What is Henderson Island known for?

Henderson Island, which lies in the eastern South Pacific, is one of the few atolls in the world whose ecology has been practically untouched by a human presence. Its isolated location provides the ideal context for studying the dynamics of insular evolution and natural selection.



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(By comparison, Manhattan is 22 square miles in size.) Henderson island sits in the path of the South Pacific Gyre, a major oceanic current. Such currents are known to accumulate plastic, reaching densities 2.3 million pieces per square mile.

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In 1902, it was annexed to the Pitcairn Islands colony, which is now a British Overseas Territory. Henderson is one of the last two raised coral atolls in the world whose ecosystems remain relatively unaffected by human contact, along with Aldabra in the Indian Ocean.

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South Pacific currents dump as many as 40 million items of plastic and rubbish on the shores of Henderson Island each year, earning it the name of the most polluted island in the world.

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Devon Island (Inuktitut: ??????, Tallurutit) is an island in Canada and the largest uninhabited island (no permanent residents) in the world. It is located in Baffin Bay, Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada.

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Henderson was colonised by Polynesians between the 12th and 15th centuries, but since then the island has remained uninhabited.

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Due to its geographic position, Henderson Island is home to the world's most plastic-polluted beach. The South Pacific Gyre washes ocean plastic onto the island's shores, and no one is around to pick it up.

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