Jarvis Island

Jarvis Island is an uninhabited coral island located in the South Pacific Ocean.

It sits roughly halfway between Hawaii and the Cook Islands. The island is part of the Line Islands. It is also classified as one of the United States Minor Outlying Islands. The United States administers the territory through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It is managed as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system.

Jarvis is the largest of three U.S. equatorial possessions, which also include Baker and Howland Islands.

The island's physical structure is shaped by ancient geological processes. Roughly 125,000 years ago, during the latest interglacial period, the island was submerged. This happened because sea levels were higher than they are today. As sea levels eventually declined, a horseshoe-shaped lagoon formed in the center. Unlike most coral atolls, the lagoon on Jarvis is completely dry. The island is low-lying and surrounded by a narrow fringing reef. It is often difficult for small ships to sight the island from the sea.

The environment on Jarvis Island is a tropical desert. This means the climate is characterized by high daytime temperatures and intense sun. There is also constant wind, though nights can become quite cool. Rainfall is very scarce on the island. Because of this lack of rain, there is no known natural freshwater lens. A freshwater lens is a layer of drinkable groundwater that sits under an island. Because the island is small and arid, visitors must carry potable water in containers. This harsh climate creates a flat landscape with very little vegetation. Only low-growing shrubs, prostrate vines, and sparse bunch grass can survive here.

Human history on the island began with the extraction of guano. Guano is a material made of accumulated bird droppings. In the 19th century, it was highly valued as a fertilizer. The United States claimed the island in the 1850s under the Guano Islands Act. For about 20 years, companies mined the deep guano deposits in the central lagoon. They built a two-story superintendent's house and laid down tram tracks to move the material.

Laborers traveled from across the Pacific to work these difficult mines. The island was eventually abandoned in 1879, leaving behind many old buildings.

In the 20th century, the island saw a brief period of settlement. Under the American Equatorial Islands Colonization Project, a settlement called Millersville was established in 1935.

Residents built shacks, some using lumber from the wrecked barquentine Amaranth.

This settlement included a weather station and radio equipment. However, the colony faced danger during World War II. An Imperial Japanese Navy submarine surfaced near the island and fired its deck gun at the colonists. The residents were evacuated in February 1942, and the dwellings were later burned.

Modern Jarvis Island is primarily a site for scientific study and nature conservation. During the International Geophysical Year from 1957 to 1958, scientists visited the island. A severe storm in January 1958 swept away many of the remaining nineteenth-century ruins. In 1974, the government created the Jarvis Island National Wildlife Refuge. This refuge was expanded in 2009 to include submerged lands. The refuge now covers a vast area of both land and water.

The area is managed to protect the unique marine and terrestrial life.

The island is an Important Bird Area (IBA) recognized by BirdLife International. It serves as a vital nesting and foraging habitat for many species. These include lesser frigatebirds, masked boobies, and sooty terns. While guano mining and introduced rodents once harmed the wildlife, some species are recovering. For example, the population of brown noddies grew to nearly 10,000 by 2004. The Polynesian storm petrel also returned to the island after a 40-year absence. The surrounding waters are also rich with life, such as the grey reef shark.