Chapter I Intro & Objectives - SPREP

PHOENIX ISLANDS PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN
Chapter III. Background, 1. Physical Setting of the Islands
Draft 1 March 2007
gravity waves. Between September to late January, temporal structures with high energies
were confined to the central Pacific (including Abariringa).
Water Characteristics - Open ocean water was 20,300 mg chlorine per liter (Degener and
Gillaspy 1955).
Smith and Jokiel (1978) noted that Abariringa (Canton) was exposed to some of the highest
major inorganic nutrient levels to be found in open ocean surface waters. As such, neither
phosporus nor nitrogen would limit reef metabolism. Micronutrients, such as trace metals,
may also be important is the distribution of some reef algae.
In 2002, seawater temperature loggers were deployed at Abariringa (Kanton) (3 sites); Orona
(2 sites); Nikumaroro (2 sites); Manra (1 site); Enderbury (1 site); Rawaki (Phoenix) (1 site)
(Obura and Stone 2003).
BIRNIE
Current - Close to the western shore the current is northward (Hydrographic Office 1940).
Farther offshore, the current is 0.9 km per hour (0.5 knots) in a westerly direction (see also
Hydrographer of the Navy 1969).
ENDERBURY
Current - On the west side of the island, the current was about 1.9 km per hour (1 knot) in a
southward direction (Hydrographic Office 1940; see also Hydrographer of the Navy 1969).
Clear of the island, the current is about 1.5 km per hour (0.8 knots) in a 255 0 direction (1.6 to
3.2 km/hour) (1 to 2 miles per hour) westward according to Hydrographic Office 1916).
Tides - Spring tides were 1.8 m (6 ft) (Hydrographic Office 1916). Neap tides were 0.9 to 1.2
m (3 to 4 ft).
Water Characteristics - In 2002, seawater temperature loggers were deployed at Abariringa
(Kanton) (3 sites); Orona (2 sites); Nikumaroro (2 sites); Manra (1 site); Enderbury (1 site);
Rawaki (Phoenix) (1 site) (Obura and Stone 2003).
MANRA (SYDNEY)
Current - The current was about 0.9 km per hour (0.5 knots) in a westerly direction
(Hydrographic Office 1940; 1.9 to 2.8 km per hour (1 to 1.5 knots) in a westerly direction
according to Hydrographic Office 1916). Hydrographer of the Navy (1969) reported that the
current can vary between 0.9 to 2.8 km per hour (0.5 to 1.5 knots) and ran westward.
Tides - Spring tides were about 1.2 m (4 ft) (Hydrographic Office 1916).
Waves/Swell - In 1914, Manra (Sydney) was swept by a tidal wave (Hydrographic Office
1940).
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