Deep Sea Biodiversity of the Marshall Islands

The Republic of the Marshall Islands is an atoll-based country of over 1,200 islands surrounded by 2.13 million square kilometers of ocean, the vast majority of which has never been mapped or surveyed. Despite data gaps, it’s known that the deep sea of Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ hosts rich and diverse marine resources, including over 300 unexplored seamounts with extensive deep-sea ridges and escarpments. Revisit some of our favorite wildlife sightings from the NA174 expedition in this photo album.