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Two masked boobies look at each other while standing between green bushes on Howland.

About Us

Updated November 6, 2026

A hermit crab emerges from its shell at Howland Island National Wildlife Refuge, in the Pacific Ocean 1,600 miles southwest of Honolulu. Image taken from USFWS Headquarters Flickr page

Howland Island National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1974. A shallow fringing coral reef surrounds the island, but most of the submerged area is deep coral and other unexplored habitats.

On January 6, 2009, the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument was established to include Howland Island National Wildlife Refuge within its boundaries.

Howland Island National Wildlife Refuge includes the emergent and submerged lands and waters out to 12 nautical miles, for a total of 422,361 acres (450 terrestrial acres). The Howland and Baker Islands National Wildlife Refuge Unit of the Monument includes the emergent and submerged lands and waters out to 50 nautical miles, for a total of 12,764,916 acres.

First written records of visitation at Howland Island occurred in the 1800s during the whaling era, however artifacts found on the island suggest that voyaging Polynesians visited before then. The island was claimed for the United States under the Guano Act of 1856 by Alfred G. Benson and Charles H. Judd in 1857, after which a total of 85,000 to 100,000 tons of guano was removed from Howland. Visitation was minimal after guano mining ended until 1935 when the government sent individuals from the military and young Native Hawaiian men to colonize Howland as well as Baker, and Jarvis Islands.

The colonization project continued until January 1942 after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and several American territories, including Howland, Baker, and Jarvis. On December 8, 1941, Howland was bombed and two colonists, Joseph Keliʻihananni and Richard “Dickey” Whaley, were killed. Attacks also took place on December 10 and then on January 5 and 24. Colonists on Howland and Baker Islands were not rescued until January 31, 1942 and the last colonists were not evacuated from Jarvis until February 9, 1942. The project and the group of young men that were assigned to these expeditions became known as the Hui Panalāʻau.

In 1937, a runway and refueling station were built and prepped on Howland Island for Amelia Earhart who was attempting to become the first pilot to circumnavigate the globe. Earhart and navigator Fred J. Noonan were last seen on July 1, 1937, when they departed New Guinea for Howland Island.

Our Mission

The mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System is to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management and, where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.

Our History

1800 – First recorded visitation to Howland Island during the whaling era.
1857 – Howland Island is claimed for the United States under the Guano Act of 1856 by Alfred G. Benson and Charles H. Judd.
July 2, 1937 – Amelia Earhart and Fred J. Noonan disappear enroute to Howland Island from New Guinea in attempt for her to become the first pilot to circumnavigate the globe.
1974 – Howland Island National Wildlife Refuge is established.
January 6, 2009 - the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument is established, which includes Howland Island National Wildlife Refuge within its boundaries. This expanded protection to include submerged lands out to 50 nautical miles from the island.

Other Facilities in this Monument

While Howland Island National Wildlife Refuge is not a complex, it does fall within the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument. The monument incorporates 313,941,852 acres (approximately 490,000 square miles) within its boundaries, which extend 50 nautical miles from Howland and Baker Islands, Kingman Reef, and Palmyra Atoll, and 200 miles around Jarvis Island, and Johnston and Wake Atolls.

Seasons of Wildlife

Due to the Central Pacific location of Howland Island National Wildlife Refuge, shore and seabirds can be found nesting year round. Green sea turtle and hawksbill turtles can be seeing foraging for food near Howland.

Seabirds at Howland stand on some rocks looking out towards the ocean. — At Howland Island National Wildlife Refuge, nesting and foraging seabirds dominate the landscape while sheer isolation and solitude help us see our place in the natural world.

Featured Species

Howland Island National Wildlife Refuge is home to numerous species of unique wildlife. The low coral island is vegetated by herbs and grasses tolerant of the arid climate. It is surrounded by beaches on all sides composed of sand or coral shingle. The wildlife found in and around the island is rich with diversity ranging from a variety of birds, marine mammals, various species of reptiles, invertebrates, marine life, and flora.

Marine Life

Green sea turtles and hawksbill turtles have also been observed foraging offshore. A total of 324 species of fish have been recorded in the surrounding reef that teams with 109 species of stony coral .

Birds

Thirteen species of seabirds nest on the island including boobies, frigatebirds, terns, noddies, and red-tailed tropicbirds. Nine shorebirds also reside on the island including bristle-thighed curlews, Pacific golden plovers, wandering tattlers, and ruddy turnstones.

Our Work

The National Wildlife Refuge System is a series of lands and waters owned and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Wildlife conservation is at the heart of the refuge system. It drives everything we do from the purpose a refuge is established, to the recreational activities offered there, to the resource management tools we use. Selecting the right tools helps us ensure the survival of local plants and animals and helps fulfill the purpose of the refuge.

Due to its remote nature, Howland Island does not receive active management. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with our partners at NOAA monitor the island for seabird activity and nesting, invasive species, and the overall health of the surrounding reef.

Refuges use a wide range of land management tools based on the best science available. Some refuges use prescribed fires to mimic natural fires that would have cleared old vegetation from the land helping native plants regenerate and local wildlife to thrive. Other refuges contain Wilderness areas where land is largely managed passively. The management tools used are aimed at ensuring a balanced conservation approach where both wildlife and people will benefit. At this field station our conservation toolbox includes a Comprehensive Conservation Plan and the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service law enforcement officers have a wide variety of duties and responsibilities. Officers help visitors understand and obey wildlife protection laws. They work closely with state and local government offices to enforce federal, state and refuge regulations that protect migratory birds and other species from illegal take. Some other duties include patrolling closed areas or wilderness areas, maintaining relationships with neighboring landowners, maintaining refuge boundaries and participating in public events related to refuge issues. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works closely with the U.S. Coast Guard and NOAA in regards to illegal trespassing or fishing violations within the monument.

Law enforcement issues should be referred to the deputy refuge manager or refuge manager.

You may also report violations to our "TIPS" line 1-844-FWS-TIPS (379-8477).

Howland Island is uninhabited. Due to its remote location in the Central Pacific and to give adequate protection to its native habitat and wildlife, Howland Island National Wildlife Refuge is not accessible to the general public. Refuge access is solely managed through the issuance of a Special Use Permit when the activity is deemed compatible and appropriate with the purposes of refuge establishment.

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