[1] Charles Darwin visited the island during his five-year voyage (1831-1836), following which in 1842 he published an explanation for the creation of coral atolls in the South Pacific.

[3] The island is covered with coconut palms, scrub forest, herbs and grasses, including the species Tournefortia, Pisonia, Morinda, Cordia, Guettarda, and Scaevola.

[3] Hermit crabs and rats are plentiful on the island, which also supports colonies of feral dogs, pigs and cats.

According to E.H. Bryan, "insects are abundant, including a blue and white butterfly, several kinds of moths, dragonflies, ants, flies, leafhoppers, bugs, beetles, wasps, and spiders".

The lagoon is too salty to support marine life, but fish are abundant around the fringing reef and offshore waters.

Emory, ethnologist at Honolulu's Bishop Museum, estimated that two groups of people were present there, one from eastern Polynesia, the other from Micronesia.

Approximately 130 settlers were imported, and a village constructed complete with radio shack, cement cistern and 15 water wells.

Each adult settler was given fifty coconut palms, and each child granted two unplanted sections, 150 feet (80 m) square.