Shallow Water Surprises at Johnston Atoll
Expeditions adapt!
When rough weather prevented access to deeper targets, we took the opportunity to explore the reef crest on the western edge of Johnston Atoll from 1900 meters up into the mesophotic zone at 125 meters. The team encountered some colorful new sightings among the animals inhabiting these shallower depths of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. Meet the blunt-nosed sixgill shark (Hexanchias griseus), an opportunistic omnivore of a shark that at nearly 2 meters long is still only a juvenile! In shallower depths as food becomes more abundant, the team also spotted fish Halosaur and the bright pink splendid alfonsino (Beryx splendens). More shallow species sightings included a rotund catshark, sea pen corals, and the totally tropically-colored, recently described parostylid squat lobster Uroptychus sp.
Learn more about this expedition exploring the seascapes of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. The protected area around Johnston Atoll encompasses the entire US EEZ extent, covering 200 nautical miles around the island with tropical island, shallow reef, and deep sea habitats encompassed within its management.
Deep Sea Biodiversity & Ancient Volcanoes near Johnston Atoll
Johnston Atoll, one of the most isolated atolls in the world, is located in the central Pacific Ocean, between the Hawaiian Islands, the Line Islands, and the nation of Kiribati. Around this atoll, the Pacific Remote Island Marine National Monument (PRIMNM) was expanded in 2014 to protect the full 200 nautical mile perimeter of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) encompassing many unexplored seafloor features.
