New Insights from Seafloor Mapping of a Hawaiian Marine Monument

On 15 June 2006, when U.S. President George W. Bush signed the proclamation creating the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM), he probably wasn’t thinking about underwater morphology. To fully understand the coral reefs and marine ecosystems that the monument was created to protect, however, scientists need to have a detailed picture of the seafloor features, home to corals and other species, as well as the geologic history of the area. Thanks to a recent, multi-institution expedition, such a seafloor features that will not only inform conservation efforts but also enable geologists and geophysicists to revise their understanding of Hawaii’s complex geologic past. Specifically, data should help scientists answer fundamental questions about the area’s regional geology. For instance, which seamounts were truly formed because of Hawaiian hotspot volcanism, and which seamounts were not