Ocean Exploration Trust’s Post

Our #CorpsofExploration loves witnessing the lives of different animals as we explore the #seafloor, especially when these #animals display their fascinating (and sometimes amusing) behavior. In this highlight video, watch the critters of our NA153 expedition to the ancient #seamounts of the #CentralPacific near #JohnstonAtoll put their ecological roles into action. First up is a #grenadier #rattailfish foraging for food with its barbels in the sediment. Follow a #Parapagurid #hermitcrab with its #zoanthid “backpack” and peek at a #seastar seemingly grazing on #epifauna along a dead sponge. Lastly, we have #brittlestar “gymnastics” as #ROVHercules records the invertebrate gracefully falling off of some delicate coral and leaving behind one of its arms (don’t worry, it will likely regenerate!) The #deepocean waters in and around the #PacificRemoteIslandsMarineNationalMonument remain mostly unexplored, particularly towards the northern boundary of the Johnston Unit, where we have been focusing our efforts during this expedition. Further exploration in these areas is urgently needed to address deep-water habitat scientific knowledge gaps, as a management plan is under development now for the region. https://lnkd.in/gtzPkGJv