Kure Atoll

Kure Atoll
Kure Island (1924-1988)
Ocean Island (pre-1924)

Native name: Hōlanikū (Hawaiian) or Mokupāpapa (Hawaiian)
Satellite image of Kure Atoll (north is towards the upper-left corner)
Kure Atoll Kure Island (1924-1988) Ocean Island (pre-1924) Show map of North Pacific Kure Atoll Kure Island (1924-1988) Ocean Island (pre-1924) Show map of Hawaiian Islands
Geography
Location	Pacific Ocean
Coordinates	28°25′N 178°20′W / 28.417°N 178.333°W / 28.417; -178.333
Archipelago	Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
Total islands	2
Major islands	Green Island
Area	0.884 km2 (0.341 sq mi)
Length	5.8 mi (9.3 km)
Width	4.8 mi (7.7 km)
Administration
United States
State	Hawaii
County	Honolulu County
Demographics
Population	0 (2012)
Additional information
Time zone	UTC−10

Kure Atoll (/ˈkʊəriː/; Hawaiian: Hōlanikū, lit. 'bringing forth heaven'; Mokupāpapa, 'flat island')^[1] or Ocean Island is an atoll in the Pacific Ocean 48 nautical miles (89 km; 55 mi) west-northwest of Midway Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands at 28°25′N 178°20′W / 28.417°N 178.333°W / 28.417; -178.333. A coral ring 6 miles (9.7 km) across encloses a lagoon several meters deep. The atoll's largest island is called Green Island, and is a habitat for hundreds of thousands of seabirds in the present day and wildlife staff. A short, unused, and unmaintained runway and a portion of one building, both from a former United States Coast Guard LORAN station, are located on the island. Politically, it is part of Hawaii, though the nearest island is Midway, which is a separate unorganized territory. Kure Atoll, in addition to being the nesting grounds for tens of thousands of seabirds, has recorded several vagrant terrestrial birds, including snow bunting, eyebrowed thrush, brambling, olive-backed pipit, black kite, Steller's sea eagle and Chinese sparrowhawk. It is currently managed as a Wildlife Bird Sanctuary by the State of Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resource–Division of Forestry and Wildlife as one of the co-trustees of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument with support from the Kure Atoll Conservancy. Kure is one of the most westernmost islands of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

Kure is seasonally inhabited by small crews of two to eight volunteers and biologists who work to restore and manage the native ecosystem.

Kure was discovered in the early 19th century and was the site of several shipwrecks. In the early 20th century it became a bird nature reserve of the United States. In the late 20th century, it was home to a radio base that supported location finding (LORAN system before GPS), and in the 21st century it is mostly a nature reserve and for scientific research. Kure, or sometimes written Cure, used to be called Ocean Island up until 1924 when it was renamed; in 1987 this changed to Kure Atoll ( atoll rather than island). There are also several native Hawaiian names; some depend on context. Moku Papapa is the generic name for a flat island like this atoll but became more associated with it, and another one is Hōlanikū.

There are no more islands going west until reaching Japan, though historically it was thought there might be, none were confirmed (see phantom islands such as the Byer's/Morrell's islands and the Anson Archipelago). To the west and south, across a great amount of ocean, are the Bonin and Volcano Islands (such as Iwo Jima);to the southwest are Marcus (Minamitorishim (Southern Bird Island)) and Wake Island. The Aleutian island chain that extends out from Alaska lies far to the north. The nearest feature to the west, but below sea level is the Hancock bank, and many seamounts that are continuation of the Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain continye as it turns to the northwest: these are all submerged, and Kure is the farthest west and north islands of the Hawaiian chain above sea level in the present day. Other underwater features in the region include the Mid-Pacific Mountains, to the south, and to the north, the Hess rise (underwater features).