Image Archive

The Pinnacle, on the west of the main methane seep sites at Southern Hydrate Ridge, is a 60 m tall, rugged carbonate edifice teaming with life - dominated by high densities of soft corals, hagfish, and small squat lobsters that hide in small cavities. Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/ISS, V15.

A red jellyfish (Poralia rufescens) at Southern Hydrate Ridge undulates past the ROV ROPOS near the carbonate pinnacle site during Dive R1851. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; V15.

A rockfish and a pedicellasterid starfish (possibly Ampheraster sp.) are intermixed with clams near a bacterial mat on the methane seep site, Southern Hydrate Ridge during ROPOS Dive R1850. Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, V15.

A skate swims gently past ROPOS at the base of Axial Seamount, greater than 9000 ft beneath the ocean's surface. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS DIve R1841, V15.

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The Oregon Slope Base Shallow Profiler, engulfed in soft sunlight, rises to ~5 m beneath the ocean's surface. It is measuring nutrients, dissolved oxygen, seawater acidity, temperature, chlorophyll, and carbon dioxide concentrations at high temporal and spatial resolution, controlled from ~70 miles onshore through the Internet at the University of Washington. Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; V15.

Katie Bigham, a junior in the School of Oceanography, takes her first turn at directing ROPOS operations inside the control room. She is studying the distribution of methane seeps and biological communities at Southern Hydrate Ridge. Credti: Ed McNichol, V15.

UW undergraduate students Jesse, Lauren, and Kearstin help move a "mosquito" off of ROPOS's tool sled during Leg 1. This instrument has been measuring the flow of fluids into and out of a methane seep site at Southern Hydrate Ridge since it was installed last year. Credit: Mitch Elend, University of Washington.

Leg 1 of the Cabled Array VISIONS"15 expedition has been extremelly successful with the back deck of the R/V Thompson bulging at the seams with recovered infrastructure and instruments. ROPOS has had rapid turn arounds, pounding out dives. The science crew is tired, but happy. Credit: Mitch Elend, University of Washington, V15.

An octopus clings to a mooring chain at ~9500 ft water depth near the toe of the Cascadia Margine off of Newport, Oregon. UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; V15.

A nascent collapse zone formed since last year. ROPOS found this site by seeing bubble plumes >100 m off bottom with their sonar. Following the plume to the seafloor led us to this collapse zone. Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/ISS, V15.

A close up of a beautiful stalk of Neptunea snail eggs recovered from Southern Hydrate Ridge. Credit: Mitch Elend, University of Washington, V15.

The Neptunea nursery in 2015 was devoid of tending snails on top of the egg stalks. Recovery of the stalks showed that the eggs are still viable. Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/ISS, Dive R1845, V15.

Ben Brand shows Kearstin the 'ropes' in making multicolored monkey fists. Credit: Mitch Elend, University of Washington, V15.

Deb brings in a recovered carbonate cobble with egg casings of Neptunea snails from Southern Hydrate Ridge. The eggs can take up to 1 year to hatch. Credit: Mitch Elend, University of Washington, V15.

Huge, 5 ft-long rattail fish populate the area aroungd the International District Hydrothermal Field. Credit: UW/NSF/OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1838; V15.

ROPOS latches into a Shallow Profiler for installation during the Cabled Array VISIONS'15 cruise. Credit: Mitch Elend, University of Washington, V15.

Jesse getting attacked by ROPOS (Remotely Operated Platform for Ocean Science).

Students onboard the R/V Thompson collect velella velella (by-the-wind-sailors) off the starboard side during Leg 1 of the Cabled Array VISIONS'15 expedition. Credit: Mitch Elend, University of Washington.

The ROPOS control room onboard the R/V Thompson as it works at the 18 m tall (59 ft) actively venting chimney called El Guapo in the International District Hydrothermal Field. Credit: Mitch Elend, University of Washington, V15.

A first glimpse of the shallow winched profiler coming out of its docking station at the base of Axial Seamount. NSF/OOI/UW/ISS; Dive R1842; V15.

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