Hermit Crabs squeeze into a tangle of jetsam to avoid the intense tropical sun.
Evidence of coral bleaching due to sea temperature rise. The underlying reef-building coral is dead while other marine life survives.
On even the planet's most remote islands the discards of civilization wash up.
A small Moray Eel claims a prime hiding spot within the tidal zone.
A Coconut Crab is held by a Kiribati official. This specimen weighed about two pounds, but other examples were easily double that weight.
Naturalist Lucho Verdesoto gets an up-close view of a Hermit Crab.
A Hermit Crab traverses coral rubble in search of a meal.
Soaring seabirds maintain a contant vigil in the skies above the islands.
A male Frigate Bird, with red neck pouch inflated, soars amidst the tropical clouds.
A Red-Footed Boobie gets a good look as expedition members photograph its nesting area.
Frigate Birds, Red-Footed Boobies, Fairy Terns, Sooty Terns and Tropic Birds are frequent companions in the sky.
Naturalists and photographers traverse a beach on Flint Island at the tree line.