MAALAEA – Maui Ocean Center’s free Sea Talk Series will continue on Thursday, March 26, at 6 p.m. with “New Insights from Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument Seafloor” presented by Dr. Christopher Kelley.

Kelley will discuss amazing discoveries of the research ship Falkor from the seafloor of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

Falkor mapped the seafloor with high-resolution multibeam sonar. View the incredible, near-photographic quality images of extinct volcanoes (now called seamounts), drowned reef terraces, giant undersea landslides, long ridges and other mysterious features that exist within the monument.

Dr. Kelley will also reveal fascinating findings that not all of the seamounts in the Hawaiian archipelago are Hawaiian, but rather sunken islands that were once at the surface during the age of the dinosaurs, thousands of years before the Hawaiian atolls and seamounts ever began forming.

Dr. Kelley will also describe the upcoming summer project with the ship Okeanos Explorer and how you can witness live streaming video from its remotely operated vehicle.

Sea Talks are held in the Open Ocean exhibit. Entry is through the aquarium’s front gate. Doors open 5:30 p.m. and close promptly at 6 p.m. Call 270-7088 to register.