Atoll expedition in 1897. The third expedition in 1898 was led by Alfred Edmund Finckh. On January 6, 2009, U.S. President George W. Bush announced the creation of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, covering several islands and atolls under U.S. jurisdiction. Atoll An atoll (, , , , or ), sometimes called a coral atoll, is a ring-shaped coral reef including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon partially or completely. There may be coral islands or cays on the rim. The coral of the atoll often sits atop the rim of an extinct seamount or volcano which has
Kolhumadulu Atoll Kolhumadulu Atoll Kolhumadulu Atoll (also known as Thaa Atoll) is an administrative division of the Maldives. It corresponds to the natural atoll of the same name. The ancient name of the island was Kolhumaduva during the time of King Koimala who united all atolls of the Maldives under one kingdom for the first time. Traditionally, Maldivians call this atoll simply Kolhumadulu, without adding the word "atholhu" at the end. Thaa is the code letters assigned to the atoll and is sometimes used by tourists to refer to the atoll itself. The waters surrounding this atoll are good fishing areas and