Photo of the Day 19 November 2008


Hermit Crab, Republic of Palau, 2003
Photograph by Tim Laman
A glowing hermit crab tentatively peeks out of its coral burrow in Palau. This island nation, along with nine independent countries, eighteen territories, and Hawaii, composes the Micronesia-Fiji-Polynesia biodiversity hotspot. Rich in vulnerable endemic species, this hotspot encompasses more than 1,400 islands—and an area twice the size of the continental United States.