Laysan (; Hawaiian: Kauo ), located northwest of Honolulu at N25° 42' 14" W171° 44' 04", is one of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It comprises one land mass of , about 1 by 1.5 miles in size (1.6 by 2.4 km). It is an atoll of sorts, although the land completely surrounds a shallow central lake some above sea level that has a salinity approximately three times greater than the ocean. Laysan's Hawaiian name of Kauo means egg, referring to its shape and how much life springs from the island.