Deep-Sea Habitats of the Marshall Islands

Located midway between Hawaiʻi and the Philippines, the Republic of the Marshall Islands is an island nation in the Central Pacific region of Micronesia. As one of only four atoll-nations in the world, the Republic of the Marshall Islands consists of 29 low-lying atolls and five main islands that are surrounded by over 2.13 million square kilometers of mostly unexplored seafloor. The islands are oriented into two parallel island chains: Ratak in the east and Ralik to the west, which means sunrise and sunset in the Marshallese language, respectively. Each of the 29 atolls consists of a number of islets separating a central lagoon from the surrounding barrier reef, together totaling more than 1,200 individual islets. With a total land area of only 181 square kilometers, 98.9% of the Marshall Islands' territory is underwater - the largest proportion of water to land of any sovereign state.

Spotted! E/V Nautilus sailing past Savo Island.