Recent construction north of Ebeye has degraded reefs. The Republic of Kiribati is southwest of the Marshalls. Besides natural stresses such as cyclones, human impacts are slowly taking their toll. Urban pollution and construction near Tarawa, as well as overharvesting and inadequate treatment of discharged sewage are likely degrading reefs. The Republic of Nauru is very narrow with fringing reefs encircling the island.
Human impacts are minimal.
In Polynesia , Hawaii is located in extreme geographic isolation. Natural disasters such as heavy wave action, cyclones and earthquakes disturb coral reef growth. Land clearing, agricultural development, dredging, overfishing, and tourism are some of the human factors which effect reefs. There is no comprehensive monitoring program in place to better assess the causes and consequences of coral reef ecosystem decline. The waters surrounding American Samoa are mainly dominated by fringing reefs.