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The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI)

 

The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are the last dry remnants of once-large high islands drifting slowly towards Asia on the Pacific Plate.  The region comprises the world's last pristine coral reef ecosystem uninhabited by man and is now designated as the Papahanaumoku'akea Marine National Monument.
Each of these ten localities are unique in every way, just like the much younger Main Hawaiian Islands.  The first rapid assessment and monitoring survey (NOW-RAMP) of the entire group took place in the year 2000 and again in 2002 aboard the research vessel Rapture.