Hans Lollik Islands

Last updated
Great and Little Hans Lollik Islands Great&LittleHansLollik.jpg
Great and Little Hans Lollik Islands

The Hans Lollik Islands are two islands in the U.S. Virgin Islands owned by Larry Page. [1] In 2014, Page bought Great Hans Lollik Island ("GHL") and its smaller neighbor, Little Hans Lollik, for $23 million.

Contents

GHL is about 8,000 feet (2½ km) beyond the central northshore of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, separated from St. Thomas by the Leeward Passage. Little Hans Lollik and Pelican Cay lie to the north of Hans Lollik on the same shelf. The major part of the benthic zone around Hans Lollik is rocky and supports a dense diverse coral habitat.[ citation needed ]

In Danish, "Hans Lollik" means "Hans from Lolland", believed to refer to a sailor by that name. [2]

Terrestrial features

The terrestrial features of the Hans Lollik group are functions of their natural topography, exposure to trade winds, and consequences of human occupation. The east and northeast slopes experience regular northeasterly trade winds.

Human occupation, particularly by Europeans after they found the island at the end of the 15th century, has changed the island's ecology. From the early 18th century to the 1850s, the Virgin Islands were clear-cut and farmed. Local historians estimate that about 30 to 40 acres (12 to 16 ha) of GHL was cultivated for cotton during this period. The steep profile of the island caused exposed soil to creep and wash into the sea as sediment run-off; some estimate that several feet of topsoil were lost during this agricultural period. In the 1940s and 1950s, GHL was logged for timber which was sold in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Seed stock for species once present on the island no longer exists locally. Fire allowed resistant species (e.g., thatch palm) to dominate, and logging left stock for a future forest canopy dominated by softwoods (e.g., loblolly pine, blolly, and Geiger tree).

Great and Little Hans Lollik Islands with St. Thomas visible in the background GHL,LHL,STT.jpg
Great and Little Hans Lollik Islands with St. Thomas visible in the background

Animal life

No native terrestrial mammals live on Great Hans Lollik or Little Hans Lollik. The black rat (Rattus rattus) was introduced by early European settlers within the last 500 years. The European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), cats (Felis catus), and donkeys (Equus asinus) have been intentionally released. There should be four native species of bats present: Noctilio leporinus (a fishing bat), Molossus molossus (a small insectivore), Jamaican fruit bat Artibeus jamaicensis, and Antillean fruit-eating bat Brachyphylla cavernarum (a pollen and nectar feeder).[ citation needed ]

Reptiles and amphibians

The herpetofauna of Hans Lollik has not been well studied, but species composition should closely resemble that of St. Thomas. Several species of lizards, common on nearby islands, have never been documented on Hans Lollik.

Based on their distribution and habitat requirements on surrounding islands, one might expect the following species to be present as well: Iguana iguana , Hemidactylus mabouia , Spondylurus semitaeniatus and Amphisbaena fenestrata . Iguana pinguis , a species endemic to the Puerto Rico Bank, has been extirpated from most developed islands in the region, but might survive on one or more of the islands in the study area. Two snakes found on St. Thomas might occur on Hans Lollik: Typhlops richardii and Liophis exequuis . Liophis portoricensis (a lizard-eating ground snake) has been reduced in numbers or extirpated on the large islands within its range.

Avifauna

Many bird species are seasonal visitors to the offshore cays and are only in evidence at Hans Lollik during the summer breeding season. The most conspicuous birds at the study sites are the resident seabird species, including the brown booby (Sula melanogaster) and the brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis). Both species utilize the bait-rich waters of Hans Lollik for feeding; both species target white fry, blue fry, or false pilchard as preferred prey. The prime roosting spots for these species have been located and mapped by JDA to enable the site planning process to avoid these areas. Hans Lollik has no critical nesting sites for any bird species. The cliff-site nesting areas for the tropic bird are de facto protected from humans by their precarious cliff location.[ citation needed ]

Brown pelican Brown pelican - natures pics.jpg
Brown pelican

Hans Lollik has not been a historically important brown pelican-nesting site, and the sparse nesting which now occurs is opportunistic. This nesting may well be the result of a booming local population of pelicans, which is spreading out to new roosting and nesting sites, or it may be the result of displacement from other islands and cays. The brown pelican is listed as endangered, both federally and by the Virgin Islands. The brown pelican was once thought to be doomed due to the eggshell-thinning events brought about by DDT contamination. Since the DDT ban went into effect, brown pelican populations throughout the US have recovered, causing the species to be delisted throughout much of its range. The southeast U.S. (including Virgin Islands) populations have not yet been delisted, but indications are that these populations are also recovering.[ citation needed ]

Noddy terns ( Anous stolidus ), least terns (Sterna albifrons), sooty terns (Sterna fuscata), and royal terns (Thalasseus maximus) have all been recorded as nesting on nearby Pelican Cay, but not on Hans Lollik Island. Other bird species seen on Hans Lollik include the ubiquitous pearly-eyed thrasher ( Margarops fuscatus ), the bananaquit (Coeroba flaveloa), the oystercatcher (Haematopus pallitus), and the sparrowhawk (Falco sparverius).[ citation needed ]

Benthic features

The area between Hans Lollik and Little Hans Lollik is relatively shallow and is primarily a hard bottom with scattered large patches of sand and cobble. Currents flowing between the two islands are generally to the west, and are often quite swift. The shallows along the shores of both islands are colonized by head corals, Diploria strigosa , D. clivosa , Siderastrea siderea , D. labyrinthiformis , Colpophyllia natans , Porites astreoides , Montastraea annularis , M. cavernosa and Dendrogyra cylindrus . There are scattered elkhorn coral Acropora palmata , and staghorn coral A. cervicornis . In the shallower areas, less than 10 ft (3 m) most of the Acropora is alive, while deeper there are numerous skeletons of these once massive spreading corals. There are also some very large remnants of Porites porites colonies that lie between the two islands. Some of these mounds are 10 to 12 ft (3 to 4 m) in height and width. Agarcia , Millepora , P. porites, and a variety of sponge species have colonize the dead coral of these mounds. The entire area is destiny colonized by soft coral species and sea plumes, fans feathers are scattered throughout. To the southwest there is a sandy beach, and the sand extends offshore into the benthic environment. Within this sandy area there are emergent areas of rock that have become colonized by corals ( Siderastrea and Diploria ) and algae. Further offshore there is shallow reef area affected by waves. The reef area supports of variety of soft and hard coral colonization. Along the western side of the island and along the northwestern tip the shoreline is rocky, and the rock extends below the sea. There are large boulders and slabs of rock that lie just below the waters surface along the shore. A diverse community of corals and sponges colonizes this rock substrate that rapidly drops to a depth of 20 to 25 ft (6 to 8 m). Head corals (Diploria strigosa, D. clivosa, Sidereastrea siderea, D. labyrinthiformis, Colpophyllia natans, Porites astreoides, Montastrea annularis, M. cavernosa and Dendrogyra cylindrus), branching corals (Acropora palmate, A cervicornis, Porites porites), and fire corals (Millepora spp.) are common within this area.[ citation needed ]

Cetaceans and other marine species

The most common cetacean species to move through the waters of the greater Hans Lollik area include bottlenose dolphins ('Tursiops truncatus) and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). Some pilot whales (Globicephala melaena) may also occur in the area. The presence of humpback whales is seasonal, with peak migrations occurring during January through March. In addition to reef fish, schooling fish have been evaluated in the area around GHL and Litte Hans Lollik. Fish abundance is greatest in the offshore area of the east coast fringing reef and in the deep-water areas off the northwest corner of GHL. Three sea turtle species occur around the island: the hawksbill turtle, green turtle, and leatherback turtle.[ citation needed ].

Prehistoric and historic human occupation

No significant evidence of prehistoric aboriginal occupation of the island has been found. Based upon historic accounts, a series of cotton plantation establishments were apparently developed and maintained from at least 1769, but probably several decades earlier. This occupancy continued until the mid-nineteenth century, followed by another enterprise in the 1950s. More recent uses have included logging, fishing, residence by an individual, and cattle raising in the 1950s when the existing overgrown circumferential road was created. An underwater survey of the bays on Hans Lollik failed to find any archaeological or cultural resources of importance. In Coconut Bay, a modern shipwreck was identified some years ago.[ citation needed ]

Palm tree on Great Hans Lollik's Coconut Bay GHL.Palm.jpg
Palm tree on Great Hans Lollik's Coconut Bay

Trade winds

The Virgin Islands lie in the “Easterlies” or “Trade Winds” which traverse the southern part of the "Bermuda High" pressure area. Thus, the predominant winds are usually from the east-northeast and east. These trade winds vary seasonally and are broadly divided into four seasonal modes: December to February; March to May; June to August; and September to November. There are numerous disturbances during the year, especially squalls and thunderstorms. These occur most frequently during the summer, lasting only a few hours and cause no pronounced change in the trade winds.[ citation needed ].

Nearby small islands and cays

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buck Island Reef National Monument</span> Nature reserve in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Buck Island Reef National Monument protects Buck Island, a small, uninhabited 176-acre island about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of the northeast coast of Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, and 18,839 acres of submerged lands, totaling 19,015 acres. It was first established as a protected area by the U.S. Government in 1948, with the intention of preserving “one of the finest marine gardens in the Caribbean Sea.” The U.S. National Monument was created in 1961 by John F. Kennedy and greatly expanded in 2001 by Bill Clinton, over the opposition of local fishermen. Buck Island National Monument is one of few places in the Virgin Islands where brown pelicans and threatened least terns nest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ladder Bay (Saba)</span> Bay in Saba National Marine Park, Saba

Ladder Bay is an anchorage on the leeward side of the Caribbean island of Saba. The bay sits on the west side of the island, directly under a set of 800 steps hand carved into the rocks locally known as "The Ladder". Until the construction of Saba's first pier in the 1970s, Ladder Bay was a primary point of entry for supplies to the island. An abandoned customs house sits on the lip of a cliff overlooking the bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brain coral</span> Common name for various corals

Brain coral is a common name given to various corals in the families Mussidae and Merulinidae, so called due to their generally spheroid shape and grooved surface which resembles a brain. Each head of coral is formed by a colony of genetically identical polyps which secrete a hard skeleton of calcium carbonate; this makes them important coral reef builders like other stony corals in the order Scleractinia. Brain corals are found in shallow warm water coral reefs in all the world's oceans. They are part of the phylum Cnidaria, in a class called Anthozoa or "flower animals". The lifespan of the largest brain corals is 900 years. Colonies can grow as large as 1.8 m (6 ft) or more in height.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Dependencies of Venezuela</span> Administrative division of Venezuela

The Federal Dependencies of Venezuela encompass most of Venezuela's offshore islands in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Venezuela, excluding those islands that form the State of Nueva Esparta and some Caribbean coastal islands that are integrated with nearby states. These islands, with a total area of 342 square kilometres, are sparsely populated – according to the preliminary results of the 2011 Census only 2,155 people live there permanently, with another hundred from Margarita Island who live there seasonally to engage in fishing. Local government is officially under the authority of Central government in Caracas, although de facto power is often held by the heads of the sparse and somewhat isolated communities that decorate the territories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rawaki</span> Uninhabited atoll of central Kiribati

Rawaki is one of the Phoenix Islands in the Republic of Kiribati, also known by its previous name of Phoenix Island. It is a small, uninhabited atoll, approximately 1.2 by 0.8 kilometres in size and 65 hectares in area, with a shallow, brackish lagoon that is not connected to the open sea. It is located at 3.721°S 170.712°W.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tobago Cays</span> Archipelago in the Southern Grenadines of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

The Tobago Cays are an archipelago located in the Southern Grenadines of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines comprising five small islands and extensive coral reefs. The cays – Petit Rameau, Petit Bateau, Baradal, Petit Tabac and Jamesby – are a popular tourism destination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Tobago Island</span>

Great Tobago is an uninhabited island of the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean, located, along with sister island Little Tobago, approximately six miles west of Jost Van Dyke. The Tobagos are the westernmost of the British Virgin Islands. At 210 acres (85 ha) in size, it is surrounded by steep cliffs that also extend below the water. Since the 1990s, Great Tobago, Little Tobago islands, and nearby Mercurious and Watson Rocks are protected as part of the National Parks Trust.

Congo Cay is an uninhabited island of the United States Virgin Islands, located north of Lovango Cay. It is a snorkeling spot for charter boats from Saint Thomas and Saint John. Congo Cay in the US Virgin Islands is owned by the local government. As pretty much almost all of the smaller islands, islets and cays in the USVI, Congo Cay in the US Virgin Islands is a wild life refuge. It is one of the most beautiful non inhabited cays in the Virgin Islands and a nesting habitat for pelicans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bramble Cay</span> Island in Queensland, Australia

Bramble Cay, also known as Maizab Kaur and Massaramcoer, is a small cay located at the northeastern edge of Australia and the Torres Strait Islands of Queensland and at the northern end of the Great Barrier Reef. Lying around 50 km (31 mi) north of Erub Island in the Gulf of Papua, it is the northernmost point of land of Australia and marks the end of the Great Barrier Reef.

Arnarvon Islands are a group of islands in Solomon Islands. They are located in Isabel Province and nearby to Wagina Island in Choiseul Province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coral Sea Reserves Ramsar Site</span> Marine nature reserve off Australia

The Coral Sea Reserves Ramsar Site comprises the 17,289 km2 of oceanic island and reef habitats within the former Coringa-Herald National Nature Reserve and the former Lihou Reef National Nature Reserve in the Australian Coral Sea Islands Territory.

<i>Diploria</i> Genus of corals

Diploria is a monotypic genus of massive reef building stony corals in the family Mussidae. It is represented by a single species, Diploria labyrinthiformis, commonly known as grooved brain coral and is found in the western Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. It has a familiar, maze-like appearance.

<i>Colpophyllia</i> Genus of corals

Colpophyllia is a genus of stony corals in the family Mussidae. It is monotypic with a single species, Colpophyllia natans, commonly known as boulder brain coral or large-grooved brain coral. It inhabits the slopes and tops of reefs, to a maximum depth of fifty metres. It is characterised by large, domed colonies, which may be up to two metres across, and by the meandering network of ridges and valleys on its surface. The ridges are usually brown with a single groove, and the valleys may be tan, green, or white and are uniform in width, typically 2 centimetres. The polyps only extend their tentacles at night.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fauna of the United States Virgin Islands</span>

The fauna of the United States Virgin Islands consists of 144 species of birds, 22 species of mammals, 302 species of fish and 7 species of amphibians. The wildlife of the U.S.V.I. includes numerous endemic species of tropical birds, fish, and land reptiles as well as sea mammals. The only endemic land mammals are six species of native bats: the greater bulldog bat, Antillean fruit-eating bat, red fruit bat, Brazilian free-tailed bat, velvety free-tailed bat and the Jamaican fruit bat. Some of the nonnative land mammals roaming the islands are the white-tailed deer, small Asian mongoose, goats, feral donkeys, rats, mice, sheep, hogs, dogs and cats.

Étoile Cay is an uninhabited circular coral cay in Seychelles, lying in the Amirantes group of the Outer Islands of Seychelles, with a distance of 302 km south of Victoria, Seychelles.

The St. Croix East End Marine Park (STXEEMP) was established to "protect territorially significant marine resources, and promote sustainability of marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, sea grass beds, wildlife habitats and other resources, and to conserve and preserve significant natural areas for the use and benefit of future generations." It is the U.S. Virgin Islands’ first territorially designated and managed marine protected area (MPA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parcel de Manuel Luís Marine State Park</span>

The Parcel de Manuel Luís Marine State Park is a state park in the state of Maranhão, Brazil. It protects the Manuel Luis Reefs, an important coral reef of the south Atlantic. The reefs contain the wrecks of many ships.

Pelican Cays Land and Sea Park is a national park in Central Abaco, the Abaco Islands, the Bahamas. The park was established in 1972 and has an area of 2,100 acres (8 km2). The park's marine environment contains an extensive coral reef and undersea cave habitat, which provide opportunities for snorkelling and underwater diving.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coral reefs of the Solomon Islands</span>

The Coral reefs of the Solomon Islands consists of six major islands and over 986 smaller islands, in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and northwest of Vanuatu. The Solomon Islands lie between latitudes 5° and 13°S, and longitudes 155° and 169°E. The distance between the westernmost and easternmost islands is about 1,500 km (930 mi). The Santa Cruz Islands are situated north of Vanuatu and are especially isolated at more than 200 km (120 mi) from the other islands. The Solomon Islands has the 22nd largest Exclusive Economic Zone of 1,589,477 km2 (613,701 sq mi) of the Pacific Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Cordillera Reef Nature Reserve</span> Nature reserve located near Fajardo, Puerto Rico

La Cordillera Reef is a nature reserve located 1.5 nautical miles from Fajardo, Puerto Rico consisting of a small archipelago of keys, coral reefs and rocky islets. The nature reserve covers about 18 nautical miles and almost 30,000 acres between Cape San Juan in Cabezas, Fajardo and the island of Culebra. With the exception of Palomino and Lobos Key which are privately owned, all islands, reefs and keys are protected by the marine reserve. The total land area of the reserve is 224 cuerdas. The nature reserve is also important for local fishermen, and eastern coastal municipalities such as Fajardo, Ceiba and Naguabo depend on the reserve for their fishing industries.

References

  1. Jennings, John E. (2007). Our American Tropics. READ BOOKS. p. 224. ISBN   978-1-4067-4270-1.
  2. "Hvem var Hans Lollik ?".

18°23′53″N64°54′29″W / 18.39806°N 64.90806°W / 18.39806; -64.90806