Considered to be the “emerald” of Micronesia, Pohnpei is a lush, green island formed five million years ago by turbulent volcanic activity. The island is home to a wide variety of natural habitats including barrier reefs, lagoons, mangrove forests and upland forests. The volcanic bowl of the island boasts the largest intact lowland tropical forest in the world. Pohnpei’s dwarf cloud forests are among the lowest in the world.

These habitats support a remarkable abundance of unique flora and fauna, sixteen percent of which is found nowhere else on earth. The Serehd (Pohnpei Lory), a brilliant red bird with hints of green and gold, and the Pohnpei mountain skink, a tiny coppery lizard, are both completely unique to the island. Outside the reefs of Pohnpei, scientists recorded the largest grouper spawning aggregation in the Indo-Pacific region.

The unique habitats of Pohnpei are disappearing at an alarming rate and will continue to do so unless preventive measures are taken. In the past 25 years, the interior rainforest of Pohnpei has been reduced by more than 25 percent by unsustainable farming practices. Native plant and animal species are being threatened by introduced non-native species. Surface water pollution, coral dredging, sand mining, mangrove clearing, over-fishing and over-harvesting of certain species are putting marine species at risk.