Hermit Crab, Republic of Palau, 2003Photograph by Tim LamanA 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.