Pink Pelagic "Pipe" Pyrosome
Have you ever seen a pyrosome? ROV Hercules spotted this ~8 inch in diameter colonial filter-feeding animal while exploring an unnamed seamount south of Angaur inside the Palau National Marine Sanctuary. These highly bioluminescent marine invertebrates are mostly pelagic, meaning this one spotted on the seamount likely drifted in on a current. Learn more about pyrosomes as our Corps of Exploration explains these robust yet jelly-like free-floating tunicate relatives.
This dive is part of our NA167 Lebuu’s Voyage expedition to explore the deep sea inside and around the Palau National Marine Sanctuary. This expedition, in partnership with the Palau International Coral Reef Center, is funded by NOAA Ocean Exploration via the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute and named Lebuu’s Voyage by Palauan stakeholders as part of a strategic effort to advance traditional knowledge and best practices in tandem with scientific understanding.
Lebuu's Voyage I - Palau
Palau National Marine Sanctuary (PNMS) –protection secured by Euotelel a Klingil a Debel Belau– is one of the most ambitious conservation efforts on Earth. Despite being rich in natural and cultural resources, there is very little data available from deep ocean habitats protected within PNMS. Working closely with the Palau International Coral Reef Center (PICRC), NOAA Ocean Exploration, and other Palauan and U.S.
