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http://coralreef.noaa.gov/ French Frigate Shoals (23° 45' N -
166° 10' W) French Frigate Shoals is a large 18-mile (29 km)
wide, crescent-shaped atoll on a circular platform,
approximately 718 miles (1,330 km) northwest of Honolulu and 702
miles (1,300 km) southeast of Kure Atoll. The Shoals’ lagoon
contains two exposed volcanic rocks and 12 low, sandy islets.
While the land area is only 67 acres (0.2 km2), the total coral
reef area of the shoals is over 232,000 acres (938 km2), which
makes it the largest atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
(NWHI). Map of French Frigate Shoals (NOAA) Satellite image of
French Frigate Shoals (Photo: NOAA) The reef forms a barrier
against winds and currents around the north and east sides of
the platform. The south and west sides of the platform are
submerged, averaging about 98 feet (30 m) depth. Near the center
of the platform is a small basalt pinnacle about 12