Fish and Wildlife Service.
Jarvis Island National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1974 and is located 1,305 nautical miles south of Honolulu.
On January 6, 2009, the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument was established, which includes Jarvis Island National Wildlife Refuge within its boundaries. On September 25, 2014 the monument was expanded around Jarvis Island out to 200 nautical miles.
The refuge encompasses 429,853 acres, with 1,273 acres being terrestrial and 428,580 acres being submerged.
Jarvis Island borders along an ancient coral reef and massive extinct volcano that emerges from the deep ocean floor of the equatorial Pacific. The equatorial undercurrent pushes nutrient-rich waters up into the sunlit zone, thereby increasing marine productivity that many marine species benefit from. This important phenomenon may be limited only to Howland, Baker, Jarvis Islands, and a few other islands in the Pacific because of their location near the equator. The upwelling is especially strong at Jarvis because of its larger size, supporting soft corals and large schools of plankton-eating fish.
Entry to Jarvis Island is by permit only. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel, scientists, and researchers. Jarvis Island is accessible only by ship.
The island is uninhabited, and entry is by permit only. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel visit Jarvis about every 2 to 3 years, though occasionally scientists and researchers team up to share high transportation costs to the island. Jarvis is accessible only by ship.