Revealing Johnston Atoll
Video courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2017 Laulima O Ka Moana. Download larger version (mp4, 139.0 MB).

Between July 7 and August 2, 2017, NOAA and partners conducted the 2017 Laulima O Ka Moana expedition on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, continuing efforts started in 2015 to collect critical baseline information about unknown and poorly known deepwater areas in the Johnston Atoll Unit of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. Over the course of the expedition, scientists explored previously unexplored seamounts, encountered animals that are likely new species, and documented never-seen-before high-density coral and sponge communities. Along the way, they helped to bring the excitement, wonder, and importance of ocean exploration, and the uniqueness of the Johnston Atoll Unit, to armchair explorers around the world.

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