Nauru
Location Southwestern Pacific Ocean, about 2,580 miles (4,160 km) southwest of Hawaii
National websites None
Embassy / Chancery in U.S. Consulate of the Republic of Nauru
First Floor, ADA Professional Building, Marine Drive, Box A.M.
Agana, Guam 96910
phone 617-649-8300, fax 671-649-8302.
Agencies responsible for biological inventory and conservation Chief Secretary, Republic of Nauru, Government Offices, Yaren District, Republic of Nauru, Central Pacific.
Major Natural Resources Nauru is a very small, but interesting country. It is a coral island, formed from phosphate deposition. This phosphate has been the major reason the island is both inhabited and is a republic and not a territory. Phosphate mining has been going on since the mid 1900's, shortly after the island was discovered. These phosphate resources will run out circa 2002. There are many fish in the shallow sea that exists on top of a shelf that Nauru is part of.
Major Environmental and Conservation Issues As with all things in Nauru, phosphate is at the center of environmental problems. Since most of the island is phosphate, and this is the only real income for any inhabitants, large portions have been completely denuded and mined down to the coral base that is useless. Human habitation and this mining have caused the extinction of a number of birds (at least) plus reducing mangroves to only 2 hectares overall. Nauru recently won a settlement in international court against countries which mined phosphate in order to try to restore the island to a state that is prettier so as to have a nicer looking island and attact some tourism.
Statistics Information Sources
Land area 21 sq km  Nauru Demographics
Area of forest 22 sq km  CIA world factbook
Area of wetlands 0.02 sq. km Mangroves  Marine Data
Area of territorial waters 318 sq km. possible (not formally declared)  Marine Data
Population  10,500  Nauru Demographics
Population Density 476.1 / sq. km  10/21
Area protected (ha) (only areas >1000ha) at all IUCN levels There is no protected areas legislation. Protected Areas Information
Fraction of land area protected (%) There is no protected areas legislation. Protected Areas Information
Major Protected Areas There is no protected areas legislation.  Protected Areas Information
Endemic Species
Mammals  (number) (link to list)
Birds  (number) (link to list)
Reptiles  (number) (link to list)
Amphibians  (number) (link to list)
Fish  88 Inhore Marine Fishes (Marine Data)
Invertebrates  (number) (link to list)
Plants  (number) (link to list)
 		  
Endangered, Threatened and Vulnerable Species
Mammals  0
Birds  2
Reptiles  0
Amphibians  0
Fish  0
Invertebrates  0
Plants  None?
 		 World Conservation Monitoring Centre - Animal 

World Conservation Monitoring Centre - Plants
Extinct Species
Mammals  None listed at links
Birds  None listed at links
Reptiles  None listed at links
Amphibians  None listed at links
Fish  None listed at links
Invertebrates  None listed at links
Plants  None listed at links
World Conservation Monitoring Centre - Animal 

World Conservation Monitoring Centre - Plants
Species listed on CITES Appendix I None CITES Fauna Database, CITES Flora Database
Species listed on CITES Appendix II Acipenser schrencki, Huso dauricus, Stenodus leucichthys leucichthys CITES Fauna Database, CITES Flora Database
Legislation
Laws protecting endangered or threatened species  
Laws protecting endangered ecosystems Some laws under auspices of National Environmental Management Strategies. Also has been reactive to Convention on Biological Diversity. (link)
Signatory to CITES No. Selected International Environmental Agreements
Signatory to Ramsar Wetlands Convention No. Selected International Environmental Agreements
Signatory to Convention on Biological Diversity  Yes, 1992(unsure) Selected International Environmental Agreements
Signatory to Migratory Bird Treaty Believed No
Member of International Whaling Commission No Selected International Environmental Agreements
Signatory to other international treaties designed to protect or manage biological resources  Marine Dumping (signed ~1972), Law of the Sea (date unknown),
Natural Resource Use Information Sources
Fisheries Fisheries are being worked on, but none are operating
There is a minor sportfishing economy.

Nauru Demographics,

Nauru Tourism Info
Forestry Seems some people are trying to get "agroforestry and development of tree or plant resources" started on Nauru. But I can't see any evidence of much right now.  
Ecotourism None, there is no tourism at all.  Nauru Demographics
Trade in wildlife products None  
Hunting None  
Other uses of natural resources ~$175 million from Phosphate Mining  Nauru Demographics
Human Impacts on Natural Resources Information Sources
Air pollution    
Water pollution    
Development activities Mining on 90% of the island has cleared (for a time, at least) any existing habitat in that area.  CIA world factbook
Introduced species  They have a fruitfly problem, and are trying to eradicate them.  Fruitfly link
Legislation addressing these issues  Not yet, but there is a very sizable settlement that was gotten in 1993 for the express purpose of cleaning up the land ruined by phosphate mining. See below.  
Restoration and Reintroduction Information Sources
Programs for restoration of damaged habitat   Yes, there is a good effort that will be underway to try to repair damage done by the mining activites. In an international trial, Nauru won A$107 million as a result of damage done by Australia.  Settlement Agreement
Programs for ex situ conservation (captive breeding and reintroduction) of endangered species    
Return to Endangered Species Protection around the World

Page compiled by Adam Bonner as part of a class project in h90 "The Science of Biodiversity and Conservation" (Peter J. Bryant, Instructor), University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA