A floc of seabirds admire the R/V Thompson on a remarkably calm day in the NE Pacific. Credit: Mitch Elend, University of Washington, V15.

The HPIES instrument awaits deployment on the aft deck of the R/V Thompson during Leg 2 of the VISIONS'15 cruise. Credit: Alex Jamsedi, Western Washington University; V15.

Blue water in the Northeast Pacific. Credit: Joe Kalisch, Grays Harbor College; V15.

Deep Profiler float recovered during Leg 2 having been used as a scallop nursery. Credit: Tracie Barry (Grays Harbor College); V15.

Tracie posing with her artfully decorated marker that ROPOS will emplace on the seabed at Axial Seamount. Credit: Vinnie (ROPOS); V15.

A Condor lands next to the stern of the ship, hoping to collect some food scraps. Credit: Quae Atwood (Western Washington University); V15.

Jessica Noe (left) on deck enjoying the sun on an unusually calm day and using the opportunity to pester Deb Kelley (right) with even more questions about the OOI. Credit: Tracie Barry, Grays Harbor College, V15

Elongate pillow flows with glassy fingers cascade down from the summit of the eruption, which reaches >400 thick. Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/ROPOS; V15.

White, filamentous bacteria thrive in warm fluids being emitted from the 3-month old lava flow on the Northern Rift of Axial Seamount, April 24th, 2015. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS; V15.

Thick, orange bacterial mats coat 3 month old pillow basalts created during the eruption of Axial Seamount that started April 24th, 2015. Green lasers are 10 cm apart. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS; V15.

Black, glassy pillow basalts erupted as part of the April 24th, 2015 event overly older, lightly sedimented flows along the northern rift zone of Axial Seamount. Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/ROPOS; V15.

During Dive R1862, ROPOS attaches a line to the float on the deep profiler mooring at Axial Base in preparation for its recovery. Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/ISS; V15.

Tim McGinnis and Nick Michel-Hart of the UW Applied Physics Laboratory begin to disassemble and inspect the crawler recovered from the Deep Profiler Mooring at Axial Base. Credit: Mitch Elend, UW; V15.

Quae (Western Washington University) and Tracie (Grays Harbor College) peer into the rear thrusters’ electric motors during the engine tour. Credit: Jessica Noe, University of Washington; V15.

Chief Engineer Paul gives Leg 2 students of tour of the R/V Thompson's shop and engine room. Credit: Joe Kalisch, Grays Harbor College, V15.

A bright yellow pedicellasterid starfish (unknown species) clings to a small carbonate cobble ~3000 ft beneath the ocean surface. Credit. NSF-OOI/UW/ISS; V15, ROPOS Dive R1858.

The float atop the Deep Profiler Mooring at the base of Axial Seamount has become a habitat for schools of fish. Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1860, V15.

A very large anemone and octopus call the anchor of the Slope Base Shallow Profiler Mooring home. Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/ISS; V15 ROPOS Dive R1848.

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THe Oregon Endurance Offshore instrumented profiler travels down the wire on the Deep Profiling Mooring during its initial testing following installation. Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/ISS.V15, Dive R1859.