About Us

Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge was first established as an "overlay" refuge in 1988 to protect the area’s significant natural, cultural, and historic resources, while still under the primary jurisdiction of the Navy. With the closure of Naval Air Facility Midway Island in 1993, there began a transition in mission from national defense to wildlife conservation.  In 1996 full jurisdiction was given to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  

In 2000 Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge was designated the Battle of Midway National Memorial, so that the heroic courage and sacrifice of those who fought against overwhelming odds to win an incredible victory will never be forgotten. 

Nearly three million birds nest on Midway Atoll throughout the year, including the world's largest population of albatrosses, nunulu (Bonin Petrels) and endangered koloa pōhaka (Laysan Ducks). `Ilio holo I ka uaua (Hawaiian monk seals), Honu (green sea turtles) and nai'a (spinner dolphins) frequent Midway's crystal blue lagoon encircled by coral. 

Midway Atoll (Kuaihelani) comprises an elliptical outer reef nearly 5 miles in diameter, and 580,392 acres of submerged reef and ocean and three flat coral islands totaling approximately 1,549 acres. Sand Island (1,117 acres) and Eastern Island (366 acres) are the two most prominent coral islands of the Atoll, while Spit Island is only about 15 acres in size. The atoll, which is 28.7 million years old, is surrounded by more than 88,500 acres (356 square kilometers) of coral reefs. Numerous patch reefs dot the sandy-bottomed lagoon supporting 163 species of reef fishes and 16 species of corals. 

Many chants and moʻolelo (traditional stories) describe famous mythical floating islands in the sky, including Midway Atoll or Kuaihelani.  These islands are referenced as a homeland for the gods, and revered as a place where ancestors reside. Kuaihelani specifically is said to have been located in the northwest direction of the main islands, and to appear as part of a cloud bank adjoining earth. Kuaihelani means “the backbone of the sky”. Looking at what we know about the northwest Hawaiian islands, large lagoons such as the one found at Midway Atoll are known to sometimes reflect the color of the lagoon in the clouds above, giving the appearance of an island floating in the sky. 

Another name that was given specifically to Midway Atoll is Pihemanu, meaning “the loud din of birds”. Pihe meaning “loud din of voices” and manu meaning “bird” references the comfort one finds in the “din of birds” when traveling alone or in isolated places. It also describes the sites and sounds of Midway in its current state. This name also helps to reference and describe the work that the Fish and Wildlife staff and our partners do to manage the biological resources of the atoll and to see those resources thrive.  

Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff, volunteer and contractors live on Midway to support the recovery and integrity of wildlife habitat and species while balancing their own human impact on the land and seascape and protecting historical resources. 

Our Mission

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. 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 purpose is to protect the natural world so current and future generations can live with, live from, and find awe in lands, waters, and wildlife

The mission of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (of which Midway Atoll is a part) is to carry out seamless, integrated management to ensure ecological integrity and achieve strong, long-term protection and perpetuation of Northwestern Hawaiian Island ecosystems, Native Hawaiian culture, and heritage resources for current and future generations.

The mission of Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge is five-fold: 

  1. Maintain and restore its natural biological diversity 
  2. Provide for the conservation and management of fish and wildlife and their habitats within Refuge boundaries 
  3. Fulfill international fish and wildlife treaty obligations 
  4. Provide opportunities for scientific research, environmental education and compatible wildlife-dependent recreational activities 

  5. Recognize and maintain the historic significance of Midway 

The Refuge serves as a breeding ground for migratory birds, monk seals, sea turtles and other wildlife, while also protecting cultural resources from the Commercial Pacific Cable Company to the historic Battle of Midway. The principal refuge management objective on land is to enhance the quality of habitat for the full diversity of nesting seabird species. This is being accomplished by preventing the reintroduction of rats, by controlling noxious plants and by replanting specific areas with native vegetation.  

Our History

Midway Atoll (Kuaihelani) was the site of several key turning points in World War II.  This remote set of islands in the Pacific was first attacked on December 7th,1941 following the assault on Pearl Harbor. Under cover of darkness, the Japanese destroyer vessels, Sazanami and Ushio, circled around Midway and bombarded the southwest point of Sand Island. The fringing reef is close to Sand Island on this side, allowing the vessel to be within close firing range, and bright moonlight made the power plant and the seaplane hangar easy targets. The thick concrete walls of the power plant provided protection to the second floor radio control room. Here First Lieutenant George Cannon and his team surveyed the Japanese destroyers and radioed tactical information to the batteries on the beach. From their position, the batteries could not see the destroyers, thus, this critical information helped them to fire accurately on the destroyers to defend the island. Despite being seriously wounded from a Japanese shell, Lieut. Cannon continued to command his post as the batteries worked to defend the island. Eventually the Japanese destroyers were forced to retreat. Lieut. George Cannon ultimately succumbed to his wounds, becoming the first U.S. Marine to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in WWII. With Pearl Harbor in tatters and Midway shelled, the U.S. entered World War II.  

By late April of 1942, Navy intelligence was certain that the Japanese were planning a major offensive that summer. Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Chester Nimitz suspected Midway was their target. He knew that if Japan took Midway, they would soon have a stronghold on the Pacific. Six months after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the US Navy lured the Japanese into an aircraft carrier trap 300 miles northeast of Midway Atoll, a place referred to as "point luck". The battle raged on from June 4th-7th 1942.  The Battle of Midway was a major turning point in the Pacific Theater during World War II. The Imperial Japanese Navy lost two thirds of its aircraft carriers and many of the crews and officers aboard them. Japan remained a threat, but after losing this critical battle at Midway, their strategy turned to defense. The United States losses at Midway were considerable, and the sinking of the naval vessel USS Yorktown was a major blow to the U.S. Navy forces. The loss spurred U.S. wartime production of new ships, airplanes, and equipment that soon outpaced that of the Japanese.