The Deep-Sea Discoveries of Papahanaumokuakea

Travel Blog  •  Pam Mandel  •  04.02.09 | 2:32 PM ET

The submersible plunged into the deep waters of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in 2007,  but it’s only recently that we’re learning about what was found there. Seven new species of bamboo coral have been identified in the protected area northwest of Hawaii’s main islands. Researchers also located a coral graveyard that might have died a million years ago. The NOAA site has some pictures of the coral, the submersible used for exploration at depths of over 5,000 feet and, whoa, cool, that’s a robot arm poking a sponge. And, uh, a milk crate? Whatever is best for science, I guess.

The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument has it’s own website, with an mp3 file that teaches you not just what the name means, but how to pronounce it, too—it’s a mouthful. And it’s got a breathtaking slideshow.

However, it seems that Papahānaumokuākea is an almost impossible place to visit. But if you’re on the Big Island, you can visit Mokupāpapa: Discovery Center for Hawaii’s Remote Coral Reefs in downtown Hilo to learn about the natural and cultural history of the reserve.

And hey, did I mention robot arms? According to the website, at the Discovery Center, there’s a setup where you can try out a working robot arm. What a great way to pretend you’re the researcher, poking around on the bottom of the sea.

Tags: Islands, Outdoors, North America, United States, Hawaii, Shrinking Planet

Pam Mandel is a freelance writer and photographer from Seattle, Washington. Her work has appeared in a variety of print, radio, and web publications and she's contributed to two guidebooks, one on British Columbia and one on Hawaii. She plays the ukulele, has an internal beacon that is surprisingly capable of locating the best baked goods in town, almost any town, and speaks German with a Styrian accent. Learn more on her personal blog at Nerd's Eye View.


3 Comments for The Deep-Sea Discoveries of Papahanaumokuakea

Sophia Dembling 04.02.09 | 3:33 PM ET

I wish you could have an audio component of your posts to pronounce all the names for us.

Pam 04.02.09 | 4:23 PM ET

Sophia, for you:

http://hawaiireef.noaa.gov/about/PMNM_Pronounce.MP3

Done and done.

When my uke group, the Filip Flops, played a little event about two months back, our Hawaiian language expert had our “lead” singer pronounce the last name of one of the song writers. On stage. He ACED it. :)

Sophia Dembling 04.02.09 | 4:27 PM ET

Wow, it’s difficult even with audio. I go a little cross-eyed looking at the words and cross-eared hearing them. Amazing.

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