A visit to the remote Pacific island ecosystem losing protections

August 23, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Deep in the Pacific Ocean, a thousand miles south of Hawaii, lies Palmyra Atoll—a ring of tiny, low-lying islands that few people have ever seen. To get there, NPR reporter Lauren Sommer had to freeze all her clothes for 48 hours in her home freezer, digging past pizza bites and old ice cream to make room. The reason? To kill any bugs or seeds that might hitchhike along and disrupt one of the most pristine ecosystems on Earth. Palmyra is part of a vast network of U.S. Marine National Monuments that together cover more than a million square miles of ocean—the country's largest fully protected conservation areas. Now, the Trump administration is moving to open some of these waters to commercial fishing, reigniting a battle between the fishing industry, conservationists, and Native Hawaiians.

An atoll built on coral skeletons and solitude

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What you'll learn

1 (00:06) **Introduction: A Remote World** - Aisha Roscoe introduces the story of Pacific atolls, US territories with pristine ecosystems and no permanent human population.
2 (02:50) **Journey to Palmyra Atoll** - Reporter Lauren Sommer describes her trip to Palmyra Atoll, a thousand miles south of Hawaii, and the extreme measures required to visit.
3 (05:59) **Life on the Atoll: Solitude and Science** - Staff at Palmyra experience intense isolation, which provides a unique window into a natural world without human interference.
4 (07:23) **A History of Ownership and Preservation** - Palmyra Atoll's history includes being part of the Kingdom of Hawaii, a WWII military outpost, and private ownership before becoming a refuge.
5 (08:35) **A "Snowstorm of Birds"** - The atoll is home to an overwhelming number of seabirds, which are a critical link in the ecosystem.
6 (09:28) **Underwater Paradise: The Coral Reef** - Sommer snorkels in the surrounding waters, witnessing a vibrant, healthy coral reef that redefines what a pristine reef should look like.
7 (11:40) **Sharks and the "Cafeteria of the Pacific"** - Palmyra has one of the highest densities of sharks in the world, and the atolls act as oases in the vast ocean.

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Guests on this episode

Chris Ryan

Show Notes

A thousand miles south of Hawaii, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a series of tiny islands form an atoll, called Palmyra. Palmyra Atoll is part of four protected U.S. marine monuments, forming the country’s largest environmental conservation area. It is also home to a thriving ecosystem of birds, marine life, and one of the most pristine coral reefs in the world.

No people live on Palmyra full time, and it is rare for journalists to be granted access. But the Trump administration is now trying to roll back longstanding protections by opening nearby waters to commercial fishing. NPR’s Lauren Sommer was given access to visit Palmyra Atoll. Newly back from her trip, she tells host Ayesha Rascoe about everything she saw. They talk about the wildlife, the ocean, the reefs, and what the islands and offshore waters mean to native Hawaiians, conservationists, and commercial fishers.

If you are interested in seeing photos from Lauren’s trip to Palmyra Atoll, you can find them here.

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