Invertebrates
Marine invertebrates are the most diverse and abundant group of organisms in the ocean. This grouping is not based on a single taxon, but is defined as a group of animals found in the marine environment which lack a vertebral column. There are hundreds of species of invertebrates in Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, such as corals, urchins, lobsters, crabs, snails, octopus, jellies, and sea stars. The coral reefs themselves are built by extremely large numbers of colonial invertebrate polyps which collectively provide habitat for countless other invertebrate species.