Starbuck Island

Starbuck Island is an uninhabited coral atoll in Kiribati’s Line Islands. Its low, arid land and surrounding reef support little terrestrial life.

Atoll: A ring-shaped coral reef, island, or chain of islets surrounding a lagoon. Starbuck is a low coral island built around a central lagoon.
Charles Darwin's theory of atoll formation: A theory that atolls develop as volcanic islands subside while coral reefs continue growing upward. Starbuck’s ring reef fits the broad formation process Darwin described.
Guano mining: The extraction of seabird-derived phosphate deposits for fertilizer and other uses. Commercial mining altered Starbuck before the industry declined.
Invasive species: A species introduced beyond its native range that spreads and causes ecological harm. Introduced animals can threaten nesting seabirds even where no people live permanently.
Coral reef: A marine ecosystem and geological structure built largely by reef-forming corals. The atoll’s rim is formed by coral reef growth.
Volcanic island: An island formed when volcanic activity builds land above the surface of a body of water. Subsidence of an earlier volcanic base is part of the standard explanation for atoll formation.
Seabird colony: A breeding aggregation of seabirds concentrated at a nesting site. Starbuck’s isolation and reef habitat provide nesting grounds for seabirds.
Marine plastic pollution: Plastic waste accumulating in ocean waters and coastal habitats, transported by currents and human activity. Ocean currents can deposit debris on remote shores such as Starbuck’s.
Line Islands: A scattered chain of islands in the central Pacific, divided among Kiribati, the United States, and other territories. Starbuck belongs to Kiribati’s southern Line Islands.
John Stokes (explorer): A British explorer associated with the discovery of Starbuck Island in 1823. Stokes encountered and named the island during a Pacific voyage.

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Malden IslandRelated: Starbuck is a nearby island with a similarly remote, low-lying environment.