The Real Bounty: Marine Biodiversity in the Pitcairn Islands

A groundbreaking survey of the Pitcairn Islands, one of the most remote and least impacted marine regions in the Pacific, revealed extraordinary biodiversity with 51 new algal records, 23 coral species, and 15 fish species. The study, conducted in 2012, found significant variations in ecological communities across four islands (Ducie, Henderson, Oeno, and Pitcairn) based on age, isolation, and geomorphology. Ducie exhibited the highest coral cover (56%) and top predator dominance (62% of fish biomass), while Pitcairn was dominated by erect macroalgae (42%) and herbivorous fishes. The research also uncovered high regional endemism in fish assemblages (45%), peaking at 56% on Ducie. Additionally, deep-sea surveys using drop-cameras identified 57 fish species, including rare and undescribed ones, extending the known depth range for shallow reef sharks and other reef fishes down to 300 meters. These findings underscore the Pitcairn Islands' unique biodiversity value and emphasize the urgent need for protection.

Friedlander, A. M., Caselle, J. E., Ballesteros, E., Brown, E. K., Turchik, A., & Sala, E. (2014). The Real Bounty: Marine Biodiversity in the Pitcairn Islands. PLoS ONE, 9(6), e100142. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0100142