The summit of inferno is home to tubeworms, sulfide, palm and scale worms and thousands of small limpets. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI; V24.

A sea cucumber crawls across a glassy flow in Axial Caldera. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI; J2-1613; V24.

Yet another rattail slowly slithers past the station. Credit: E. Perkins, University of Washington, V23.

Screen shot of a long legged marine isopod. Credit: E. Perkins, University of Washington, V24.

Poop-filled sea pigs forage alongside sea pens, brittle stars, and very small shrimp at 4050 ft ~60 miles west of Newport Oregon. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI; V21.

A sea urchin (Tromikosoma panamense) with white little toes on the ends of their legs is alongside a brittle star and small shrimp at Slope Base (2900 m water depth). Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI; J2-1608, V24.

Rattail fish swims away from Jason as we work near the junction box at Slope Base. CRedit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI; J2-1608, V24.

A large sea cucumber swims past the front of Jason at Slope base, 9500 ft beneath the surface. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI; J2-1608, V24

A rattail fish visits the junction box at Slope Base (2900 m). Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI; J2-1609; V24.

Mrs. Weirdfish (pudgy cusk eel) curiously checking out Jason routine. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI; J2-1609; V24.

White, gray and purple Deep Sea Octopus – Muusoctopus sp. walking along the sea floor. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI; J2-1609; V24.

Crinoid on the Shallow Mooring Platform at 200 m. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI; J2-1607; V24.

A cusk eel investigates Jason while the ROV works at LV01A. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI; J2-1609; V24.

A rattail fish approaching Jason during the 12 pm to 4 pm shift. Credit: E. Albines, Queens College, V24.

Screen shot of a Pudgy Cusk eel sighted at 2900 m. Credit: F. Hanley, University of Washington, V24.

Close-up of the bizarre carnivorous sponge, Chondrocladia lampadiglobus, seen at Axial Base (2600m deep). It is also colloquially known as the "ping pong tree sponge."

Octopus with webbed arms and a fringed mantle after moving from old to new seafloor node at the OR Offshore site at 600m depth offshore of Newport, OR. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, Dive J2-1249, V20

Octopus with webbed arms and a fringed mantle moving from old to new seafloor node at the OR Offshore site at 600m depth offshore of Newport, OR. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, Dive J2-1249, V20

Giant Pacific Octopus curled up in a seafloor cable container at the Oregon Offshore (600 m) site. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, Dive J2-1249, V20

A pycnogonid (sea spider) posing for the camera on a basalt outcrop at Marker 113, a diffuse flow site in Axial Caldera. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, Dive J2-1559, V23.

A pycnogonid (sea spider) sitting on a basalt outcrop at Marker 113, a diffuse flow site in Axial Caldera. Credit: Carleton College/UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, J2-1559, V23.

A pycnogonid (sea spider) climbing up the side of a basalt outcrop at Marker 113, a diffuse flow site in Axial Caldera. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, Dive J2-1559, V23.

Close-up of a rattail fish swimming near a vent covered in tube worms, limpets, and scale worms at Marker 113, a diffuse flow site in Axial Caldera. Carleton College/UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, J2-1559, V23.

A rattail fish swimming above a vent covered in tube worms, limpets, and scale worms at Marker 113, a diffuse flow site in Axial Caldera. Carleton College/UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, J2-1559, V23.

A rattail fish came to investigate the UFO fluid sampler activities at Marker 113, a diffuse flow site in Axial Caldera. Carleton College/UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, J2-1559, V23.

A salmon shark, smaller cousin of the great white shark, was seen briefly above International District vent field in Axial Caldera during the ascent. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, Dive J2-1556, V23.

A salmon shark (Lamna ditropis), smaller cousin of the great white shark, was cruising in the surface waters above International District vent field in Axial Caldera. We glimpsed it during the ascent after dive J2-1556 in 2023. A super rare sight! Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, Dive J2-1556, V23.