Ring of Fire 2006 Expedition. A huge congregation of white crabs assembling in an area of hydrothermal activity. Note the tongue fish and tube worms on the seafloor at the bottom of the image

Ring of Fire 2006 Expedition. White crabs on a sulfur matted seafloor and what appears to be two different species of tube worms.

Ring of Fire 2006 Expedition. A thicket of white and yellow tube worms with a few crabs interspersed in a hydrothermal vent area.

Ring of Fire 2006 Expedition. A thicket of tubeworms with white and orange crabs.

Ring of Fire 2006 Expedition. A proliferation of tube worms and a few orange and white crabs.

Ring of Fire 2006 Expedition. A proliferation of tube worms and a few orange and white crabs. The sampling arm of the ROV is visible in the lower right of the image.

Ring of Fire 2006 Expedition. Tube worms and a white crab.

Ring of Fire 2006 Expedition. Tube worms, tongue fish, and white crabs.

Ring of Fire 2006 Expedition. Possibly a small hydrothermal vent accounts for the agglomeration of crabs amongst the volcanic boulders in this area.

Ring of Fire 2006 Expedition. White and orange crabs with a rare (for this vent field) starfish amongst volcanic boulders.

Ring of Fire 2006 Expedition. A small crevice with white and orange crabs in the vicinity and what appear to be numerous small white anemones.

Ring of Fire 2006 Expedition. Crabs congregating in a possible small vent area.

Ring of Fire 2006 Expedition. White and orange crabs in a boulder strewn area. The white crabs are seen to have a slight lavendar tint in this image.

Ring of Fire 2006 Expedition. Crabs congregating in a possible small vent area.

Ring of Fire 2006 Expedition. A huge field of tube worms. Look closely and many crabs and tongue fish can be seen. Note also the wire extending over the lower half of the image. Even in this seemingly pristine environment, human marine debris can be found.

Ring of Fire 2006 Expedition. A huge field of tube worms. Look closely and many crabs and tongue fish can be seen.

Ring of Fire 2006 Expedition. Tube worms, gray crabs, and a sulfur-encrusted rock outcrop.

Ring of Fire 2006 Expedition. Gray crabs and one black crab in a sulfur-encusted area.

Ring of Fire 2006 Expedition. Vents emitting hydrothermal fluids and CO2 bubbles, crabs, sulfur- encrusted bottom, and tube worms with black tips.

Ring of Fire 2006 Expedition. Vents emitting hydrothermal fluids and CO2 bubbles, crabs, sulfur- encrusted bottom, and tube worms with black tips.

Ring of Fire 2006 Expedition. Perhaps a witch eel swimming past while the ROV is in a "foggy" area with hydrothermal fluids.

Ring of Fire 2006 Expedition. Two fish illuminated by the ROV in an otherwise totally black landscape of water.

Ring of Fire 2006 Expedition. One fish illuminated by the ROV

Ring of Fire 2006 Expedition. Hydrothermal venting, at least one tongue fish, a number of crabs, a sulfur encrusted bottom, and CO2 bubbles.

Ring of Fire 2006 Expedition. Hydrothermal venting,a few crabs, a few small tube worms, a sulfur encrusted bottom, and CO2 bubbles.

Ring of Fire 2006 Expedition. Hydrothermal venting,a few crabs, a few tube worms, a few tongue fish, and a sulfur encrusted bottom, and CO2 bubbles.

Ring of Fire 2006 Expedition. Crabs marching across the seafloor in a hydrothermal area.

Ring of Fire 2006 Expedition. Perpetual night of the deep ocean with light from the ROV scattering off a few small creatures and detritus falling from above.

Galapagos Rift Expedition 2002. Perfect pillow lavas and vent clams in an area of new seafloor near

Galapagos Rift Expedition 2002. This multibeam map produced by Dan Scheier portrays convincing evidence in the form of a split volcano that new seafloor is being generated on the Galapagos Rift and spreading away from the axis. The northern half of the 300-meter high volcano is in the Cocos Plate while the southern half is on the Nazca Plate.

Vailulu'u Expedition 2005. One of numerous dead fish that has succumbed in the acidic waters of the "moat of death" Note the small red polychaete worms that are grazing on and near the fish carcass.

Vailulu'u Expedition 2005. Photomicrograph of a bright red polychaete collected at a depth of 980 meters in Vailulu'u crater. These worms were the only living macroscopic organisms observed in this zone.

Vailulu'u Expedition 2005. Numerous small ophiuroids were recovered from the outside flanks of the volcano, not far from the summit.

Vailulu'u Expedition 2005. The summit of Nafanua was covered with thick microbial mats, indicative of low-temperature venting.

Vailulu'u Expedition 2005. The Anti-Aquarium. Swarms of small synaphobranchid eels, Dysommina rugosa, live in the crevices on the summit of Nafanua.

Vailulu'u Expedition 2005. Basket of Pisces V completely buried in a 1-m thick microbial mat on the side of Nafanua.

Vailulu'u Expedition 2005. Pillow lavas on the western rift of Vailulu'u colonized with a large gorgonian, Iridogorgia sp., and a purple comatulid crinoid.

Vailulu'u Expedition 2005. A large stalked crinoid on the outer SW flank of Vailulu'u Seamount.

Vailulu'u Expedition 2005. Stalked hexactinellid sponges (probably family Dactylocalicidae) attached to broken pillows on the western rift of Vailulu'u.

Vailulu'u Expedition 2005. An octopus living on the western summit of Vailulu'u was observed on several occasions.

Vailulu'u Expedition 2005. Current meter with attached turbidity sensor (MAPR) deployed in the SW breach of the volcanic rim.

Vailulu'u Expedition 2005. Extruded pillow lavas North of Tau'u, the nearest island to Vailulu'u Seamount.

Vailulu'u Expedition 2005. Swimming elasipod sea cucumber, Paleopatides sp., photographed off the northern shore of Tau Island.

Vailulu'u Expedition 2005. Large hexactinellid sponge, probably family Pheronemidae, attached with large spicules to the broken pillows off Tau'u.

Vailulu'u Expedition 2005. Tiny "Q-tip" sponges occur in high numbers just inside the SW breach of Vailulu'u.

Vailulu'u Expedition 2005. Broken pillow lavas, colored red by iron oxide, inside Vailulu'u crater.

Vailulu'u Expedition 2005. Small finger-sized chimneys deep inside Vailulu'u crater.

Search for the USS-09 Expedition 2004. Side-scan sonar image of the remains of the submarine USS O-9 (SS-70) off the Isle of Shoals, New Hampshire in more than 400 feet of water.

Operation Deep Scope Expedition 2004. Note the green fluorescence of the eyes of this short-nose greeneye fish. The submersible team collected the specimen for optical studies in the ship's onboard laboratory.

Operation Deep Scope Expedition 2004. Under white light, the green lenses of this six-inch greeneye fish are still quite apparent.