Approaching Ancient Corals with New Technology

In this highlight video from our NA165 E Mamana Ou Gataifale II exploration up an unnamed seamount in the southeastern area of American Samoan waters, you’ll spot living deep-sea corals next to fossilized individuals. The ferromanganese coating on the dead skeleton leads our scientists to predict this outcrop has been present for millennia. Watch biology and technology combine as our interdisciplinary Corps of Exploration discuss how non-invasive sampling will allow the team to study the biodiversity of the site, including Chrysogorgia corals, crinoids, barnacles, squat lobsters, and more. One of those methods is by collecting and analyzing environmental DNA (aka eDNA). By collecting water samples near this outcrop, the team can filter for eDNA and analyze those samples ashore to get a snapshot of the species that comprise this fascinating deep-sea ecosystem. 

The E Mamana Ou Gataifale II expedition was led by Ocean Exploration Trust and funded by NOAA Ocean Exploration, NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations Uncrewed Systems Operations Center, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management via the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute in partnership with the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa and with support from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Air/Sea Heritage Foundation.