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 left:ISS006-E-5846 Image courtesy of the Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center. http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov Funafuti Funafuti is a dying atoll, the western part of this atoll has allmost disappeared and also the rest of the atoll sinks more and more into the ocean. This naturally process is accelerated by the global climate change, so that the corals have no chance to follow with their growth. Therby the islands erode much faster than normally. Thereto also in Tuvalu 'natural disasters' like extreme storms have increased disproportional. Even tough Funafuti is Tuvalu's largest atoll, the land area comprises only 2,79 km sq. Fongafale far east (middle right) is the largest island of the atoll, here is als the seat of government of the state Tuvalu. |
| Flora of Funafuti (incomplete) (green = pictures) Achyranthes velutina, Asplenium nidus, Boerhavia tetrandra, Calophyllum inophyllum, Canavalia cathartica, Cassytha filiformis, Cocos nucifera, Cordia subcordata, Digitaria pacifica, Ficus prolixa, Ficus tintoria, Guettarda speciosa, Heliotropium foertherianum, Hernandia nymphaeifolia, Hibiscus tiliaceus, Laportea ruderalis, Lepturus repens, Lumnitzera littoralis, Microsorum grossum, Neisosperma oppositifolia, Nepholepis saligna, Pandanus tectorius, Pemphis acidula, Pipturus argenteus var. lanosus, Pisonia grandis, Psilotum nudum, Rhizophora stylosa, Rorippa sarmentosa, Scaevola taccada, Suriana maritima, Terminalia samoensis, Thespesia populnea, Triumfetta procumbens, Wollastonia biflora |
| References: - C. D. Woodroffe: 'Vegetation and Flora of Nui Atoll, Tuvalu' - Dieter Mueller-Dombois; Francis Raymond Fosberg: 'Vegetation of the Tropical Pacific Islands' |