The Kermadecs, New Zealand’s most northern group of islands, have some of the most geologically active and biologically unusual features on Earth and support a globally-significant variety of whales, turtles, fish, corals, seabirds and deep sea marine life. Establishing an ocean sanctuary to protect the wealth of marine life dependent on these islands and their surrounding waters would conserve a unique ecosystem and secure a robust and healthy marine ecosystem for future generations.
Located about 1000 km (621 miles) northeast of New Zealand, the islands form a small chain covering a distance of 250 km (155 miles). Five large islands—Raoul, Macauley, Curtis, Cheeseman, L'Esperance Rock—and a number of smaller islets and exposed rocks comprise the Kermadec group.
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The islands are the peaks of the tallest undersea volcanoes on the 2,500 km (1553 miles) Kermadec Arc, the longest submerged volcanic arc on Earth stretching north from White Island in New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty to the south Pacific islands of Tonga. Running alongside the Arc is the Kermadec-Tonga Trench, which reaches depths of more than 10 km (6 miles) in some places. The trench is the deepest point in the Southern Hemisphere and the second deepest in the world. This unique environment was caused by the collision of two of the world’s tectonic plates, the Pacific and the Indo-Australian, colliding with enough force to create a massive trench and the undersea mountain range (seamounts) that run alongside it.
The range of depths as well as the unique environments created by the seamounts contributes to the extraordinary biodiversity of the region. Above the surface, the islands themselves are key breeding sites for 14 types of seabirds, including several endangered species, of which some are found only at the Kermadecs. The waters surrounding the islands offer a rich food source for these seabirds and for the plethora of marine life that abounds beneath the waves. The Kermadec region supports significant populations of ocean-dwelling predators such as tunas, billfish and sharks, along with numerous species of whales and dolphins. On the sea floor, corals and reef fish thrive and in the depths of the trench itself, unique communities of bacteria, mussels, worms and shrimps have developed in the extreme conditions surrounding the hot water (hydrothermal) vents.
Because the Kermadecs are located at the northern limit of survival for many temperate species and at the southern limit for tropical species, the islands are home to a unique and rare combination of different species. There are records of 53 species of seabirds, at least 150 species of fish, 88 species of decapods (crabs, lobsters, shrimp), and many more species that are still to be described or even found.
From the islands, to the waters surrounding them, down the slopes of the seamounts and into the deepest recesses of the trenches, the Kermadec region is a place full of spectacular undersea features with a unique and diverse range of habitats and marine life. It remains as one of the few relatively unspoiled places on earth. We have an opportunity to further protect this amazing region and ensure that the unique natural features and biodiversity of the Kermadecs are preserved now and for future generations.
The Pew Environment Group’s Global Ocean Legacy Project is working with our partners, the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand Inc. and WWF – NZ, to promote protection of the Kermadec region.
Global Ocean Legacy is a collaboration of the Pew Environment Group, Lyda Hill, the Oak Foundation, the Robertson Foundation and the Sandler Foundation to protect some of the world's largest and most spectacular marine habitats.
