New Species of Moths, Corals, and Sponges

hyposmocoma

In the tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean lie the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Encompassing 140,000 square miles of reef, atolls and shallow and deep waters, Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument has been the site of recent discoveries that researchers are describing as “absolutely bizarre.”

 In December 2009, Researchers from the University of Hawai’i discovered eight new moth species in the genus Hyposmocoma within Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, species found no where else in the world. The announcement of the new species was made through an article published in October issue of Zootaxa, a journal for zoological taxonomists.

These newly discovered species are believed to be descendants of species that colonized the Hawaiian archipelago more than 5 million years ago, before Kauai, the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands emerged.

Also during the early part of December, deep sea submersibles uncovered new and dramatic sponges and corals during deep sea dives near Nihoa Island, just with the monument’s eastern boundary. Dive site researchers found sponges that were “absolutely bizarre” and one observer commented that, “it look’s like something out of Dr. Suess!” Corals and fishes potentially new to science were also uncovered during the dive.

References: University of Hawaii System Newsletter – Nov. 6, 2009, Marine national Monument Press Release – Dec. 14, 2009, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Press Release – Nov. 4, 2009, Star Bulletin – Nov. 4, 2009