This photo-like image shows North Sentinel Island, in the Andaman Sea, almost five years after the devastating 2004 Aceh-Andaman Earthquake raised its surrounding reefs above the water line.
Published Dec 31, 2009
Scattered like turquoise and emeralds across the dark blue waters of the Coral and Solomon Seas, the coral reefs and forested islands of the Louisiade Archipelago stretch southeastward from the tip of Papua New Guinea for over 350 kilometers.
Published Jan 2, 2009
Low-profile fringing islands and coral reefs surround a relatively tall central island.
Published Nov 22, 2009
This astronaut photo of Millennium Island shows emerald islets surrounding a turquoise lagoon dotted with coral.
Published Jul 13, 2009
Named Isla de Aves in Spanish, (meaning “Island of the Birds”) Aves Island lies west of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean. It provides a nesting site to green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) and, of course, birds. Because the abundant bird droppings, known as guano, could be used in fertilizer and gunpowder, guano miners worked on the island until they depleted the supply. Since its discovery by Europeans, likely in the late 16th century, Aves Island was subsequently claimed by several European nations. The island is currently claimed by Venezuela, although disputes about ownership of the island, and the surrounding exclusive economic zone in the Caribbean, continue today.
Published Jun 19, 2006
