Pacific/Remote Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex Only three feet in elevation, Kingman Reef lies 932 miles southwest of Hawaii. Kingman Reef is one of the most pristine coral reef atoll ecosystems in the Pacific. Crystal clear oceanic waters and vibrant coral reefs support a spectacular diversity of corals and other marine invertebrates, algae, fishes, marine mammals, sea turtles and migratory seabirds. Submerged and partially exposed coral reefs form the shape of a triangle and surround a central lagoon. The outer reef is approximately 12.4 miles long on the south face, 7.5 miles long on the northeastern face, and 8.7 miles long on the northeastern face. Lagoon depths range from approximately 50 to 250 feet. Three coral rubble land spits are found atop the estern reefs providing resting sites for migratory shorebirds and seabirds. The first recorded western contact at Kingman Reef was by an American seaman, Captain Fanning, in 1798. The reef was named after Captain Kingman, who visited in 1853. The United States annexed the reef in 1922 and in 1934 delegated jurisdiction to the Navy. Its sheltered lagoon served as a way station for flying boats on Hawaii to American Samoa flights during the 1930s. The reefs and waters of Kingman Reef support a spectacularly diverse and healthy marine community. Coral reef ecologists reported 168 species of fishes including sharks, rays, eels, groupers, jacks, goatfishes, butterflyfishes, parrotfishes, and tuna. Also recorded were 102 species of corals, including an undescribed species of fingercoral and spectacular assemblages of mushroom coral, fire coral, table coral, and plate coral. Several species of giant clams can be found in relatively large numbers in waters of Kingman Reef. Kingman Reef - An Uneasy Eden - A rare, pristine reef turns out to be a landscape of fear, where predatory fishes reign and their prey is in hiding. Article featured in National Geographic, July 2008. Entry to the refuge is by Special Use Permit only. For more information:  U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 300 Ala Moana Boulevard Room 5-231, Box 50167 Honolulu, Hawai`i 96850 (808) 792-9550 (808) 792-9586 fax Baker, Howland & Jarvis Islands Johnston Atoll Palmyra Atoll Rose Atoll Hawaiian Islands NWR Main Hawaiian Islands NWRs Top of Page