Maro Reef

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Maro Reef (Hawaii overall)
Green pog.svg
Location of Maro Reef
Maro Reef satellite image

The Maro Reef ( Hawaiian : Nalukakala or Koʻanakoʻa ) is the largest coral reef within the Northwest Hawaiʻi Islands with an area of ​​1934 km² . It is located about 1,360 km from Honolulu , the capital of Hawaii , in the northern Pacific Ocean . The reef is named after the American whaling ship Maro , from which it was first sighted in 1820.

Strictly speaking, it is a coral atoll , which does not have an oval fringing reef, but a reticulated structure with rays emanating from a center. Maro Reef is completely below the sea surface at medium water levels; at low tide an area of ​​up to 4000 m² (0.004 km²) of dry land becomes visible. There are countless lagoons between the higher parts of the reef .

The Maro Reef is an important ecosystem within the Hawai'i Islands. In addition to 37 species of hard corals ( Scleractinia ), it is also home to the rice coral Montipora capitata and the finger coral Porites compressa . The fish are at Galapagos Shark ( Carcharhinus galapagensis ) or 'Omilu , a kind of jack fish called as well as many types of butterfly fish and surgeonfish .

Web links

Commons : Maro Reef  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 25 ° 25 ′ 0 ″  N , 170 ° 35 ′ 0 ″  W.