A sound wave descended the depths of the ocean, sinking 4,000 feet before bouncing off a feature on the seafloor and rising back to the Nautilus. As the research vessel bobbed in the waves within Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, seafloor mapping intern Darrian Muraoka KSK’15 studied the results on a computer screen.
Muraoka, alongside fellow Kamehameha Schools alumni Justin Shiffler KSM’18 and Keahelaumakanimaikahuaomali‘o “Keahe” Silva KSK’21 and other crew members, ran the data and hypothesized that the sonar may have detected something special – a previously unmapped seamount.
“We sent signals to the ocean floor and received different little pings. It was like a video game where you would have to delete all the outlier pings. From that little sketch, we were able to see a seamount, which could range from a little plateau or the size of Mount Ka‘ala, Mauna Kea or Wai‘ale‘ale,” Muraoka said.
Papahānaumokuākea is a national marine monument encompassing 139,797 square miles, an area larger than all the country’s national parks combined. The monument is home to a diverse array of coral, fish, birds, marine mammals and more, with 25% of species found nowhere else in the world.
Over the course of the month-long expedition with Ocean Exploration Trust, the trio of KS alum helped discover seamounts as a part of their work to map the depths of the ocean in the northern section of Papahānaumokuākea. The formal results of the expedition, including the total number of seamounts found, are still pending and may be released in 2023.
Their work will help scientists understand how the Northwestern Hawaiian islands were formed and learn more about geographic features and animal habitats in this virtually unexplored region of the Pacific Ocean. Approximately 97% of this monument’s seafloor, resting at depths of more than 3,000 feet, remains unmapped.
Watch an ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi video explaining seafloor mapping here
“As a Native Hawaiian, being able to venture into parts of our land and our culture that are so significant to us was eye-opening. Papahānaumokuākea is where some of the world’s most unique biology occurs and the most pristine ocean. I had the opportunity to come out here and study it and look at these various figures in the ocean,” Shiffler said.
Each intern rotated on six-hour shifts to closely watch and adjust the multibeam sonar used to study the ocean floor, enabling the team to generate high-resolution, three-dimensional maps.
Setting sail for Papahānaumokuākea, Muraoka remembers having a clear view of the KS Kapālama campus from the Nautilus. Muraoka recalled thinking to herself, “I’m actually out here, conducting myself as a Native Hawaiian, as a KS alumna, as someone who is so in love with the ocean and marine science. I’m representing everything that I love.”
Muraoka credits kumu like KS Kapālama marine biology teacher Bethany Kimokeo Kane KSK’05 and Kapālama scuba diving instructor James McClure KSK’87 for igniting her interest in marine biology.
For Silva, the youngest crew member onboard, the experience was “surreal.” She felt prepared for the expedition thanks to lessons learned from KS Kapālama science teachers Gail Ishimoto and Robert Hutchison.
“I had two fantastic mentors that pushed me in the right direction and definitely pushed me to continue to explore my passions in science and sustainability as well as to pursue them. Without [these kumu], I definitely wouldn’t have gotten on the Nautilus,” Silva said.
The trio also participated in “Ship to Shore” outreach and education to spread awareness and garner interest in their work on the Nautilus. The interns connected virtually from the ship with learners of all ages, from elementary keiki to college students in Hawai‘i and beyond.
“My time at KS prepared me to get in front of an audience and talk about these things. It was really nice to be able to reach out to kids,” Shiffler said.
The trio continues to collaborate as a part of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Native Hawaiian Cultural Working Group – Nomenclature Hui. The committee is considering names – rooted in Native Hawaiian culture and practices – for several seamounts discovered during the expedition.
See more photos of the KS alumni and their expedition here. Photos courtesy: Ocean Exploration Trust, Nautilus Live, Nova West
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