Image Archive

Cable AXVMW3 and assorted invertebrates (pom pom anemone, Scotoplanes, Benthodytes, ophiuroids) during dive R1739 at Axial Base (2600 meters). Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive R1739, V14

Tripod mounted CTD and optical attenuation sensors on the seafloor at the Axial Base site (2600m deep). Junction box LJ03A is visible in the background. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1739, V14

A bizarre sponge, Chondrocladia lampadiglobus, seen at Axial Base (2600m deep). First seen in 1960 in grainy black and white pictures, it was originally thought to be a Russian listening device by the US Navy, before it was eventually identified as an organism. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1739, V14

Removing the pins holding the descent weights onto the HPIES platform at Axial Base. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1739, V14

The HPIES (Horizontal Electrometer Pressure Inverted Echosounder) instrument on the seafloor at Axial Base site (2600m depth). Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1739, V14

A spider crab encountered at the Axial Base site (2600m deep) during a cable survey. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1739, V14

A sea pen, a colonial marine cnidarian belonging to the order Pennatulacea, seen at the Axial Base site (2600m depth) during a cable survey. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1739, V14

A dumbo octopus (Grimpoteuthis) at the Axial Base site at 2600 m water depth. Identified by cephalopod experts Stephanie Bush (MBARI) and Mike Vecchione (Smithsonian) Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF, Dive R1739, V14.

APL/RSN engineer Eric Boget gently lowers the deep profiler package into the water during the mooring deployment. Photo Credit: Ed McNichol, Mumbian Enterprises, Inc.

APL/RSN engineers attaching the deep profiler vehicle to the mooring line during deployment at the Axial Base site. Photo Credit: Ed McNichol, Mumbian Enterprises, Inc.

The deployment of the HPIES (Horizontal Electrometer Pressure Inverted Echosounder) instrument off the fantail of the Thompson at the Axial Base site. The instrument was designed to freefall to the seafloor from the surface, and did so successfully. Photo Credit: Ed McNichol, Mumbian Enterprises, Ltd.

A crinoid on a stalk at the Axial Base site, 2600m depth. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1739, V14

A Pacific Flatnose fish seen on arrival at the Axial Base site (2600m) during Dive R1739. Cable AXVMW3 is seen on the left. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1739, V14

The HPIES instrument is being lowered over the side of the R/V Thompson for installation at the base of Axial Seamount. The HPIES (Horizontal Electrometer Pressure Inverted Echosounder) measures the horizontal electrical field, the bottom pressure, and the acoustic travel time from the seafloor to the sea surface to characterize the properties of the water column.

A close-up picture of the skinny fish seen at 565m depth at the Axial Base site. It has been tentatively identified as Bathylychnops exilis or a Paralepidid by Brian Sidlauskas and Ben Frable (OSU) Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1738, V14

A small cranchiid squid at the Axial Base site at 1318 m water depth. Tentatively identified as Taonius by cephalopod expert Stephanie Bush (MBARI). Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF, ROPOS Dive R1738, V14.

An orange Peniagone cucumber swimming past ROPOS during the AXVMW3 cable lay at Axial Base (2600m) Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1738, V14

Attaching a strain relief line to the Yale grip on cable AXVMW3 at Axial Base. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1738, V14

ROPOS removing the bungee holding slack cable from AXVMW3 onto ROCLS, at the Axial Base site. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1738, V14

The port manipulator of ROPOS ROV removing the brake from the ROCLS cable laying system at the Axial Base site (2600 m depth). Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1738, V14

A large rattail swims beside LJ03A and LV03A at the Axial Base site (2600 meters deep). Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1738, V14

A red siphonophore encountered during the descent to the Axial Base site, at 729 meters depth. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1738, V14

A skinny fish (either Bathylychnops exilis or a Paralepidid) seen during the ROPOS descent to the Axial Base site, at 565 meters. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1738, V14

A bunch of Peniagone taking flight during a ROCLS cable lay at the Axial Base site. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1737, V14

The empty ROCLS spool on the seafloor at Axial Base, after laying cable AXVMW4 from LV03A to the deep profiler site. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1737, V14

A Peniagone sea cucumber swam past ROPOS prior to laying AXVMW4 on the seafloor. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1737, V14

The P1 end of extension cable AXVMW4 plugged into LV03A at Axial Base. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive 1737, V14