McKean

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left: McKean This uninhabitet island has an area of only 0,6 km². In the island's centre lies a hypersaline lagoon, which has no visible connection to the ocean. Nonetheless the depth of the water in it still varies depending on the ocean tides. From 1859 to the year 1870 the island was intensively mined for guano. Since that time the island's profile is similar to a flat plate. Today McKean is a bird santuary, it is for example home for a very large breeding colonie of Lesser Frigatebirds (Fregata ariel). Photo: Angela K. Keppler; by courtesy of Angela K. Keppler http://www.pbif.org

Flora of McKean (almost complete) (green = pictures) Boerhavia albiflora, Cordia subcordata, Digitaria pacifica, Lepturus pilgerianus, Lepturus repens, Pisonia grandis, Portulaca lutea, Sesuvium portulacastrum, Sida fallax, Tribulus cistoides

References: - David R. Stoddart; F. Raymond Fosberg: Flora of the Phoenix Islands, Central Pacific. Smithsonian Institution, Washington. Atoll Res. Bull. 393: 1-60. 1994 - R. J. Pierce; T. Etei; V. Kerr; E. Saul; A. Teatata; M. Thorsen; G. Wragg: Phoenix Islands Conservation Survey and Assessment of restoration feasibility: Kiribati. Pacific Invasives Initiative, CEPF and Conservation International, Samoa. 2006