ABSTRACT
The Tokelau Seamount chain consists of five inactive volcanoes, three of which are capped with reefs and emerge as atolls in the country of Tokelau. These include Atafu to the north, Fakaofo to the south, and Nukunonu in the middle, all of which develop closed rims and lagoons that include patch reefs and reticulate reefs. The atolls are positioned between 8°S and 10°S, where the dominant flow is from the South Equatorial Current, primarily from the northeast. Waves and swell can arrive from the east, southwest, or northwest, and tides range by less than 1.3 m. Located approximately halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand, Tokelau is a dependency of New Zealand, and indeed, most Tokelauans now live there. It is also noted as one of the first nations to have a vast majority of its electricity needs met by solar power, supplemented by coconut oil biofuel.
