False boarfish (Neocyttus helgae)

Tripod fish

Tripod fish

A small Desmophyllum cup coral (scleractinian) growing off a boulder. This is the species of coral that the expedition was looking for fossilized traces of as this type of coral has grown on these type of seamounts for over 20,000 years.

Top view of a bamboo coral (Acanella) with a stalked crinoid. The crinoid mouth faces up and is surrounded by 10 feathered arms.

Deep sea coral with brittle star attached and barnacle in upper branches. The gorgonian octocoral Paramuricea sp.

The gorgonian octocoral Paramuricea. This coral invariably has a single associated brittle star wrapped in its branches.

A colony of the bamboo coral Acanella (orange colored bush) shares a large rocky outcrop with other suspension feeders including a sponge, a yellow sea lily, and a holothurian (red body with white feeding tentacles) at 1630 meters depth. Currents move faster as one moves away from the bottom and suspension feeders take advantage of variations in bottom topography find faster flows.

A brittle star (Ophiocreas) wraps its arms around the branches of a Metallogorgia coral. Note the eight extended tentacles on each polyp on the right side of the colony. The name "Octocorallia' is derived from the eight tentacles.

The beautiful spiral of the coral Iridogorgia.

The beautiful spiral of the coral Iridogorgia showing the feeding polyps lined up on one side of the branches.

The stony coral Enallopsammia. The white patches are areas where the coral tissue is dead (the underlying skeleton is white) and other animals, such as barnacles and hydroids have settled.

A glass sponge, referred to by the science party as a 'goblet sponge on a stick' at 1800 meters depth.

Candidella? sp. with brittle stars

A black coral with a golden crinoid and white sponge

A black coral with bamboo whip corals and Paramuricea sp.

Bamboo? coral with white galatheid crab and red shrimp

Candidella sp. covered with brittle stars.

Iridogorgia (spiraling corals), metallogorgia (parasol coral), and paramuricea ( small corals in foreground) and large white sponge in center of image.

Calyptrophora with ophiacanthid brittle stars. Dive 11.

A magnificent bubble gum coral Paragorgia sp. bush. Dive 12.

What looks like the branch of a palm tree is actually a black coral, Bathypathes sp.

Metallogorgia sp. coral

Parasol coral Metallogorgia melanotrichos with brittle star at 2082 meters depth

The octocoral Paramuricea sp.

A red crab ready to do battle.

A bamboo coral (Acanella), with a feather star (crinoid) in its branches.

A white ruffle sponge.

White ruffle sponges, a large seastar, and bamboo coral Acanella (lower left) on rock outcrop.

A delicate appearing large white sponge on odd outcrop of spherical black balls .

A beautiful yellow sponge on a black rock outcrop.

Stalked crinoids on a rock outcrop.

Crinoids and a crab make their home on what appears to be the dead stump of an old coral colony.

Seven brittle stars surround a squat lobster (Galatheid crab) on a dead sponge. The arms of two feather stars (crinoids) can be seen rising from the back of the sponge.

The ROV inspects a large yellow sponge with what appears to be a smaller pink sponge close to its center.

A sponge at 1600 meters depth. Brown edges of dead tissue and accumulated schmutz (organic debris) from the water column highlight the interesting 3-D shape of the sponge.

Purple, orange, and yellow branching corals and white whip corals

Photograph taken through microscope.

Photograph taken through microscope.

Photograph taken through microscope.

Photograph taken through microscope.

Photograph taken through microscope.

Photograph taken through microscope.

Photograph taken through microscope.

Photograph taken through microscope.

Photograph taken through microscope.

Photograph taken through microscope.

Photograph taken through microscope.

Photograph taken through microscope.

Photograph taken through microscope.