Book excerpt: "The isolated islands of Nihoa and Necker (Mokumanamana) are the two most southerly of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and have remained virtually untouched since their discovery by westerners in the late 1700s. Although the first Polynesian settlers to these islands have long since departed, Nihoa and Necker still harbor an impressive variety of wildlife. Today almost 1,200 organisms (excluding viruses and bacteria) can be found on and around these islands, with an overwhelming majority of the species being either endemic (found only in Hawaiʻi) or indigenous (naturally occuring in Hawaiʻi but also found elsewhere)" -- Back cover.