Image Archive

A rattail fish (Coryphaenoides acrolepis) is a common site at the summit of Axial Seamount. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; Dive R1720; V14.

A Deep-Sea Cucumber (possibly Pannychia moseleyi) inhabits the lava flows of Axial. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1721; V14.

A zoroasterid sea star at Axial Seamount, likely Zoroaster spinulosus. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive R1721; V14.

Palm Worms (Paralvinella palmiformis) coexist with Ridgeia Tubeworms on hydrothermal vents at Axial Seamount. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS, V13.

This large sea cucumber (Holothurian) was seen with many smaller sea cucumbers of Genus Peniagone at the base of Axial.  Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive R1715; V14.

Beautiful blue ciliates (protists) line the base of the hydrothermal vent called El Gordo. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1713; V14

A beautiful sea urchin sits on a young lava flow at the summit of Axial Seamount. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive R1712; V14.

A red jellyfish swims 5000 ft beneath the ocean's surface at Axial Seamount on the Juan de Fuca Ridge. Here, most animals swim slowly to conserve energy in the nearly freezing seawater. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive R1712; V14.

A Dumbo Octopus spotted during ROV ROPOS dive R1465. Credit: UW/OOI-NSF/CSSF, ROPOS Dive R1465, V13.

A Deep-Sea Cucumber (Holothurian) is shown with brittle stars and a seastar on a lobate flow on Axial Volcano. This is likely the species Pannychia moseleyi. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; V13

Brittle stars of the species Spinophiura jolliveti are very abundant on all the lava rocks at Axial Seamount within the caldera. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF.

A large Fried Egg Jellyfish (Phacellophora cantschatica) hugs the basalts along the floor of Axial Seamount. The jellyfish is likely a 'fried egg' jelly. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1635, V11.

Deep Sea Skate sketch, drawn by Montgomery Taylor, a College of Charleston undergraduate student who participated on Leg 3 of VISIONS '13.

A small Flapjack octopus sits atop a lobate flow at the summit of Axial Seamount - water depth ~ 1500 m (nearly 5000 feet beneath the surface). Credit: UW/OOI-NSF/CSSF, V13.

Graneledone Octopus on lava dlows at the summit of Axial Seamount. Credit: UW/OOI-NSF/CSSF, ROPOS Dive R1617, V13.

Graneledone Octopus on a ledge near the hydrothermal vent Escargot at Axial Seamount. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF, ROPOS Dive R1608, V13.

Graneledone Octopus close-up on lava flows at Axial Seamount. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; V13.

Graneledone Octopus investigates a junction box at the base of Axial Seamount (~2600 m). Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF, V13.

This octopus, nicknamed the Flapjack Octopus, on pillow basalts at the summit of Axial's Eastern caldera. Credit: UW/OOI-NSF/CSSF, ROPOS Dive R1608, V13.

A Deep Sea Skate slowly swims by at the summit of Axial Seamount, 5000 ft beneath the ocean's surface. A small spider crab sits atop an old lava flow to the left of the skate. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; V13.

A Roughtail skate slowly swims by during ROV operations at the base of Axial Volcano. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; V13.

Brittle stars (Ophiuroids) are very common in the sediments at the base of Axial Seamount, 2609 meters deep.  (credit: NSF-OOI/US/CSSF)

A Flathead Sculpin (Psychrolutes phrictus) hovers in the caldera at Axial Seamount at a water depth of nearly 5000 feet beneath the ocean's surface. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1470; V11.

This Flapjack Octopus floated gently above the seafloor for several minutes as we watched it through the eyes of the ROV ROPOS. Credit: UW/OOI-NSF/CSSF, V11.

Pillow basalts, interspersed with sediment ponds, mark old lava flows on the flanks of Axial Seamount. The rocks and sediment are host to occasional deep sea corals.

This Roughtail skate was photographed by the ROV ROPOS at 1756 m (5761 feet) beneath the ocean's surface on the flank of Axial Seamount. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1466; V11.

Sketch of Graneledone Octopus by Montgomery Taylor, College of Charleston student onboard Leg 3 of VISIONS '13.