Mixed Plate Special - NWHI: What lies beneath

NWHI: What lies beneath

Written by Catharine Lo
Saturday, February 28 2009
Scientists from NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary Program and the University of Hawai‘i’s Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) and Departments of Botany and Oceanography have returned from a three-week expedition to the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands. They conducted research on coral health, apex predator movement patterns, and deep-sea habitat, bringing back photos of seldom explored deep-sea environments and new data on predator movement patterns that will help guide conservation management of the national monument. Researchers used a time-lapse camera that captured images of marine life including15-foot-long sleeper sharks and an extremely rare species of hagfish in their deep-sea. HIMB scientists also tagged large predatory fish such as tiger sharks, ulua and grouper to study their range and behavioral patterns. This research trip was the first of three that will take place through October 2007. Check here for updates from the cruise. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Comments (0) Subscribe to this comment's feed Write comment Name Email Comment Write the displayed characters