Donald Palawski, refuge manager of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said they are gathering information from different researchers interested to undertake scientific research and explorations in the area.
“We’re trying to gather information from various researchers to learn what their plans are,” he said in an interview yesterday after their brief presentation before the members of the Legislature.
With Palawski was Barbara A. Maxfield, chief, Pacific Islands External Affairs and Visitors Services of U.S. Fish and Wildlife, and Barry Stieglitz, its deputy chief for the Division of Conservation Planning and Policy of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
The U.S. Department of the Interior delegated to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service the authority to oversee the management of the monument which covers the Marianas Trench — the deepest part of the earth. The trench is deeper than the height of Mount Everest above sea level and five times longer than the Grand Canyon.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife said within the Marianas Monument is the volcanic unit — an arc of undersea volcanoes and thermal vents — that support unusual life forms in some of the harshest conditions imaginable.
The submarine volcanoes are Fukujin, Minami Kasuga#2, NW Eifuku, Minami Kasuga#3, Daikoku, Ahyi, Maug, Alice Springs, Central Trough, Zealandia, E. Diamante, Ruby, Esmeralda, NW Rota #1, Forecast, Seamount X, South Backarc, Archaean Site, Pika Site and Toto.
Eifuku produces almost pure liquid carbon dioxide and is one of only two such sites in the world.
Daikoku has a pool of liquid sulfur “unique in all the world. The only other known location of molten sulfur is on Io, a moon of the planet Jupiter,” U.S. Fish and Wildlife said.
The surrounding water around the submarine volcanoes are home to more than 300 species, including a huge population of apex predators and sharks.
