Pearl and Hermes Atoll
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Pearl and Hermes Atoll (Hawaiian: Holoikauaua), is part of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Discovered in 1857, a few, small, sandy islands exist, contained within a lagoon, surrounded by a coral reef. They are devoid of vegetation, except for several species of grasses. The atoll was most noted within the pearl trade. In 1927, Captain William Greig Anderson was fishing for tuna and in the process, discovered pearl beds within the lagoon. This opened up the first commercial activity the atoll had ever seen, but the pearl trade lasted for only a few years. The Hawaiian government elected to suspend activity and render the area as a bird sanctuary. In June of 2006, George W. Bush declared the atoll and all other parts of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Monument.
