Helen Reef

 island, atoll

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Helen or Helens Reef (Hotsarihie) is a largely submerged atoll, with just one islet (Helen Island). When the tide is falling, the water flows out of the lagoon and over the reef in all directions until the reef is uncovered. Helen Island, the only island of the reef, is located near its northern tip. It is tiny in comparison to Helen Reef, about 20 to 40 m wide and 400 m long. The densely wooded island sits atop a sand dune, which is 0.25 km² in extent and which is moving southeast, falling into the lagoon, at a rate 3 to 4 m per year. The island is uninhabited except for a marine ranger station of Hatohobei State, which was established in the early 1990s on the eastern side of the island, to guard the reef against foreign poachers. The station is permanently occupied by a staff of three.