Pink Precious & Firework Corals near Wake Atoll
While diving on McDonnell Seamount west of Wake Atoll with ROVs Hercules and Atalanta, our team found some delightful deep-sea corals. First up, at 1,806 meters (5,925 feet) deep is an absolutely stunning Iridogorgia magnispiralis coral rising meters high from the seafloor. Thanks to their flexible shape and Hercules-height, Iridogorgia make particularly great habitat for other deep-sea animals. Looking down the spiral stalk of this firework coral is truly a wonderful experience.
Then, at 1,894 meters (6,214 feet), we get to continue the pretty-in-pink theme with a Hemicorallium precious coral the color of bubblegum. On this one, you can spot a big snake star (Class Ophiuroidea) sporting the same color scheme. Also known as brittle stars, these associates wrap their long arms around stationary coral, giving them a prime spot to catch floating debris for future meals.
Ocean Exploration Trust's Exploration of Wake Island's Deep-Sea expedition (NA181) is supported by NOAA Ocean Exploration via the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute.
Exploration of Wake Island's Deep Sea
Located roughly midway between the Hawaiian and Mariana Islands, Wake Island is one of the most isolated land masses on Earth. While there have been some recent expeditions to this remote region, the vast majority of the 407,241 square kilometers of seafloor surrounding Wake remains unmapped and uncharacterized, thereby representing one of the most poorly surveyed areas under US jurisdiction.
