638 Mariana Islands species
All of the images of deep sea life presented in this section are still-frame images from ROV video obtained during the NOAA Okeanos Explorer’s 2016 Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas mission. The primary goal of the 59-day mission, which was spearheaded by NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research (OER) and involved the telepresence technology-enabled participation of dozens of shore-based scientists from around the world, was to support the science and management needs of the CNMI and the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument through the acquisition of baseline information for the archipelago’s deepwater habitats.
Most of the species determinations used here were obtained from the Benthic Deepwater Animal Identification Guide on the NOAA OER website, but some of the fish species determinations were provided directly by specialists.
