Terrestrial Biodiversity of Manuae Atoll, Cook Islands
The most common and numerous island type across the Pacific basin are atolls. Even though these island systems harbor only a few endemic species, atolls are globally important nesting sites for seabirds and sea turtles, roosting sites for migratory shorebirds, and refugia for Oceania's unique lowland flora and fauna. While atolls were extensively surveyed for their island biodiversity in the second half of the twentieth century, many remain unmapped, leaving important knowledge gaps for Pacific biodiversity, biogeography, and conservation.