The Polynesian storm petrel was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae.

[7] Gmelin based his description on the "sooty petrel" that had been described in 1785 by the English ornithologist John Latham in his book A General Synopsis of Birds.

[8] The Polynesian storm petrel is now the only species placed in the genus Nesofregetta that was introduced in 1912 by the Australian born ornithologist Gregory Mathews.

[9][10] The name combines the Ancient Greek nēsos meaning "island" and Fregetta, a genus name that was introduced by Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1855 for the storm petrels.

[10] The main threats to Polynesian Storm-petrels include introduced species like rats and cats.

Loss of egg and chick population by the house mouse is also a threat, along with loss of vegetation due to agriculture and rabbits[12] Rising sea levels as a result of global climate change has affected Polynesian Storm-petrel's habitat.

Vegetation and grass can get washed out due to overly aggressive storms, which can destroy critical breeding areas.

[13] A few of the efforts from the past, starting from 1990 includes predator removal, biosecurity plans, and compliance and education.