Wood with a white gastropod encapsulated in a mud mound. How did this occur? Squat lobsters are using openings at the bottom of the mound for homes.

Wood with a white gastropod encapsulated in a mud mound. How did this occur? Is this from a landslide or some other phenomenon?

A large white anemone with a yellow column.

A reddish brown crinoid on a rock outcrop? viscous mud?

Sedimentary layers of mud. Is the white material of animal or mineral origin?

An odd circular disk with two holes in the middle. What caused this? Area is strangely devoid of life forms relative to other areas in the Gulf of Mexico.

Sedimentary layers of mudstone or shale.

A red swimming holothurian over a cream-colored sediment bottom.

A red swimming holothurian over a cream-colored sediment bottom.

A red swimming holothurian seen against the backdrop of the darkness of the abyss.

A red swimming holothurian over a cream-colored sediment bottom.

A fairly whimpy looking white crinoid on a brown mud and sand bottom. Perhaps a juvenile.

A fairly whimpy looking white crinoid on a brown mud and sand bottom. Perhaps a juvenile.

A colony of magnicent stalked hydroids with translucent stalks and peach colored . Tubularia sp.

A colony of magnicent stalked hydroids with translucent stalks and peach colored . Tubularia sp.

A colony of magnicent stalked hydroids with translucent stalks and peach colored . Tubularia sp.

A crinoid and large barnacles on a solitary coral stalk

Closeup of a crinoid and large barnacle on a solitary coral stalk

Tip of a coral stalk with small hydroids and a large barnacle.

Paramuricea corals with associated brittle stars on blocks of rock or solidified mud.

A black crinoid dominates this image. Top of a coral bush is seen with small hydroids while a large hermit crab in a small white gastropod shell is seen at bottom center.

Complete view of woodfallwith orange and white anemones, white sponges, two crinoids, some white tubeworms, and other biota.

Woodfall with large orange anemone, clear white zoanthids, a beautiful crinoid in the right center of the image, and the base of a glass sponge in the upper center.

Woodfall with large orange anemone, clear white zoanthids, a beautiful crinoid in the right center of the image, and the base of a glass sponge in the upper center.

Translucent swimming holothurian

Venus flower basket sponge and shrimp

Venus flower basket sponge in supine position

Cerianthan anemone on sandy bottom.

Purple holothurian on sandy seafloor

Purple holothurian on sandy seafloor coomencing launching itself for swim

Translucent purple holothurian on seafloor

Translucent purple holothurian on seafloor

Looking down on venus flower basket sponge

A solitary pink brittle star on a sand and mud seafloor.

Swimming holothurian displaying reason that certain species are called Spanish dancers.

Venus flower basket sponge with wedding shrimp inside. These shrimp enter the sponge before reproducing, form mating pairs, and spend the remainder of their lives entrapped in the sponge.

Venus flower basket sponge with wedding shrimp inside. These shrimp enter the sponge before reproducing, form mating pairs, and spend the remainder of their lives entrapped in the sponge.

Venus flower basket sponge with wedding shrimp inside. These shrimp enter the sponge before reproducing, form mating pairs, and spend the remainder of their lives entrapped in the sponge.

Purple holothurian with small spikes.

Spanish dancer holothurian swimming above the bottom.

White sponge with large brittle star

A pink bat star on the seafloor.

Peach-colored anemones on a black rock outcrop.

A dark crinoid on a small coral stalk.

A purple white translucent holothurian on a sand and mud bottom.

Spanish dancer holothurian swimming above the bottom. A red shrimp is seen near the right corner of the image.

This appears to be a holothurian covered with triangular pteropod shells on a sand bottom.

A very thin-legged sea star or a very robust brittle star.

A purple holothurian on a sandy seafloor.

A white stalked sponge with brownish-pink zoanthids on the stalk.