KS alumni connect culture and science in the depths of Papahānaumokuākea

Atrio of KS alumni helped discover several previously unmapped seamounts within Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Sailing aboard Ocean Exploration Trust’s vessel Nautilus, seafloor mapping interns Darrian Muraoka KSK’15, Justin Shiffler KSM’18, and Keahelaumakanimaikahuaomali‘o “Keahe” Silva KSK’21 used multibeam sonar technology to explore this widely uncharted part of the Pacific Ocean.

“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.

Their work will help scientists understand how the Northwestern Hawaiian islands were formed. It also helps catalog geographic features and animal habitats in this region that is larger than all the U.S. national parks combined.

“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.

For Silva, the youngest crew member onboard, the experience was “surreal.” She felt prepared for the expedition thanks to lessons learned from 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 is also part of a nomenclature hui that is considering names – rooted in Native Hawaiian culture and practices – for several seamounts discovered during the expedition.