10 
i,ter enters the lagoon primarily through the opening on the 
Jr 
nortl-uestora side of the reef and the boat channel on the south side. 
IBSES1 VLJjEER AML CLIMATE SECTION H1IRE 
1'outo.cjist-Island : lying, as its name implies, in the eouth- 
eaetern corner of the reef. Southeast is the largest island in the 
J 
atolls It is approximately 2600 feet long in an east-west direction^ 
« 
whdek included a lagoon area about 400 feet wide which nearly 
separates the smaller western portion from the remainder of the 
island® Excluding a large ledge of reef rock along its southern 
side* the island is about 1100 feet wide at its maximum. It has a 
total area of 
acres. The western section has a kidney-shaped 
central area about 700 by 400 feet which supports a spars© vege- 
* • 
tat ion of Solanum nelsonl. Tribnlus cistol&es. Bo erhavla dif fusa . 
Spy*/* 
and Coro no pus didymus. with several clumps olV ^raCTostis variabilit y; 
j\j 
near the center. Extending southeastward from the western portion, 
and curving around in front of the western side of the larg© eastern 
portion* is a low flat shelf of reef rock. This ledge is broken on 
» 
its southern side by many cuts into which the ocean moves* so that 
at high tide the outer portions of the ledge are nearly submerged. 
The interior of this ledge* toward the north and west* supports a 
thick growth of Saswium portulacastrum . 
The large eastern portion is about 1800 feet long in a north¬ 
east-southwest direction. The ©aslgbentral area is dominated by 
three tidal pools, caused by sea water seepage up through the island* 
and their influence on local vegetation. The area directly SU2>- 
rounding these pools^ 4a-41nn>^and extending to the west^ is entirely 
a •ff'W Z- 
$JUJi 
CK*mL 
