Image Archive

A close-up portrait of a black rattail fish at the Axial Base site, at 2603 meters depth. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive 1736; V14.  

Several pom pom anemones have found a temporary home in a furrow in the seafloor near the Axial Base site. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive 1736; V14.

A dinner plate jellyfish observed at 1573 m during the descent of dive R1736 at the Axial Base site. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive 1736; V14.

A red jellyfish seen at 2843m, floating in front of ROPOS during the descent to Slope Base. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive R1735; V14

This school of fish extended much further down into the water column at the Slope Base site than previously encountered schools. This image was captured at 539m water depth. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive 1735; V14.

An unidentified squid encountered during descent on dive #1735 at Slope Base. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive 1735; V14.

A Venus Flytrap anemone and another deep-sea anemone sharing the same stalk next to wire RS01W6, near the Slope Base site. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive 1734; V14.

A bloom of By-the-Wind Sailors (Velella velella), a type of colonial hydrozoan, seen at the surface at the Slope Base site. Credit: Skip Denny, APL, University of Washington, V'14.

A school of unidentified fish encountered by ROPOS near the surface at the Slope Base site during dive #1734. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive 1734; V14.

An echinothuriid sea urchin encountered following the wire during a survey of the cable lay by ROPOS. A Venus Flytrap Anemone can be seen in the lower right quadrant. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive 1734; V14.

A large school of fish near the surface at the Slope Base site. They may be Pacific Sand Lance. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive R1733; V14

A larvacean (the small, white, peanut-shaped object) inside its mucus house, feeding on marine snow at 700m depth at the Slope Base Site. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive R1733; V14

A huge rattail fish followed the ROV ROPOS around the International District hydrothermal field for several hours. Near the end of the dive it investigated the tool basket, with thoughts that it might get in. Photo credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive 1729; V14.  

The spider crab Macroregonic macrochira is very common at Axial Seamount. Credit:UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1727; V14.

A holothurian Deep Sea Cucumber (possibly of Genus Pannychia) at 5000 ft is surrounded by brittle stars and a sea spider (bottom right). Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive R1727; V14.

A rattail fish (Coryphaenoides acrolepis) is a common site at the summit of Axial Seamount. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; Dive R1720; V14.

A beautiful octopus sits atop a ledge at the base of the hydrothermal vent called Escargot in the International District hydrothermal vent field at Axial Seamount. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1719; V14.

The large pink octopus (likely Muusoctopus sp.) sits on a ledge at Escargot hydrothermal vent in the International District Hydrothermal Field. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1719; V14.

Holothurians and brittle stars at the base of Axial Seamount. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive R1717; V14.

A Big Red jellyfish (Tiburonia granrojo) swims past the high-definition camera on the remotely operated vehicle ROPOS. The water depth was 1547 m (5075 ft) beneath the ocean's surface. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1716; V14.

Several species of macrofauna inhabit the thick sediments at the base of Axial Seamount.  A large sea cucumber deep sea Holothurian coexists with abundant brittle stars and Peniagone sea cucumbers. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive R1715; V14.

Beautiful blue ciliates (protists) line the base of the hydrothermal vent called El Gordo. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1713; V14

A Pacific Flatnose swims above a sheet flow (lava) on the summit of Axial Seamount. UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1712; V14.

A beautiful sea urchin sits on a young lava flow at the summit of Axial Seamount. Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive R1712; V14.

A red jellyfish swims 5000 ft beneath the ocean's surface at Axial Seamount on the Juan de Fuca Ridge. Here, most animals swim slowly to conserve energy in the nearly freezing seawater. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; Dive R1712; V14.

A dolphin streams ahead of the R/V Thompson as the ship transits home from 47 days at sea. Credit: Cody Turner, University of Washington, V13.

The ~ 4 m tall chimney called Inferno in the ASHES hydrothermal field sprouts a very young (< 2 year old) fragile beehive. The beehive structure is composed of very fine-grained sulfide minerals and anhydrite. Lush assemblages of tube worms, palm worms and limpets grow on the outer walls of the edifice. VISIONS '13, LEG 4. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF