Ledge with iron oxide staining. Small fauna including various sponges and corals can be seen.

Iron oxide staining on edge of rock outcrop.

Rocks with iron oxide staining. A brownish red anemone is seen above the orange rocks.

A small trench, perhaps caused by a whale foraging along bottom, with a red shrimp.

The equivalent of a deep sea crop circle. Did biological or geological phenomena cause this circular array of holes? Probably biological cause but why would a group of animals or a single animal excavate a number of holes in this circular pattern?

The equivalent of a deep sea crop circle. Did biological or geological phenomena cause this circular array of holes? Probably biological cause but why would a group of animals or a single animal excavate a number of holes in this circular pattern?

A linear slit-like crevice in an otherwise undisturbed seafloor. Clouds of dust probably caused by Little Hercules disturbing seafloor.

A wall of somewhat columnar jointed volcanic rock. A lone white sponge adorns the wall on the upper right.

Angular boulders of volcanic rocks.

Angular boulders of volcanic rocks laying over gravel and sand bottom. An eel-like fish is in the bottom center.

Small conical mounds with holes in the top, probably some sort of animal burrow. The right-most mound is reminiscent of a bee-hive.

Small conical mounds with holes in the top, probably some sort of animal burrow.

A slab of mudstone, possibly part of landslide debris. The orange colored material is probably of biological origin.

Layers of mudstone or perhaps volcanic ash flows.

Three layers of rock, each with distinct characteristics.

Relatively large sand waves on the seafloor indicating high current regime in this area.

A live clam is inspected on the seafloor at Kawio Barat. Many of these were seen just sitting on the seafloor as opposed to buried in sediment.

Shrimp in vicinity of hydrothermal vent on Kawio Barat

Shrimp and rivulets of moten sulphur at Kawio Barat. Molten sulphur at high temperature is black while the yellow sulphur indicates a lower temperature when molten. Diffuse vent fluids in the area promote the growth of bacteria, attracting dense populations of shrimp that graze on the food source.

A nearby hydrothermal vent, a scale worm, shrimp, and precipitates of native sulfur at a vent field on Kawio Barat.

A vent shrimp on a carpet of granular material in the Kawio Barat vent field.

A hydrothermal spire covered with barnacles on Kawio Barat.

Barnacles feeding at the hydrothermal field at Kawio Barat. These barnacles are stalked, which most likely benefits the barnacle by getting it off the seafloor and into the water column, raising its likelihood of encountering passing plankton while feeding.

Orange iron oxide hydrothermally altered rock with white bacterial material growing. Small orange coated creature in lower left center is bristle worm.

Barnacles attached to hydrothermal vent spires feeding at Kawio Barat.

Feeding barnacles and some vent shrimp seen at Kawio Barat.

Feeding barnacles and some vent shrimp seen at Kawio Barat. The tentacles, or cirri, of the barnacles, extend like blooming flowers, then fold back into the shell. The white fluff on the cirri are filaments of bacteria that grow in the passing vent water. The barnacles hold them out to promote growth, and then, apparently, retract the cirri to "lick their fingers."

Barnacles attached to hydrothermal vent spires feeding at Kawio Barat. Curiously , the density of barnacles decreases with height and at a color change on the large vent spire in the right center of the image.

Feeding barnacles in close proximity to thermal vent (note shimmering water).

The first animals sighted on this initial dive to Kawio Barat were clams sparsely scattered over the sediment and white mats, both of which use vent fluids as energy for associated microbes.

Shrimp seemingly covered with precipitated material? absorbed ingested material? near vent at Kawio Barat

Shrimp seemingly covered with precipitated material? absorbed ingested material? near vent at Kawio Barat

Shrimp and native sulfur at hydrothermal vent field at Kawio Barat

Shrimp at a vent site at Kawio Barat.

Vent shrimp on underside of highly vesicular rock.

Vent shrimp, one covered with what might be yellow bacterial material.

Closeup of pinkish red shrimp in vicinity of vent site.

Shrimp covered with yellowish orange bacterial material.

Vent shrimp - one covered with yellow-orange bacterial material and other covered with white material.

Vent shrimp with varying degrees of coloration from either bacterial or mineral material. The seeming large shrimp is an optical illusion as it is swimming and closer to the camera than the shrimp on the rock face.

Hydrothermal vent spewing heated fluids on the flank of Kawio Barat volcano. Rivulets of yellow and gray native sulfur are frozen in place after having run partially down the volcano's side. Numerous large shrimp can be seen below the vent.

Vent shrimp on frozen rivulets of gray and yellow sulfur.

Vent shrimp on frozen rivulets of gray and yellow sulfur.

Vent shrimp, gray rivulets of native sulfur, and some balls of yellow sulfur seen on volcanic gravel-like material in lower left.

Vent shrimp next to active vents. The center vent seems to be impregnated with sulfur giving it a yellow hue. Yellow material seen in some rivulets and in block in upper right is native sulfur.

Stalked barnacles, three scaleworms, and numerous vent shrimp are seen on a rock wall in the vicinity of a hydrothermal vent. The third scaleworm is well- hidden. Can you find it?

Vent chimneys covered with stalked barnacles on the slopes of Kawio Barat.

An eelpout in the vicinity of hydrothermal venting activity. The rocks here bear evidence of past venting with iron oxide staining from hydrothermal fluids.

A pinkish red shrimp swims over rock with hydrothermal alteration as well as a carpet of yellow balls of native sulfur to left and bottom right. The yellow sulfur balls seem to grade into orange in the upper portion of the image, perhaps indicating additional interaction with iron oxide and sulfur.

Clams were sparsely scattered over the sediment near the vent fields of Kawio Barat.