INTRODUCTION
Hundreds of g r e a t Coconut Crabs were seen: 40 l a r g e were caught by the crew of the schooner within an hour. Their survey and specimens contributed greatly to the previous botanical and ornithological knowledge of the i s l a n d . Cooke, a graduate student in corals from the University of Hawaii, consisting of the Line Islands Expedition on September 9-10, 1974, and by Roger Perry, then Wildlife Warden of the Line and Phoenix Islands, on November 12-13, 1977, from which no reports can be found other than a brief popular account of the Southern Line Islands (Perry 1978).
In 1990, AKK also visited Ca.roline twice with the I C B P 1990 Line and Phoenix Islands Expedition (A. Kepler 1990d), These v i s i t s were primarily to discuss conservation issues with the Falconers; introduces Caroline to Dr.
The South Nake and Central Leeward channels were p a r t i c u l a r l y dangerous, r e f l e c t e d in motu names such as Blackfin, Shark and Danger. Within these reefs, however, areas of high water transport have carved overburden channels and erosion channels, and t i d a l fans extend into the lagoon, especially at the northern end where sedimentation is most active. Caroline has no deep passage or navigable channels in the lagoon, nor a ship anchorage beyond the r e e f , t h o u g h small boats can anchor within the narrow limit of S o u t h Is1 and during normal trade winds and 1 out seas.
When De Quiros visited Caroline in 1606, the northwestern Cocos plantation on South Is1 was healthy. However, it struck Flint Island (Campbell 1908, p., 2): it must therefore have passed Caroline as it moved west from the Tuamotus. Our only observations are that seabird population figures were equal to or greater than those in 1965 (Pt. 11) and that the only dead birds we saw were in March 1990, victims of the cyclonic weather described above.
Because the most extensive deposits of coral rubble occur around northern Nakea and southern South Island and because the Cocos Islands. 2 ) Southern Ocean waves generated in the subantarctic break strongly on the south or seaward side; and.
FLORA: VASCULAR PLANTS AND FLORISTICS
Long records Pandanus on the "second i s l e t south of Nake Island," which Pandanus was missing when we surveyed the island. Moreover, the f i r s t i s l e t south of Nake supports an extensive grove of large Pandanus t r e e s on i t s eastern (lagoon) shore, and we feel confident in attributing Long's specimen to his island, which we named "Panda hnu". Recent introduction--plants of accidental or deliberate introduction after Western discovery of the atoll (RI) Abundant--the most important or dominant species in a given area Ref common--often seen but not quite as abundant as above Common--common spread in large numbers.
Uncommon--observed uncommonly but >10 times in a given area Occasional--here and there, often widely distributed but not a major component of the vegetation. It dies annually in the dry season and reappears with the winter rains (Anne Falconer, pers. comm.). Best sites (>SO% . cover) in Nake, Long, Windward, Pig, Brothers, Arundel, Tridacna, South, Ana-Ana, Pisonia and Pandanus I s l e t s .
Complete distribution map of Towlnefortia argentea. This shrub dominates the woodlands of Caroline, there are no individual arrows to indicate. Evidence for the native stalus of Morinda cirri/olio on Caroline Atoll: percentage cover transects within natural and anthropogenic forests.
ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION
This stage covers many small motus (Noddy Rock, Fishball) and former i n t e r i s l e t channels. Long Island) or occurs peripherally on l a r g e r motus. Very common around the periphery of most motus just inland from the natural grass mats or flanking sheltered shores adjacent to the lagoon (South, Kota). Tournefortia-lorinda, and Pisonia-Tournefortia f o r e s t s , Occur in the next innermost concentric zone of vegetation after Stage 11 on larger motus (Naak, Long) or, more generally, the e n t i r e i small n t e s .
Figures 27-30 summarize the amounts of each covered by each major community and provide the numbers and percentages of native species for each. Plant cmmunrltes and amount ofmd:gcms wzgcratlon on nunus 0 8 to 25 0 ha, Caml~nc Atoll Scc Kg 27 lor explanation of the figure.
PLANT COMMUNITIES General Account
Ti Boerhavia repens, Portulaca lutea, Laportea ruderalis, Achyranthes canescens, Phymatosorus scolopendria, Ipomoea macrantha, Lepturus repens, Tacca 7eontopeta7oides, Psilotum nudum, Phyllanthus amarus, Sida fallax. Nupay adda ti Lepturus kadagiti banio ti mula iti aplaya, ken sagpaminsan kadagiti patpat iti uneg ti kabakiran nga understory, saan a mangbukel daytoy iti naisangsangayan a komunidad ti mula. Ti Abagatan nga Isla, ti kakaisuna a nailaksid, ket naikeddeng a mabirukan a kaabay ti akin-abagatan nga igid ti taaw, isu a ti "kaatiddog" daytoy ket narukod iti daya-laud.
Instead of a smooth surface, the Polynesians would have to be satisfied with flat coral rubble and the distance from the lagoon. Noddy Rock, an eroded limestone plateau of unknown age, is 26 mm wide, 9 mm long and 0. Data includes floral composition, relative abundance of plant species, degree of species overlap and canopy height.
Although we have not yet been able to obtain any records from Caroline, it is possible that shiploads of Cordia logs were exported to San Francisco on guano ships, as was the case on F l i n t, which was simultaneously worked by Arundel's company (Young ca. ). A final notable aspect of South Island is, despite its history of sporadic occupation and extensive preference for coconut plantations, it has only one exotic (a t i y patch of Phyllanthus amarus) and no surviving vegetable or vegetable plants. They also search the open Ipomoea-Gocos for e s t, sit on dead coconut stumps 6-10 m high, and then fly down to eat in the thick herb mats.
T e r r e s t r i a l crabs: Caroline's highest population of coconut crabs, with many large individuals decades old, occupies the open Cocos. Although native to the area, a recent analysis of the vegetation of F l i n t Island (Kepler, in prep.) suggests that these species were introduced to the islands mostly in the 19th century. Continuing south, the overall plant cover is somewhat but not against the dryness and openness of the Central Leeward I s l e t s .
Although we have no actual records of sooty tern colonies on this chain of islands, in May 1990 AKK observed pre-nesting burrows over Lone Palm, Kota and Mouakena (P t.
TOURNEFORTII~
I cocos
Voyage Report, Soviet-American Oceanographic Expedition to the Central Pacific: Hilo, Hawaii to Singapore, 9 Sept.
Rainfall, 1989-1990