The fantail of the R/V Thompson is fully loaded at the start of Leg 2. A zooplankton platform is moved into place for subsequent latching into by Jason for installation at the Oregon Shelf site. Credit. M. Elend, University of Washington. V20.

The Benthic Experiment Package recovered after a year-long deployment comes aboard the R/V Thompson latched beneath the ROV Jason. Credit: University of Washington. V20.

The BEP at the Oregon Shelf site is in highly productive waters. It provides a protective habitat and hard substrate for biological communities to grow on, including large sea anemones that have colonized this platform in the 1-year it has been installed. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI; V16.

The Benthic Experiment Platform visited by the ROV Jason in 2019 during the VISIONS'19 maintenance expedition. Credit. UW/OOI-NSF/WHOI. V19.

Barnacles, anemones, and tunicates encrust the Oregon Shelf digital still camera tripod, with a lingcod hiding beneath. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, V19.

A lingcod brushes against the digital still camera at the Oregon Shelf Site. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI. V20.

A lingcod brushes against the digital still camera at the Oregon Shelf site (80 m). The camera is covered in anemones and barnacles. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI. V20.

An encrusted broadband hydrophone is being turned at the Oregon Shelf site after being on the seafloor for a year. Credit. UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI V19.

An overview of the junction box fondly called the "sheep." Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI; Dive J2-1360; V21.

The MJ01C junction box at the Oregon Shelf site is completely encased in anemones. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI; V20.

The monitors in the Jason control van during dive J2-1162, showing the extreme biofouling of junction box MJ01C. Photo Credit: M. Vardaro, UW, V19.

The low power junction box (LJ01D), which provides power, bandwidth, and communications to RCA instrumentation at the Oregon Shelf site (80 m), is now home to a vibrant community of sea anemones. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI. V19.

A brush is used to clear away anemones that are hiding access to the junction box at the Oregon Shelf site. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI; V20

Different shapes and sizes of anemones covering the upper surface of the Oregon Shelf junction box. Photo Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, V19

A sunstar (Pycnopodia) seen at the Endurance Oregon Shelf site during a survey (80 meters water depth) Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive R1756, V14

A pink anemone seen on the seafloor at the Endurance Oregon Shelf site (80 meters water depth) Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive R1756, V14

A Sunflower sea star (Pycnopodia) encountered during a site survey at the Endurance Oregon Shelf site (80 meters) Photo Credit: NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, Dive R1756, V14

As with the junction box at Oregon Shelf (80 m), the bioacoustic sonar platform is covered with anemones and fish. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI, V19.

A sablefish lounges on the zooplankton sonar platform at the Oregon Shelf site (80 m). Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI. V20.

Euphausiids (small shrimp-like crustaceans) Oregon Shelf site (80 meters water depth) Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/UW/CSSF, R1756, V14.

The VISIONS Team attempting to clean the sheep (MJ01C junction box) by removing the many anemones. Credit: R. Scott, University of Washington, V21.

The Sheep (Junction Box MJ01C) recovered from the Oregon Shelf site on deck in the midst of being shorn. Credit: R. Scott, University of Washington, V21.

Beautiful red plumes top the ends of tube worms that are associated with scale worms, limpets and sulfide worms on the Inferno chimney in the ASHES Hydrothermal Field. Credit: D. Kelley, University of Washington, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, WHOI; V21.