and South Island. This channel contains 

 abundant giant clams that amass into an extensive Acropora- 

 Tridacna reef stretching approximately 900 m across the 

 lagoon to Tridacna Islet. The outer reef flats measured 

 281 m. 



Vegetation : Ana- Ana has 15 species of plants (5 trees, 

 2 shrubs, 8 herbs), 56% of Caroline's flora. Introductions 

 include Cocos, vegetables, a few ornamentals and, as yet. no 

 weeds. Ana-Ana's vegetation is typical of the other Southern 

 Leeward Islets, except for the settlement. Narrow trails from 

 the southern channel lead to a neat clearing, approximately 

 40 m x 70 m, the only inhabited portion of the atoll. We have 

 advised the Falconers against introducing exotic plants with 

 spreading seeds and have requested them to destroy all 

 introductions when vacating the island permanently. 



Ana-Ana has sparse strand vegetation: Suriana, 

 Heliotropium, Portulaca, Laportea, and Lepturus. The 

 Toumefortia scrub includes Cocos, Cordia, and Pandanus. A 

 quality Pisonia forest, 1 5 m high, covers 43% of the islet's area. 



Birds : No breeding seabirds were found on any of the three 

 visits to Caroline. However, the Falconers have found a few 

 white terns and one great frigatebird nesting in the perimeter 

 scrub, as well as groups of brown noddies sitting on the beach. 

 Long-tailed cuckoos were seen around the huts in March, 

 April, and May 1990. 



Comments : Rats are abundant. Although the house site 

 was clean and tidy, 1 2 rats were seen in a pile of coconut debris, 

 and others scurried amongst the forest litter. The Falconers 



have trapped over 1 ,300 rats in less than 2 years. Several pale 

 geckos with a few spots and largish heads were seen in and 

 around the thatched huts (probably mourning geckos). 



Conclusion 



Lushly wooded Caroline Atoll, with the majority of its 

 39 islets (399 ha of land) either in near-pristine condition or 

 having recovered remarkably from past disturbance, is one of 

 the least spoiled atolls in the Pacific. Uninhabited except for 

 one family, it harbors plant ecosystems and breeding seabirds 

 (Subchapter 1.2, this volume) of national and international 

 importance. Its marine and terrestrial ecosystems are prime 

 outdoor ecological laboratories for research on geological 

 processes including groundwater, fish poisoning, and numerous 

 facets of ecology (especially plant succession). Caroline 

 boasts outstanding coral reefs thickly studded with giant clams, 

 substantial numbers of coconut crabs, breeding sites for green 

 turtles, wintering grounds for shorebirds including the rare 

 bristle-thighed curlew, ancient Tuamotuan marae, and a 

 crystalline lagoon. The variety, abundance, and quality of its 

 flora and fauna qualify it for status as an officially recognized 

 international preserve (Subchapter 1 .2. Conservation section). 



An expedition of this magnitude entailed the help of many 

 people, and it gives us great pleasure to thank them. We are indebted 

 to Hal O'Connor and Randy Perry. Patuxent Wildlife Research 

 Center, for making possible our participation. Steve Kohl, FWS 

 Office of Internationa] Affairs, and Terry Whitledge aided immensely 

 by handling innumerable details with their Soviet colleagues. Members 

 of the Fish & Wildlife Service Mauna Loa Field Station, especially 

 Jim Jacobi. Julia Williams. Jack Jeffrey, and Martha Moore, provided 

 welcome logistical support in Hilo. and Paul Sykes willingly shouldered 

 additional responsibility that freed CBK to join the expedition. 



On the Soviet side, we thank Professor Alia V. Tsyban, chief 

 scientist of the expedition, for extensive help and friendship during the 

 voyage. Captain Oleg A. Rostovtsev. Yevgeniy N. Nelepov. Yuri L. 

 Volodkovich, and the ship's crew for handling many ship-board 

 details and transporting us to and from Christmas Island and Caroline. 

 Contacts with our Soviet colleagues would have been far less 

 memorable without the translation skills of Svetlana V. Petrovskaya 

 and. especially, Valeriya M. Vronskaya. 



We thank Greg Smith and Chuck Stafford for transporting us 

 within Caroline's lagoon in the inflatable Zodiac "Tigris." Katino 

 Teeb'aki shared in the hard work on transects, and his skills at 

 climbing palms and opening coconuts often energized us during the 

 wilting midday heat. Abureti Takaio. former Minister for the Line and 

 Phoenix Groups, permitted us to work on Caroline and. with the 

 residents of Christmas Island, arranged a memorable evening of 

 dancing and food, despite the fact that their last supply ship was 

 10 months previous: for this and their many kindnesses we are most 

 grateful. 



Financial assistance for the 1988 expedition and for writing the 

 manuscript was provided by the US Fish & Wildlife Service. Patuxent 

 Wildlife Research Center, and the Natural Environment & Climate 

 Monitoring Laboratory. Goskomgidromet USSR. 



Grateful thanks are extended to Derral Herbst for identifying and 

 preparing plant specimens (deposited in the B. P. Bishop Museum. 

 Honolulu. Hawaii ) and George Zug for identifying lizards (deposited 



49 



