TERN ISLAND 23°52'N 1L66°17'E FRENCH FRIGATE SHOALS General TernIsland, French Frigate Shoals, is a U. S. possession located approximately 600 nautical miles west-northwest of Oahu, and is considered part of the Hawaiian Island Chain. At present, jurisdiction over French Frigate Shoals, which is 250 square miles in area, i8 exer- cised by the Depart. of the Interior, .Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife. Physical Data French Frigate Shoals is a crescent-shaped atoll about 17 miles from tip to tip. (See map, next page.) Tern Island is the largest of 16 sand islets along the northern boundary of the atoll. Itis about 25 acres in area and varies between 250 to 500 feet in width, 10 to 12 feet above sea level, and its length is about 3, 100 feet. It is oriented approximately east and west or on an azimuth of 252°. ’ In general, the portions of the islands above sea level consist of loose sand, with small bodies of indurated sand. Much of the sand at, or below, sea level is hardened into a sandstone. About 7 miles south from Tern Island is the isolated La Perouse Rock, a mass of lava about 120 feet high, 500 feet long, and 80 feet wide, The reef outlines a subcircular area about 18 miles in diameter, which represents the sea level extent of a former conical volcanic island. The double crescent reef is in contrast to the usual single crescent atolls. The windward (easterly) reef, lying in the direction of the food-bearing currents, has better nourished reef organisms and, therefore, has grown more vigorously. The windward reef is nearly continuous and waves break strongly on it almost all the time. Vegetation is sparse or nonexistent and fresh water is very scarce. Climate Northeast trade winds prevail in the summer. In the winter, more variable and stronger winds prevail. The climate is uniform the year around, The January mean temperature is about 71°F and July is approximately 78°F. Precipitation is negligible. Facilities The Coast Guard LORAN Station, Tern Island, has limited facilities. Onan emergency basis, and for only a short period, can the Coast Guard accommodate personnel other than their own. In addition to a scarcity of housing and messing facilities, water and electrical power are ata premium. The only medical facility is a first aid station. The 3000 x 250 ft. compacted coral airstrip is limited to aircraft no larger than C-47's, and at present a HU-16 from Barbers Point arrives weekly with supplies for the 15 man station complement. Offshore conditions require extreme care when resupply is by ship. Plans for dredging the ship channel have had to be postponed because of lack of funds. A halfloaded LCM is normally used to transfer POL and supplies from vessels anchored 3/4 mile from shore. 22-1 VOL II April 1969