Ancient Sponge and Coral Elders of Palau

While exploring during Lebuu’s Voyage , the team witnessed many landscapes around Palau where ecosystem engineers like sponges and coral colonies create habitat for many different deep communities. While flying up the slopes of an over 2,300 m tall seamount mapped only 12 hours before, light fell on many structure-forming animal elders growing for hundreds of years. In this highlight check out a trio of Tretopleura sp. glass sponges each sprawling over a meter wide. Look closely for the tiny amphipod crustaceans, flowing yellow crinoids, and bushy basket star living among the lobes. 

Along another rocky point the team spotted the massive bamboo coral rising over the light bar of ROV Hercules standing at least 2.4m (8 ft) tall. Identified by the branching pattern of the banded skeleton, this coral is estimated to be hundreds of years old growing in the total darkness. This coral is home to a Sternostylus sp. squat lobster using its extended pinchers to feed among the branches. Corals and sponges thrive on rocky outcrops where current hustle drifting food particles into their polyps and feeding collar cells. 

The NA168 Lebuu’s Voyage expedition to explore the deep sea of Palau was conducted in partnership with the Palau International Coral Reef Center and funded by NOAA Ocean Exploration via the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute. This expedition is part of a contribution to the US Government's commitment to support the mapping of the Palau National Marine Sanctuary. The expedition was named Lebuu’s Voyage by Palauan stakeholders as part of a community strategic effort to advance traditional knowledge and best practices in tandem with scientific understanding of the ocean in Palau.