Desecheo Island
Encyclopedia
Desecheo is a small uninhabited island
of the archipelago
of Puerto Rico
located in the northeast of the Mona Passage
; 21 km from the west coast (Punta Higüero) of the main island of Puerto Rico and 50 km northeast of Mona Island. It has a land area of 1.5 km² (exactly 1,524,613 m², or 0.589 sq mi, or 376.74 acres). Politically, the island is administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Christopher Columbus
was the first European to visit the island during his second voyage to the New World
; however, it was not named until 1517 by Spanish explorer Nuñez Alvarez de Aragón.
, reaches a maximum elevation of 218 m and has an annual precipitation
, on average, of 1020 mm (40.15 in). The lack of surface water limits its flora
to thorny shrub
s, small tree
s, weed
s and various cacti
, including the endangered higo chumbo
(Harrisia portoricensis). Fauna
includes various species of seabird
s, three endemic species of lizard
(Ameiva desechensis, Anolis desechensis and Sphaerodactylus levinsi), introduced goat
s and rats, and a population of Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) introduced from Cayo Santiago
in 1967 as part of a study on adaptation
. Before the introduction of rhesus monkeys the island was the largest nesting colony of the Brown Booby
, however, no species presently nests on the island.
and Monito
, Desecheo is not considered part of the Puerto Rican bank. It is believed that the island has been isolated, at least, since the Pliocene
. However, the island is part of the Rio Culebrinas formation which suggests that it was once connected to Puerto Rico.
, and until 1952, the island was used as a bombing range by the United States Armed Forces. From 1952 to 1964 the United States Air Force
used Desecheo for survival training. In 1976 administration of the island was given to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and in 1983 it was designated as a National Wildlife Refuge
.
and clear waters, with common visibility ranging from 30 to 45 m (98.4 to 147.6 ), Desecheo is a very popular place for diving
fans. Although diving is permitted around the island, the refuge is closed to the public due to the presence of unexploded military ordnance. Trespassers are subject to arrest by Federal law enforcement officers.
expeditions have gone to the island, which has the ITU prefix
KP5 (although since there is no permanent mailing address there the Federal Communications Commission
does not actually grant this callsign). The Fish & Wildlife Service currently restricts such operations. The first approved DXpedition in fifteen years was allowed on the island between February 12 and 26, 2009, making 115,787 contacts. Attempts to allow public access to Desecheo and the island of Navassa
, which is located between Haiti
and Jamaica
, were made in the U.S. Congress, but the bill failed to reach the floor of the House of Representatives prior to the end of the 109th Congress, rendering the proposal dead.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
of the archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
located in the northeast of the Mona Passage
Mona Passage
The Mona Passage is a strait that separates the islands of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico. The Mona Passage connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean Sea, and is an important shipping route between the Atlantic and the Panama Canal....
; 21 km from the west coast (Punta Higüero) of the main island of Puerto Rico and 50 km northeast of Mona Island. It has a land area of 1.5 km² (exactly 1,524,613 m², or 0.589 sq mi, or 376.74 acres). Politically, the island is administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
was the first European to visit the island during his second voyage to the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
; however, it was not named until 1517 by Spanish explorer Nuñez Alvarez de Aragón.
Flora and fauna
Desecheo, which has no known bodies of surface waterSurface water
Surface water is water collecting on the ground or in a stream, river, lake, wetland, or ocean; it is related to water collecting as groundwater or atmospheric water....
, reaches a maximum elevation of 218 m and has an annual precipitation
Precipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
, on average, of 1020 mm (40.15 in). The lack of surface water limits its flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
to thorny shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s, small tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s, weed
Weed
A weed in a general sense is a plant that is considered by the user of the term to be a nuisance, and normally applied to unwanted plants in human-controlled settings, especially farm fields and gardens, but also lawns, parks, woods, and other areas. More specifically, the term is often used to...
s and various cacti
Cactus
A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae. Their distinctive appearance is a result of adaptations to conserve water in dry and/or hot environments. In most species, the stem has evolved to become photosynthetic and succulent, while the leaves have evolved into spines...
, including the endangered higo chumbo
Harrisia portoricensis
Harrisia portoricensis is a species of cactus in the genus Harrisia. Its common name is higo chumbo. It is endemic to Puerto Rico, where it is known from three smaller islands off the coast of the main island. The population is estimated at 59,000 on Mona Island, 148 individuals on Monito Island,...
(Harrisia portoricensis). Fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
includes various species of seabird
Seabird
Seabirds are birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same environmental problems and feeding niches have resulted in similar adaptations...
s, three endemic species of lizard
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
(Ameiva desechensis, Anolis desechensis and Sphaerodactylus levinsi), introduced goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
s and rats, and a population of Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) introduced from Cayo Santiago
Cayo Santiago
Cayo Santiago, also known as Isla de los monos , is an uninhabited island, located at , 950 m southeast of Punta Santiago, Humacao, Puerto Rico.-Geography:...
in 1967 as part of a study on adaptation
Adaptation
An adaptation in biology is a trait with a current functional role in the life history of an organism that is maintained and evolved by means of natural selection. An adaptation refers to both the current state of being adapted and to the dynamic evolutionary process that leads to the adaptation....
. Before the introduction of rhesus monkeys the island was the largest nesting colony of the Brown Booby
Brown Booby
The Brown Booby is a large seabird of the booby family, Sulidae. The adult brown booby reaches about in length. Its head and upper body are covered in dark brown, with the remainder being a contrasting white. The juvenile form is gray-brown with darkening on the head, wings and tail...
, however, no species presently nests on the island.
Geology
Although politically part of Puerto Rico, geologically, along with the islands of MonaMona, Puerto Rico
Mona is the third largest island of the archipelago of Puerto Rico, after the main island of Puerto Rico and Vieques. It is the largest of three islands located in the Mona Passage, a strait between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, the others being Monito Island and Desecheo Island...
and Monito
Monito Island
Monito Island is an uninhabited island about 5 kilometers northwest of much larger Mona Island. Monito is the masculine diminutive form of Mona in Spanish. It is one of three islands in the Mona Passage, and part of the Isla de Mona e Islote Monito barrio, a subdivision of the municipality of...
, Desecheo is not considered part of the Puerto Rican bank. It is believed that the island has been isolated, at least, since the Pliocene
Pliocene
The Pliocene Epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.332 million to 2.588 million years before present. It is the second and youngest epoch of the Neogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Pliocene follows the Miocene Epoch and is followed by the Pleistocene Epoch...
. However, the island is part of the Rio Culebrinas formation which suggests that it was once connected to Puerto Rico.
History
No evidence of Pre-Columbian human settlement of the island has been uncovered. During the 18th century the island was used by smugglers, pirates and bandits to hunt imported feral goats. During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and until 1952, the island was used as a bombing range by the United States Armed Forces. From 1952 to 1964 the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
used Desecheo for survival training. In 1976 administration of the island was given to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and in 1983 it was designated as a National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the world's premiere system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife and plants...
.
Diving
Because of a healthy reefReef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
and clear waters, with common visibility ranging from 30 to 45 m (98.4 to 147.6 ), Desecheo is a very popular place for diving
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
fans. Although diving is permitted around the island, the refuge is closed to the public due to the presence of unexploded military ordnance. Trespassers are subject to arrest by Federal law enforcement officers.
Amateur radio
Several Amateur RadioAmateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
expeditions have gone to the island, which has the ITU prefix
ITU prefix
The International Telecommunication Union allocates call sign prefixes for radio and television stations of all types. They also form the basis for, but do not exactly match, aircraft registration identifiers. These prefixes are agreed upon internationally, and are a form of country code...
KP5 (although since there is no permanent mailing address there the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
does not actually grant this callsign). The Fish & Wildlife Service currently restricts such operations. The first approved DXpedition in fifteen years was allowed on the island between February 12 and 26, 2009, making 115,787 contacts. Attempts to allow public access to Desecheo and the island of Navassa
Navassa Island
Navassa Island is a small, uninhabited island in the Caribbean Sea, claimed as an unorganized unincorporated territory of the United States, which administers it through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Haiti, which claims to have had sovereignty over Navassa since 1801, also claims the island...
, which is located between Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
and Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, were made in the U.S. Congress, but the bill failed to reach the floor of the House of Representatives prior to the end of the 109th Congress, rendering the proposal dead.