A jellyfish in the genus Aequorea swims in the planktonreisel. A bluewater scuba diver caught this 50 millimeter diameter medusa in a plastic jar and carried it back to the surface research vessel for further study.

A one-centimeter larval squid.

Paired bongo nets are lowered on a wire to a depth of 500 meters. Lead weight suspended between the nets will hold them vertical in the water. The nets are slowly pulled up through the water column. The mesh size is 150 microns (0.15 millimeter) so these nets catch tiny organisms. The mouth is 60 cm across so fast-swimming animals will normally escape.

The conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) package. The large white cylinders on the frame are used to collect water samples over geothermal systems.

Andy Billings, an engineering assistant at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, makes final checks on ABE (the autonomous benthic explorer) leading up to its first dive at Brothers Volcano.

The surface tow total-field proton magnetometer used to determine the location of magnetic anomalies.

A good example of one of the many active hydrothermal chimneys (commonly known as black smokers) that occur at the NW caldera site. During earlier NZAPLUME cruises, the detection of heat and various chemical elements emanating from chimneys such as this enabled us to locate numerous hydrothermal vent fields along the Kermadec Arc.

Iron precipitates grow in bizarre tubular twists at Healy submarine volcano.

The Pisces IV submersible encounters a brightly colored octopus near a hydrothermal vent area at Monowai caldera at about 1050 meters.

Christmas Tree Coral (Antipathes dendrochristos) . This species was discovered off Southern California. It can grow to a height greater than two meters. In spite of the color, these types of coral are referred to as black coral.

Banner for Life on the Edge 2005 Expedition.

A grid placed on the seafloor to study diversity and distribution of species.

Yellow and blue fish and galatheid crab in lophelia coral

Large colony of orange sea anemones in lophelia coral

Large colony of orange sea anemones in lophelia coral

Lophelia coral, a large orange anemone and many small anemones, at least four galatheid crabs, a few urchins, and the large conger eel Conger oceanicus.

Lophelia coral, a large orange anemone and many small anemones, at least four galatheid crabs, a few urchins, and the large conger eel Conger oceanicus.

Lophelia coral, a large orange anemone and many small anemones, at least four galatheid crabs, a few urchins, and the large conger eel Conger oceanicus.

Lophelia coral, a large orange anemone and many small anemones, at least four galatheid crabs, a few urchins, and the large conger eel Conger oceanicus.

The commercially important wreckfish Polyprion americanus.

A lophelia colony.

A lophelia colony.

The brisingid sea-star (Novodinia antillensis) is a large invertebrate that is often found perched high on lophelia coral bushes.

A lophelia bush with a large majid crab and numerous small brittle stars.

Roughtip grenadier (Nezumia sclerorhynchus)

Galatheid crabs on lophelia coral bushes

Galatheid crabs on a lophelia coral bush

A large crab amidst lophelia rubble

White sponges on lophelia coral bush

A bottlebrush coral and a white coral in a field of lophelia rubble. Look closely and there are numerous other small invertebrates in the image.

A bamboo coral and white sponges. A small lophelia coral is in the left center.

A bamboo coral and a small lophelia coral.

A small lophelia coral in the center with a white sponge to left and a few branches of a bamboo coral to the right. Numerous other small invertebrates are visible in the image.

A beautiful sample of lophelia

Lophelia with attached bivalves and other

Lophelia with worm

Large worm associated with lophelia bush

Lophelia bush

Lophelia bush

Lophelia bush

Lophelia bush with delicate invertebrates

Lophelia bush with delicate invertebrates

Lophelia bush with delicate invertebrates

Lophelia bush with delicate invertebrates

Lophelia bush with delicate invertebrates

Lophelia bush with an array of various invertebrates

Lophelia bush with an array of various invertebrates

Lophelia bush

Lophelia bush with delicate invertebrates including an eunicid polychaete worm

Lophelia bush with delicate invertebrates