Image Archive

An ~60 m tall carbonate pinnacle, west of the active seep site at Southern Hydrate Ridge, hosts abundant soft pink corals and is a rich habitat for squat lobsters, clams, a variety of fish, and crabs. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; Dive R1779; V14.

Soft corals bend in the currents at the edge of a bacterial mat. Here, live clams with symbionts thrive in the methane and hydrogen sulfide-rich fluids. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1773; V14.

Weather from large storms brings in moderate-high winds and white-capped waves that prevent diving operations. Photo Credit: Mitch Elend, University of Washington, V14.

The cable ship, the CS Dependable, works off the bow of the R/V Thompson during cable-laying operations. Photo Credit: Mitch Elend, Uiversity of Washington, V14.

An in situ, cabled mass spectrometer is installed at a methane seep at the summit of Southern Hydrate Ridge. The OOI-RCA mass spectrometer was built by Peter Girguis, Harvard University. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1772; V14.

A Starry Flounder hangs out during installation of short-period seismometers at Southern Hydrate Ridge. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI//CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1769; V14.

Inside the ROPOS control room on the R/V Thompson during predive preparation. Photo Credit: Lauren Kowalski, University of Washington; V14

ROV ROPOS takes a digital-still camera in a tool basket down to the seafloor for installation at the active methane seep called Einstein's Grotto on Southern Hydrate Ridge. Photo Credit: Mitch Elend, University of Washington; V14.

For greater than an hour, porpoises were playing in the waves alongside the R/V Thompson, while we were working off of Newport Oregon. Photo Credit: Kevin Simans, University of Washington; V14.

During the VISIONS'14 expedition, we have seen thousands of Velella Velella (By the Wind Sailors) that are typically 7 cm in length. Credit: Kevin Simans, University of Washington, V14.

Porpoises seem to enjoy the company of the R/V Thompson, often coming along side to "play" in the waves. Photo Credit. Kevin Simans, University of Washington; V14.

Hagfish (purple), red rockfish, crabs, and hermit crabs wander within the nusery for Neptunea snails laying eggs that form yellow stocks on carbonate cobbles. Southern Hydrate Ridge. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1766; V14.

The digital still camera (CAMDSB103) sits atop a small, heavilysedimented rampart in front of the actively venting methane seep Einstein's Grotto at the summit of Southern Hydrate Ridge. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1767; V14.

A rockfish and hemit crabs hang out in a nursery of Neptunea snails at the summit of Southern Hydrate Ridge.The snail stalks rise from small carbonate cobbles. Photo credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1766; V14.

A large red jellyfish swims gently by the ROV ROPOS at Axial Seamount.

A small pod of porpoises grace the R/V Thompson ~80 km west of Newport Oregon. Credit: Billy Medwedeff, University of Washington. V14.

A sealion swims alongside the R/V Thompson during VISIONS'14 at the Oregon Offshore Site. Credit: Victoria Selesnick, University of Washington, V14.

Albatross watch the R/V Thompson during VISIONS'14. Credit: Victoria Selesnick; V14.

During dive R1674, the instrumented shallow winched profiler system was installed onto the platform at 197 m water depth on the tw-legged mooring. This marks a first of the OOI program. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive R1764; V14.  

The Platform Instrument Assembly (PIA) is hoisted off the deck of the R/V Thompson in preparation for the successful installation at the Oregon Offshore Site. It was installed in the early morning hours of August 30th. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive R1763; V14.  

Dive R1762 at the EA Oregon Offshore Site installed and connected a 120 m 'oily' cable between junction box LV01C and the base of the EOM cable for the two-legged shallow profiler mooring. Video credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive R1762; V14.  

Einstein's Grotto changes rapidly over hours to days. Revisitation of the active seep site today showed that a large sedimentary protrusion at the vent opening had desintegrated and a large and vigorous bubble plume was exiting the orifice.Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive R1761; V14.  

Orest Kawka (RSN School of Oceanography Project Scientist) and Trina Litchendorf (RSN APL Engineer) work on the EA Oregon Offshore Shallow Winched Profiler, and Instrument Platform on the fantail of the R/V Thompson. Photo Credit: Mitch Elend, University of Washington; V14.

A strong bubble plume issues from Einstein's Grotto early morning of August 29, 2014. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive R1761; V14.  

This strange fish, Genioliparis ferox (Stein), was first described in 1978 from a single specimen and never seen afterwards. It was imaged at 2901 m at the Slope Base Site during ROPOS Dive R1757. G. ferox is a ferocious mid-water predator, with many sharp teeth. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; Dive R1757; V14.

Faubion Taylor gets to experience putting on a survivial suit the first day of Leg 4, VISIONS'14. Photo Credit: Mitch Elend, University of Washington. V14.

A dinner plate jellyfish floats past the ROV ROPOS above Axial Seamount. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; V14