Ecology[edit]
Further information: Wildlife of Kiribati
The Bokikokiko (‘’Acrocephalus aequinoctialis’’) is the only land wildlife species endemic to Kiribati.
Because of the young geological age of the islands and atolls and high level of soil salination the flora of Kiribati is relatively poor. It contains about 83 indigenous and 306 introduced plants on Gilbert Islands, whereas the corresponding numbers for Line and Phoenix Islands are 67 and 283. None of these species are endemic, and about half of the indigenous ones have a limited distribution and became endangered or nearly extinct due to human activities such as phosphate mining.[56] Coconut and pandanus palms and breadfruit trees are most common wild plants,[19] whereas the five most cultivated crops are Chinese cabbage, pumpkin, tomato, watermelon and cucumber.[57]
Seaweed farming is an important part of the economy, with two major species Eucheuma alcarezii and Eucheuma spinosium introduced to the local lagoons from the Philippines in 1977. It competes with collection of the black-lipped pearl oyster (Pinctada margaritifera) and shellfish,[58] which are dominated by the strombid gastropod (Strombus luhuanus) and Anadara cockles (Anadara uropigimelana), whereas the stocks of the giant clam (Tridacna gigas) have been largely exhausted.[59]
Kiribati has a few land mammals, none being indigenous or endemic. They include the Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans), dogs and pigs. Among the 75 bird species, the Bokikokiko (Acrocephalus aequinoctialis) is endemic to Kiritimati.[56]
There are 600–800 species of inshore and pelagic finfish, some 200 species of corals and about 1000 species of shellfish.[60] Fishing mostly targets the family Scombridae, particularly the skipjack tuna and yellowfin tuna as well as flying fish (Cypselurus spp.). [61]