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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A digital still camera, mass spectrometer, and fluid and microbial DNA sampler installed at the El Gordo hydrothermal chimney, International District Hydrothermal Field, Axial Seamount. A small, 1-day old chimlet sprouts from the 280°C, gas-rich vent called Dive in the International District Hydrothermal Field. NSF-OOI/UW/ISS; Dive R1839; V15.

Collapse basins marked by columns, drainback features, and arches are common features in areas where lava ponded and spilled rapidly over the seafloor in 2011. A small, 1-day old chimlet sprouts from the 280°C, gas-rich vent called Dive in the International District Hydrothermal Field. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1839; V15.

Emily Peter

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A small, 1-day old chimlet sprouts from the 280°C, gas-rich vent called Dive in the International District Hydrothermal Field. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1839; V15.

A huge rattail, ~ 5 feet in length, swims slowly in front of the ROV ROPOS near the International District Hydrothermal Field at a depth of 5000 ft beneath the ocean's surface. This area has a higher abundance of these fish than observed elsewhere in the caldera, perhaps because of the larger size of the vent field and hence food source. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1729; V15.

The newly installed digital still camera at the El Gordo vent within the International District hydrothermal field catches ROPOS above the mass spectrometer. Credit: NSF/OOI/UW, V15.

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Malea and Diana laugh, recognizing they both dressed alike during a morning on the R/V Thompson expedition. Credit: Ed McNichol, V15.

A small shark swims past the mooring platform at the base of Axial Seamout - the platorm is ~ 600 ft beneath the ocean's surface. Credit:  NSF-OOI/UW/ISS; V15.

The ROPOS control room onboard the R/V Thompson is a magical place for many where we get to see parts of the ocean never before seen, and first of their kind operations. 

A school of small fish greeted the ROV ROPOS during our first visit to this ~ 600 ft deep platform since it was installed in 2014. Credit:  NSF-OOI/UW/ISS; Dive R1832; V15.

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A titanium 'cap' is placed on the top of El Gordo by ROPOS, which focuses the diffuse fluid so that a fluid and microbial DNA sampler can get hydrothermal fluids samples largely undiluted by seawater. The fluid-DNA sampler is in the background. Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/ISS; Dive R1836; V15.

The RO ROPOS holds a 'IGT' gas tight bottle in the orifice of the 280°C chimney called Diva. The high temperature fluids exiting the seafloor at this anhydrite-rich (CaSO4) vent contain the highest carbon dioxide concentrations at Axial Seamount. Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/ISS; Dive R1836; V15.

Pyconogonids are abundant on many sulfide structures in the vent fields within the caldera of Axial Seamount. These 8-legged anthropods are commonly found in areas where venting has stopped, leaving variably oxidized edificies. Here, they are associated with snails an a small scale worm ~ 1 cm; in length. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1836; V15.

Kadijah Homolka models a gumby suit during the Leg 1 safety meeting.