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 around 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.

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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 Seamount - the platform 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.