Massive Kulamanamana Corals Wow Explorers in Papahānaumokuākea
Our Corps of Exploration were wowed by some amazingly beautiful deep-sea corals while exploring along the southern ridge of Middle Bank, at the eastern boundary of Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary! At over 400 meters (1,300 feet) deep, we saw every color of the rainbow on the crest of this seamount ecosystem. Dive deeper than the colors with our team as we detail how the red corals are technically black corals! And the iconic Kulamanamana Hawaiian gold coral is in fact a coral relative — a zoanthid. From bamboo corals to pink Hemicorallium to squat lobsters- there is no shortage of biodiversity in this special ocean-protected area!
Ocean Exploration Trust's NA182 Exploration of the Hawaiian Islands is funded by NOAA Ocean Exploration via the NOAA Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute.
Deep-Sea Habitats of the Hawaiian Archipelago
Our final OECI-sponsored expedition of 2026 brings E/V Nautilus back to the Hawaiian Islands. While nearshore waters surrounding the islands have been relatively well surveyed, many offshore areas remain completely unexplored, hindering efforts to effectively manage the resources of this unique region.
