A diverse assemblage of sponges and corals on a rock face.

Large orange anemones, a coral literally crawling with brittle stars, and an odd yellow material (sponge?) covering rock surface.

Lophelia with polyps extended.

Large desmophyllum cup coral

Zooanthids covering paragorgia with brittle star emergent

Possibly colonial tunicate on mysterious grey matter on basalt wall. Dive 14. Grey matter could be species of sponge seen in image expl2413.

Lovely sponge community with crinoids on rock wall. Dive 14.

A weird purple holothurian (sea cucumber). Dive 15.

Large orange anemone next to large sponge with unidentified gray fauna. Dive 15.

Pink translucent holothurian (sea cucumber) with Paramuricea octocoral with single brittle star wrapped in branches. Dive 15.

A large red starfish seemingly defying laws of physics in delicate coral branches - a Hippasteria sea star chewing on bamboo coral

A beautiful spiraling Iridigorgia sp. coral

A large yellow sponge (Farria sp.) from Lyman Seamount. Sponges, like corals, attract other fauna, such as crinoids, brittle stars, shrimp, and amphipods.

Gray sponge covered with brittle stars. Dive 15.

Pycnogonid sea spider clinging to bamboo whip coral with white vase sponge in background. Dive 15.

Cranberry crinoids hang out on the surface of large white sponge.

Cranberry crinoids and golden crinoids hang out on the surface of large white sponge.

A tube anemone (Cerianthid). Cerianthid anemones construct a tube of mucous, mud, and fired nematocysts(small hair-like structures produced within specialized cells) that may extend a meter deep into the sediment.

At first glance appears to be a red anemone, but closer inspection reveals it to be the colonial syphonophore rhodalid - with white gas bladder on top.

Candidella with brittle star. Dive 16.

Candidella with brittle stars with legs hanging down to filter feed. Dive 16.

Candidella with brittle stars with legs hanging down to filter feed. Dive 16.

Lovely lyrate bamboo coral about 40 cm high. Dive 16.

Extended polyps of lyrate bamboo coral - an octocoral. Dive 16.

Toadfish with swimming sea cucumber. Dive 16.

Cranberry crinoids on white sponge. Dive 16.

Candelabra bamboo coral - could be about 60 cm across. Dive 16.

A glass sponge, referred to as a "goblet sponge on a stick' by the science party on board.

A sea pen shares a pit with a shrimp. Sea pens (Pennatulacea) are soft-bodied octocorals that anchor into sediments by inflating the base of a large polyp with water. The side branches of this large polyp hold to or more feeding polyps .

A sea pen shares a pit with a shrimp. Sea pens (Pennatulacea) are soft-bodied octocorals that anchor into sediments by inflating the base of a large polyp with water. The side branches of this large polyp hold to or more feeding polyps .

The gorgonian octocoral Paramuricea with a brittle star wrapped in its branches.

A small vertical ledge with right angle corners

A small vertical ledge

A small vertical ledge

A sea spider (Pycnogonida). The long tube hanging down is a proboscis, at the end of which is the mouth. The sea spider can suck up prey items through the proboscis.

A red shrimp on a sandy bottom

A tube anemone (Cerianthid) peeks from a crack in the basalt. Tube anemones have two rings of tentacles surrounding the mouth: the large tentacles of the outer ring, and a small set immediately around the mouth.

A tube anemone (Cerianthid) peeks from a crack in the basalt. Tube anemones have two rings of tentacles surrounding the mouth: the large tentacles of the outer ring, and a small set immediately around the mouth.

A boulder crowned with a golden stony coral (Scleratinia) Enallopsammia rostrata at 1485 meters depth on Yakutat Seamount.

A boulder crowned with a golden stony coral (Scleratinia) Enallopsammia rostrata at 1485 meters depth on Yakutat Seamount. Such high points attract a variety of life forms including brittle stars, deep sea shrimp, and cup corals as seen here .

A boulder crowned with a golden stony coral (Scleratinia) Enallopsammia rostrata at 1485 meters depth on Yakutat Seamount. Such high points attract a variety of life forms including brittle stars, deep sea shrimp, and cup corals as seen here .

A hermit crab crawls along the sediment with an anemone hitching a ride. These anemones live on the shells of the hermit crabs as they are moved about and maximize the chances of acquiring food. The anemones stinging cells on the other hand provide protection for the crab.

A stalked golden crinoid attached to a rock outcrop.

A translucent purple sea cucumber (holothurian)

A pink branched 'bottlebrush' black coral shares a knoll with feather-like, orange black corals (Bathypathes), large yellow sponges, and a stalked glass sponge. The knoll provides a good substrate for sponges and corals to grow on.

A pink branched 'bottlebrush' black coral shares a knoll with feather-like, orange black corals (Bathypathes), large yellow sponges, and a stalked glass sponge. The knoll provides a good substrate for sponges and corals to grow on.

Three large sponges attached to the side of an outcropping boulder.

A cliff face covered with in many different types of sponges.

A cliff face covered with in many different types of sponges.

A variety of life forms adorn a vertical rock face.