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and seamounts
Banks
and Seamounts
There are
approximately 30 submerged banks in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
Up until recently very little was known about the  banks
beyond that they were shield volcanoes formed at the hotspot. Some
scientists believe that many of the banks act as ‘stepping stones’ for
marine organisms to migrate in the region. The bank areas provide extensive
habitat for bottomfish and a few are known to provide foraging habitat
for endangered Hawaiian monk seals. Large precious corals, such as
gold, pink and black are also found in the deep waters of the banks.
Unlike shallow reef corals which are able to harness sunlight as an
energy source due to photosynthesizing symbiotic dinoflagellates in
their tissues, deep-water precious corals live in near-total darkness
and are completely dependent upon capturing plankton from the water
column with their tentacles.
 The
first Hawaiian coral reefs originated around the oldest islands. Many
of these islands are now seamounts sunken to great depths. Other seamounts
have never emerged above the ocean’s surface. Guyots are sunken
volcanoes that became flat topped seamounts. Fish and precious corals
may be concentrated near the tops of seamounts or guyots.
St. Rogatien,
Brooks Banks, and other unnamed banks surrounding French Frigate
Shoals. Little is known about these bank areas, except that Hawaiian
monk seals have been observed foraging in these areas, probably for
eels. The Hawai‘i Undersea Research Laboratory plans to visit
these banks in several deep sea dives beginning in 2002 to build
a greater understanding of the areas.
Raita
Bank is just west of Gardner Pinnacles. The crest or top of Raita
Bank is about 60 feet from the ocean surface. Bottom habitats of
relatively shallow banks such as Raita tend to be barren when compared
with more sheltered coral reef environments. Recent surveys revealed
less than 1% live coral cover in the shallow portions of Raita Bank,
with the bottom scoured by wave action and strong currents. Raita
is one of the larger banks in the NWHI, and there is much yet to
be discovered about this area.
Pioneer
Bank is only 22 nautical miles from Neva Shoals, and the features
combine to form a major coral reef ecosystem rich in biodiversity
and with a variety of marine habitats.
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