For those who have been actively following the three Niu ocean drifter devices since they were deployed offshore of Honolulu, Hawaii on January 30, 2009, this is an exciting moment. After over 54 days at sea and more than 1000 miles traveled, Niu `Alani is now only 50 miles from land! For the past several days, Niu `Alani has hovered offshore of Johnston Atoll, a small island that is part of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument (designated by President George W. Bush in January 2009).

So, what's so important about a Niu reaching Johnston Atoll? Well, for one thing, since the Niu simulates marine debris, it means that in just about a month and a half, pollutants such as plastic and derelict fishing gear that enter the watershed in Honolulu can travel over 800 miles to land on the shores of Johnston Atoll. This also means that efforts to curtail polluting the ocean near Honolulu could possibly go a long way in preventing damage to Johnston's fragile ecosystem. Wildlife at Johnston includes coral reefs, numerous species of sea birds and fish, green sea turtles (Honu), the Hawaiian monk seal, and more. So, even though the island is now uninhabited, all these animals could be threatened if Johnston does in fact receive a significant amount of floating marine pollution from Honolulu.

What activities can YOU do to help protect Johnston Atoll and other remote islands in the Pacific Ocean?

Learn more about Johnston Atoll.