A Diversity of Floating Friends of the Deep Sea
While exploring Unnamed Seamount 15 in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM) we were lucky enough to witness all types of animals from cephalopods to cnidarians. Members of our Corps of Exploration were delighted when both an octopus and a ctenophore floated in front of ROV Hercules’s camera at the same time. This combination perfectly encapsulates the diversity found in the deep sea. Want even more diversity? Keep watching for a quick glimpse of a crustacean and an absolutely stunning jellyfish.
PMNM is the largest marine protected area in the United States covering over 1.5 million square kilometers. While past expeditions have increased baseline knowledge of the deep-water resources here, large areas remain completely unexplored! The Ala ʻAumoana Kai Uli expedition gathered data urgently needed to address local management and science needs of PMNM, including a better understanding of the deep-sea natural and cultural resources, biogeographic patterns of species distributions, and seamount geologic history.
Ala ʻAumoana Kai Uli in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
Ocean Exploration Trust and partners will conduct a telepresence-enabled expedition to explore unseen deep-sea habitats aboard E/V Nautilus with ROV and seafloor mapping operations in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM) focused on the largely unexplored northwestern section of the Monument.
