A possessive shrimp colonized the junction box plug that we needed to disconnect to recover the Oregon Shelf digital still camera. The Jason ROV won the battle. Photo Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, V19

Anemones flourish on the hard surfaces of the Oregon Shelf junction box, luckily leaving a gap wide enough for the orange handle of the power plug needed to disconnect the digital still camera. Photo Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, V19

There are so many anemones covering the Oregon Shelf (80m) junction box that it can be hard to see the frame. Photo Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, V19

A rear view of the anemones, barnacles, and tunicates covering the Oregon Shelf digital camera after a one year deployment. A lingcod fish is hanging out beneath the tripod, and a large number of ctenophores (comb jellies) were also seen at the site. Photo Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, V19

The Oregon Shelf digital still camera, covered in barnacles, anemones, and tunicates (sea squirts), and sheltering a large lingcod, following a one-year deployment. Photo Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, V19

Barnacles, anemones, and tunicates encrust the Oregon Shelf digital still camera tripod, with a lingcod hiding beneath. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, V19.

Fish school around the Oregon Offshore hydrophone (underwater microphone) tripod as it is prepared for recovery in 2019. Photo Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, V19

A black cod fish swimming away from the Oregon Offshore BEP as it is prepared for recovery in 2019. Photo Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, V19.

Zoroasterid (top left) and Solaster (center bottom) sea stars and a flatfish (top right) at the Oregon Offshore site. Photo Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, V19

A sea pen (a colonial, stalked cnidarian, related to jellyfish) at Slope Base. Photo Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, V19

A fringed sea cucumber next to the Slope Base junction box in 2019. Photo Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, V19.

Barnacles, tunicates, and anemones biofouling the digital still camera at the Oregon Shelf site. Photo Credit: M. Vardaro, UW, V19

Close-up shot of white anemones on top of Oregon Shelf junction box MJ01C. Photo Credit: M. Vardaro, UW, V19

Close-up shot of shrimp hiding among the anemones encrusting Oregon Shelf junction box MJ01C. Photo Credit: M. Vardaro, UW, V19

A shrimp hiding among the anemones biofouling junction box MJ01C at the Oregon Shelf Site, deployed since 2014. Photo Credit: M. Vardaro, UW, V19

Deep-sea octopus (Muusoctopus sp.) at Axial Base 2600 m; Photo Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, V19

A pom-pom anemone at Axial Base, moving around the legs of the HPIES instrument. Photo Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI; V19

A Graneledone octopus peeking at Jason around the side of the Axial Base HPIES instrument. Photo Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI; V19

A rattail fish swimming near the Axial Base junction boxes during a CTD deployment. Photo credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI; V19

Organisms colonize the outer walls of the 16 m-tall hydrothermal edifice called El Guapo. The community structure changes with height above seafloor. Here, limpets, red scale worms and blue protists (ciliates) colonize the outer sulfide walls of the structure. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, V18.

Near the summit of the ~16 m-tall El Guapo chimney, sulfide worms, and tubeworms colonize the younger part of the new sulfide growth. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, V18.

Once again the Smokey Caverns (or Taverns as it is also known) has changed remarkably since we visited it with Jason last year. The area is significantly more rugged, marked by large hummocks. An eelpout, sole, clams and orange rock fish dot the landscape. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, V18.

A hagfish with mouth wide open slithers around the Southern Hydrate Ridge methane seep site. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, V18.

An old Ocean Drilling Program hole serves as a nursery for hagfish and crabs at the summit of Southern Hydrate Ridge. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, V18.

This Corallimorph anemone was spotted on the seafloor at Southern Hydrate Ridge at a depth of 774 meters. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive 1772; V14.

Healthy tube worms grow along a venting fracture in the 2011 glassy lava flow at the summit of Axial Seamount. Credit: UW/OOI-NSF/WHOI; J2-980; V17.

A dense colony of tube worms awash in warm diffusely venting fluids grow on the April 2011 lava flow at the summit of Axial Seamount. UW/OOI-NSF/WHOI; J2-980; V17.