hɪstˈɔːɹɪkli, ðɪ ˈaɪlənd mˌeɪhɐv lˈɔst ˌʌp tə tˈuːθˈɜːdz ʌv ɪts pˌɑːpjʊlˈeɪʃən bᵻtwˌiːn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti ænd nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd twˈɛnti, ɐkˈoːɹdɪŋ tə fɹˈɛd dˈæmən, ɐn ˌænθɹəpˈɑːlədʒi pɹəfˈɛsɚ fɹʌmðə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ʌv vɜːdʒˈɪniə hˌuː lˈɪvd ˌɔn wˈʊdlɑːɹk ˈaɪlənd ɪnðə mˈɪd nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti z.
Historically, the island may have lost up to two-thirds of its population between 1850 and 1920, according to Fred Damon, an anthropology professor from the University of Virginia who lived on Woodlark Island in the mid-1970s.