Image Archive

Graneledone Octopus on a ledge near the hydrothermal vent Escargot at Axial Seamount. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF, ROPOS Dive R1608, V13.

Graneledone Octopus close-up on lava flows at Axial Seamount. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; V13.

Graneledone Octopus investigates a junction box at the base of Axial Seamount (~2600 m). Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF, V13.

This octopus, nicknamed the Flapjack Octopus, on pillow basalts at the summit of Axial's Eastern caldera. Credit: UW/OOI-NSF/CSSF, ROPOS Dive R1608, V13.

A Deep Sea Skate slowly swims by at the summit of Axial Seamount, 5000 ft beneath the ocean's surface. A small spider crab sits atop an old lava flow to the left of the skate. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; V13.

A Roughtail skate slowly swims by during ROV operations at the base of Axial Volcano. Photo credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF; V13.

Brittle stars (Ophiuroids) are very common in the sediments at the base of Axial Seamount, 2609 meters deep.  (credit: NSF-OOI/US/CSSF)

A Flathead Sculpin (Psychrolutes phrictus) hovers in the caldera at Axial Seamount at a water depth of nearly 5000 feet beneath the ocean's surface. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1470; V11.

This Flapjack Octopus floated gently above the seafloor for several minutes as we watched it through the eyes of the ROV ROPOS. Credit: UW/OOI-NSF/CSSF, V11.

Pillow basalts, interspersed with sediment ponds, mark old lava flows on the flanks of Axial Seamount. The rocks and sediment are host to occasional deep sea corals.

This Roughtail skate was photographed by the ROV ROPOS at 1756 m (5761 feet) beneath the ocean's surface on the flank of Axial Seamount. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; ROPOS Dive R1466; V11.

Sketch of Graneledone Octopus by Montgomery Taylor, College of Charleston student onboard Leg 3 of VISIONS '13.

A vent scaleworm (center of the image) has a 'furry' coat of filamentous bacteria living on its back.

Squat Lobster on Escargot vent at Axial Seamount. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/CSSF; V11.