The ChallengeDue 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.
People Also Ask
Henderson was colonised by Polynesians between the 12th and 15th centuries, but since then the island has remained uninhabited. The inhospitable nature of the island, together with its remoteness and inaccessibility, has so far effectively ensured its conservation.
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.
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.
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.
The team estimates 37.7 million pieces of plastic debris litter Henderson Island, exposing the extent to which the Earth's nooks and crannies have become sinks for the 311 million tons of plastic waste created annually by humans.
(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.
Henderson Island has a unique assemblage of plant and animal species. It supports 73 plant species, of which 9 are found no-where else in the world. Its four land birds are unique to Henderson: a fruit pigeon, a small parrot, a warbler, and a flightless rail. The island is also a vital haven for nesting seabirds.
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.