Lobster at Tern Island

A lobster peeks out from its shelter in a reef near Tern Island. The extensive coral reefs found in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument - truly the rainforests of the sea - are home to over 7,000 marine species, one quarter of which are found only in the Hawaiian Archipelago. Many of the islands and shallow water environments are important habitats for rare species such as the threatened green sea turtle and the endangered Hawaiian monk seal.