Campaign to Address Pacific monument Science, Technology, and Ocean NEeds (CAPSTONE) (EX1504-EX1708)

Why Explore Pacific Marine Protected Areas?

The central and western Pacific marine national monuments and national marine sanctuaries encompass over 742,000 square miles of emergent land, coral reef, ocean, and maritime heritage resources. They contain some of the last relatively pristine marine ecosystems on the planet and harbor numerous protected species, as well as undiscovered shipwrecks and cultural landscapes sacred to the indigenous peoples of the Pacific.

Their designation is unprecedented in terms of geographic scope, ecological value, and national symbolism for ocean conservation. However, their remoteness creates substantial challenges. Most deep-water areas remain poorly known and are of high interest to federal and state agencies with research and management responsibilities.

CAPSTONE Science Themes

CAPSTONE was intended to provide a foundation of publicly accessible baseline data and information from U.S. marine protected areas in the central and western Pacific. Specific science themes of CAPSTONE included:

• Acquire data to support priority monument and sanctuary science and management needs;
• Identify and map vulnerable marine habitats – particularly high-density deep-sea coral and sponge communities;
• Characterize seamounts in and around the Prime Crust Zone (PCZ). The PCZ is the area of the Pacific with the highest concentration of commercially valuable deep-sea minerals;
• Investigate the geologic history of Pacific seamounts, including potential relevance to plate tectonics and subduction zone biology and geology; and
• Increase understanding of deep-sea biogeographic patterns across the Central and Western Pacific.