Redbanded rockfish (Sebastes babcocki)

Rockfish with deep sea coral (Lophelia pertusa)

A white sea star

A small fish

The elegant soft coral sea pen, Umbellula sp.

Brittle stars and whelk leaving a track across the mud of the continental slope. Mud cloud in lower right probably caused by ROV disturbing sediment

A large sea anemone more that 10 centimeters across

Whelks and clams at a methane cold seep in the Juan de Fuca Canyon

A white precipitate forms at this cold seep in Juan de Fuca Canyon. Cold seeps are ocean floor "springs" where sulfide- or methane-rich fluids are released from the seafloor.

Whelk egg capsule "towers"

Rat-tailed fish

White structure with brittle stars. Blackish depression could be methane seep. White structure could be tube worm colony

Purple sea pen that often has a large brittle star (Asteronyx loveni) associated with it.

"Dumbo" deep sea cirrate octopus, likely Opistoteuthis californiana. This type of octopus has muscular lateral fins to propel it.

Pom Pom anemone (Liponema brevicornis)

All life is interconnected. An aggregation of brittle stars (Ophiura sarsi) with a sea urchin in upper right.

All life is interconnected. An aggregation of brittle stars. In some areas the seafloor is covered in brittle stars (Ophiura sarsi).

Luidia foliolata, a predatory sea star that feeds on bivalves, sea cucumbers and brittle stars among other things, makes an imprint in the sand, like a snow angel.

Marine debris human trash thrown overboard from vessel attracts variety of marine life, particularly urchins and whelks.

Marine debris human trash thrown overboard attracts urchins, a sun star, whelks, and an assemblage of brittle stars.

Marine debris human trash thrown overboard attracts urchins, a sun star, and whelks.

Primnoa pacifica providing habitat for rockfish.

Primnoa pacifica providing habitat for rockfish.

Primnoa pacifica providing habitat for rockfish.

Primnoa pacifica providing habitat for rockfish.

Primnoa pacifica providing habitat for rockfish.

Primnoa pacifica providing habitat for rockfish.

Primnoa pacifica providing habitat for rockfish.

Sea anemone and brittle stars sharing space with human marine debris

Large cable on sea floor with marine growth colonizing. Perhaps a communications cable.

Estuary to Abyss Expedition 2004. Shaefer's anglerfish (Sladenia shaefersi) that was brought up by the Johnson-Sea-Link II submersible. This is the third specimen of this species that has ever been seen. The first was seen off the coast of Colombia in 1976. The "fishing poles" on his head are illiceum, or the first and second spines of the dorsal fin which are used to attract prey.

Estuary to Abyss Expedition 2004. A crab megalopae (late larval stage) has a pink, crab-like body. Unlike a mature crab, however, the megalopae does not hold its abdomen underneath its body.

Estuary to Abyss Expedition 2004. Of the eight rock specimens collected on this expedition, three rock types were found: (A) Mn-phosphorite pavement rock, some of which included large nodules; (B) loosely cemented foraminifera ooze; and (C) well-cemented foraminiferan limestone that formed ledges and overhangs.

Estuary to Abyss Expedition 2004. Blackfin codling prefer dark iron-stained sand mixed with patchy hard bottom and sessile invertebrate growth.

Estuary to Abyss Expedition 2004. A floating light-trap used to capture larval and juvenile stages of fishes.

Estuary to Abyss Expedition 2004. An arcturid isopod clings to a branch of an octocoral. This photo was taken using a camera mounted to a microscope. The field of view of the photo is 3 millimeters.

Estuary to Abyss Expedition 2004. Long-spine porcupinefish captured in the Sargassum community.

Estuary to Abyss Expedition 2004. Pelagic brown algae in the genus Sargassum. The berry-like structures are gas-filled bladders known as pneumatocysts, which provide buoyancy to the plant.

Estuary to Abyss Expedition 2004. A Pluto skate found (Fenestraja plutonia) on iron-stained sand bottom with manganese nodules .

Estuary to Abyss Expedition 2004. A small sea urchin brought to the surface by the Johnson Sea Link II.

Estuary to Abyss Expedition 2004. Two sponges attached to a piece of manganese phosphorite rock.

Estuary to Abyss Expedition 2004. White tube sponges, showing the large central osculum and similar ostia (pores) in the body wall. A brittle star can be seen in the sponge on the left.

Florida Deep Coral Expedition 2005. A new species of commensal amphipod collected from Paramuricea coral. The brown spots may be used to mimic the coral's polyps.

Florida Deep Coral Expedition 2005. An example of the lushly diverse habitat explored during this expedition.

Florida Deep Coral Expedition 2005. Primnoid octocorals among Lophelia at approximately 2500 ft in depth.

Florida Deep Coral Expedition 2005. The deep sea coral Enallopsammia profunda.

Florida Deep Coral Expedition 2005. A specimen of Keratoisis bamboo coral inside the collection box of the Johnson-Sea-Link submersible, rising to the surface.

Florida Deep Coral Expedition 2005. A specimen of Keratoisis bamboo coral.

Florida Deep Coral Expedition 2005. This is believed to be a new species of a commensal amphipod. This 7-8 mm. long specimen was discovered inside a Hexactinallid sponge.

Florida Deep Coral Expedition 2005. Two different types of gorgonian corals rising to the surface in the "bio-box" attached to the front of the Johnson-Sea-Link submersible.