Hawaiian Sunset Corals in Papahānaumokuākea

Did you know that you can spot some of the most gorgeous Autumn sunset colors hundreds of meters beneath the ocean? We certainly did while exploring along the southern ridge of Middle Bank, near the eastern boundary of Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary! At over 400 meters (1,300 feet) deep, we were in awe finding a garden of bright yellow and orange corals and surrounded by all sorts of associates in colors ranging from red to white to brown. Within the community were the iconic Kulamanamana (Hawaiian gold coral), the culturally significant and spectacularly long-lived zoanthid with colonies known to live over 2,500 years. Check out the multicolored corals covered in parazoanthids, the parasitic anemone-like polyps that colonize and grow over coral skeletons. 

Cozy up for Fall (hāʻulelau in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi) with this highlight, including close-up looks at coral polyps, chunky sea stars, and a striped Coelorinchus rattail. Can you spot the camouflaged goosefish (family Lophiidae) hiding amongst the fall-colored corals at the end of the video?

Ocean Exploration Trust's NA182 Exploration of the Hawaiian Islands is funded by NOAA Ocean Exploration via the NOAA Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute.