Maro Reef

{{short description|Largely submerged coral atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands}}

File:Maro Reef.jpg

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Maro Reef (Hawaiian: Nalukākala - "surf that arrives in combers") is a largely submerged coral atoll located in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It was discovered in 1820 by Captain Joseph Allen of the ship Maro, after whose ship the reef was named. With a total area of {{convert|747|sqmi|km2|0}}, it is the largest coral reef in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It contains 37 species of stony coral. Unlike most atolls, the coral extends out from the center like spokes on a wheel. Located about {{convert|850|mi|nmi km}} northwest of Honolulu, Hawaii, Maro Reef contains about {{convert|1|acre|m2}} of dry land which itself can be submerged depending on the tides. Some scientists believe that it "may be on the verge of drowning" because the reefs are detached and are vulnerable to strong storm waves.[http://hawaiireef.noaa.gov/about/maro.html About Maro Reef] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060212211450/http://www.hawaiireef.noaa.gov/about/maro.html |date=2006-02-12 }}

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USNS Mission San Miguel (T-AO-129) ran aground on the reef, while running at full speed and in ballast, and sank on October 8, 1957.

The ship was a Buenaventura class tanker built in WW2, and due to problems with LORAN reception (for navigation) miscalculated its location striking Maro reef. It was rediscovered in 2015 by NOAA divers. At 523 feet long it is the largest ship lost on Maro reef and noted for historical significant as WW2 T2 tank vessel.{{Cite web |title=Mystery Solved: The Disappearance of USNS Mission San Miguel |url=https://marinesanctuary.org/blog/mystery-solved-usns-mission-san-miguel/ |access-date=2025-01-17 |website=National Marine Sanctuary Foundation |language=en-US}}

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