Image and Video Gallery: Windows to the Deep 2019: Exploration of the Deep-sea Habitats of the Southeastern United States: NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer: NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research

Expedition Summary Infographic

This infographic provides a snapshot of the expedition by the numbers.

The Value of Ocean Exploration

Highlights from the expedition, including overall goals and accomplishments.

Voices of Exploration: 100 Expeditions and Counting

Reflections from the on-ship team about ocean exploration.

A Needle in a Haystack

Learn how and why we locate shipwrecks on the seafloor.

Mission Team

The mission team onboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer.

VSAT

The sun sets over the VSAT or Very Small Aperture Terminal antenna.

Deep Discoverer

Deep Discoverer being recovered.

Okeanos Explorer

NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer arriving into Norfolk, Virginia.

Location of Seeps

Location of Norfolk seeps offshore Virginia and south of Norfolk Canyon.

Map of Dive 19 waypoints (red points) and track (white line).

Location of Seeps

Map of Dive 19 waypoints and track.

Plumes

Three-dimensional perspective of Dive 19 track and waypoints with superposed water column bubble plumes.

Octopus

Muusoctopus on soft bottom seafloor observed at about 1,600 meters water depth.

Mussels

Live Bathymodiolus childressi mussels and associated bacterial mats.

Mound

This low relief mound, several meters across, may be underlain by methane hydrate.

Fluid Emissions

Fluid flows from the top of the low relief mounds that have built sediment features.

Truly A Wonder

Highlights from the final dive, when we explored a deep seep site in Norfolk Canyon.

Octopus

This octopus was seen in Norfolk Canyon during the final dive.

Mussels

A high abundance of mussels and bacterial mats in Norfolk Canyon.

Mussels

A close-up view of mussels and bacterial mats at a deep seep site in Norfolk Canyon.

Lizardfish

This deep-sea lizardfish during the final dive of the expedition.

Commander Nicole Manning, the sixth Commanding Officer of NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer.

CDR Manning

Commander Nicole Manning, Commanding Officer of NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer.

Okeanos Explorer

NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer.

Crew

CDR Manning with some members of her crew.

Observing Ops

CDR Manning observing operations.

During Dive 18, we encountered these large, healthy walls of <em>Paragoriga</em>, or bubblegum coral.

Bubblegum Coral Forest

We encountered these large, healthy walls of bubblegum coral.

A wall of deep-sea corals, mostly bubblegum coral (<em>Paragorga</em> sp.), seen towards the end of Dive 18 at Baltimore Canyon during Windows to the Deep 2019.

Wall of Coral

A wall of deep-sea corals seen towards the end of Dive 18.

Bubblegum Coral

A closer view of the wall of deep-sea corals, mostly bubblegum coral.

Coral and Shrimp

A close up of the bubblegum coral and shrimp associates in Baltimore Canyon during Dive 18 during Windows to the Deep 2019.

Jonah Crabs

Two Jonah crabs observed potentially mating in Baltimore Canyon.

Egg Case

A couple of these egg cases were seen on the seafloor.

A Devoted Mother

A brooding warty octopus guards her eggs.

Coral

This octocoral and brittle star associate on the rocky substrate.

Sea Spider

A sea pen and pycnogonid sea spider was taken during Dive 17.

Brooding Octopus

Many warty octopus individuals were seen in brooding posters in crevices.

Deep Discoverer

Deep Discoverer scaling Wilmington Canyon during Dive 17.

Coral Field

Fields of corals on Central Black Plateau during Dive 05.

Bamboo Coral

Large (and likely very old) bamboo coral found during Dive 06.

Crab

Crab holding a hexactinellid (glass sponge) on its back using the sponge’s sharp spicules for protection.

Lophelia Coral

Dense fields of Lophelia pertusa, a common reef-building coral, found on the Blake Plateau knolls.

Alfonsino fish (commercially important species) swimming over a field of Lophelia pertusa.

Fish and Coral

Alfonsino fish swimming over a field of Lophelia pertusa.

Coral and Plastic

The similarity between plastic and animals is highlighted in these two images.

Funnel to the Deep

On July 8, we explored Washington Canyon, located off the coast of Virginia.

Rattail

A rattail was seen during Dive 16 with a parasitic copepod that had parasitic leeches on top.

Eel

This synaphobranchid eel was documented preying on a fish.

Monkfish

This monkfish was hard to spot camouflaged against the seafloor.

Fish

This unidentified fish was seen displaying an interesting behavior.

The Elusive Bobtail Squid

This bobtail "squid" was seen swimming through the water column before landing on the seafloor.

Sea Pen

A sea pen with a small shrimp visible in the background.

Brittle Star

A brittle star seen on the side of a rockface.

Rock Wall

Sheer walls seen at the Currituck Landslide.

Seep Location

Location of Bodie Island seeps offshore Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

New bathymetric data acquired by NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer with the location of methane seeps identified since 2012 shown as yellow circles.

Seep Bathymetry

New bathymetric data showing the location of methane seeps identified since 2012 as yellow circles.

Seep Bathymetry

Upslope three-dimensional view of the Bodie Island seeps, with the upper slope bathymetry contoured at 10 meters.

Mussels

Bathymodiolus mussels and white bacterial mat on dramatic relief created by authigenic carbonate boulders.

Coral

Colonies of stony coral clinging to carbonate boulders a few meters from mussel beds.

Bubble Streams

Two bubble streams emanating from relatively bare seafloor and framed by D2 during the Bodie Island seeps dive.

During Dive 14 of the Windows to the Deep 2019 expedition, NOAA’s remotely operated vehicle (ROV) <em>Deep Discoverer</em>, also known as D2, explored cold seeps arrayed along a ridge located about 62 kilometers (39 miles) offshore Bodie Island, North Carolina.

A New Seep Site

Cold seeps explored along a ridge located about 62 kilometers offshore Bodie Island, North Carolina.

Bubble plumbs rising from the seafloor, such as those seen here, confirmed the presence of an active seep site.

Bubbles

Bubble plumbs rising from the seafloor confirmed the presence of an active seep site.

Mussel Bed

A large mussel bed was associated with the site.

Spider Crab

A spider crab was imaged during Dive 14 of the expedition.

Fish

A fish is seen among bacterial mats.

Ctenophore

A lobate ctenophore found during midwater exploration.

Processing Cores

Herbert Leavitt shown processing core samples on R/V Pelican.

Ecogram

An example of what the deep-scattering layer looks like when graphed as an echogram.

Herbert Leavitt (second from left, back row) in the NOAA Silver Spring Exploration Command Center (ECC), along with RDML Gallaudet and other NOAA staff, fellows, and interns.

Group Photo

Herbert Leavitt with RDML Gallaudet and other NOAA staff, fellows, and interns.

Fish Egg Buffet

A crab helps itself to a buffet of fish eggs.

Sculpin

A sculpin with eggs rests on the seafloor.

Octopus

Bathypolypus bairdii.

Octopus Eye

The lights of ROV Deep Discoverer reflected in the eye of an octopus.

Dumbo Octopus

A dumbo octopus, most likely Stauroteuthis syrtensis.

Red Crab

A red crab feeds on eggs, likely of a pallid sculpin.

Red Crab

ROV Deep Discoverer came across this red crab eating the eggs of a pallid sculpin.

Mission Control

Mission control during an ROV dive onboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer.

Throughout Dive 11, we were accompanied by these rather large Abyssal grenadier fish.

A Fishy Fourth of July

Throughout Dive 12, we were accompanied by several rather large Abyssal grenadier fish.

Happy 4th!

The Windows to the Deep 2019 team wishes you a happy 4th of July!

Sea Pen

A sea pen seen on the soft sediment of the seafloor.

Cookie Star

Plinthaster dentatus - the spongivorous cookie star!

Feeding Event

A massive cidaroid sea urchin feeding event on a sponge.

Slime Star

Slime star in the genus Pteraster.

Slime Star

Slime star in the genus Pteraster.

Transparent Sea Star

A transparent sea star, likely in the genus Hymenaster.

Brittle Star

This brittle star showed the disk covered by a translucent purple bag-like covering.

During exploration of a site we dubbed Deep

A Potential Seep

We encountered this rock that appeared to be authigenic carbonate with bacterial mats growing on it.

Squat Lobster

Most of today’s dive was over a soft sediment seafloor.

Canyon Wall

The canyon walls are illuminated by the lights of Deep Discoverer.

Over 25 percent of the mission and crew team aboard NOAA Ship <em>Okeanos Explorer</em> for the Windows to the Deep 2019 expedition are women.

Women on the Team

Over 25 percent of the mission and crew team aboard are women.

Squid

A squid drifts along in the water column.

The Ocean

The strong current of the Gulf Stream caused us to have to cancel the day’s dive.

Mission control oversees the technical side of livestreaming an educational interaction between the expedition coordinator and lead scientists of the Windows to the Deep 2019 expedition and summer campers at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.

Live Interaction

Mission control oversees livestreaming an educational interaction.

During a live-streamed educational interaction, the expedition coordinator and lead scientists of the Windows to the Deep 2019 expedition talk with summer campers at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.

Live Interaction

The expedition coordinator and lead scientists talk with summer campers at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.

Areas mapped during Leg 1 of the Windows to the Deep 2019 expedition off the southeastern United States.

Bathymetry

Areas mapped during Leg 1 of the expedition off the southeastern United States.

A survey area on the Central Blake Plateau, mapped during the first leg of the Windows to the Deep 2019 expedition.

Bathymetry

A survey area on the Central Blake Plateau, mapped during the first leg of the expedition.

ASPIRE Map

Map of currently identified ASPIRE expeditions (2016-2020).

Since 2010, the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research has been collecting mapping data along the Blake Plateau, Blake Ridge, and Blake Escarpment and has mapped over 65,000 square kilometers (25,097 square miles) of seafloor in this region.

Connecting the Dots

Since 2010, we have been collecting mapping data along the Blake Plateau, Blake Ridge, and Blake Escarpment.

A few large thickets of Lophelia pertusa coral were seen growing along the edges of large rock shelf overhangs during Dive 10 of the Windows to the Deep 2019 expedition.

Lophelia Coral

A few large thickets of Lophelia pertusa coral seen along the edges of large rock shelf overhangs.

Brachyuran Crab

This brachyuran crab was seen carrying an anemone on its back.

Octopus

An octopus with the nickname of warty octopus due to the cartilaginous bumps on its body.

Cephalopod Sunday

We encountered this octopus making its way across the seafloor.

Bobtail

A bobtail rests on the seafloor.

Ctenophore

A ctenophore from the midwater section of Dive 09.

Starfish Have to Eat Too

Sea star feeding on a primnoid octocoral!

Tripod Fish

A tripod fish props itself up on the seafloor.

Rock Sample

Deep Discoverer grabs one of the many pieces of stone rubble near the scarp.

Squid

A deep-sea squid was imaged by Seirios.

Jelly

A colorful jelly extends its tentacles to feed in the water column.

Lifeboat

An archived image of an empty lifeboat from the sinking of the Bloody Marsh in 1943.

Lifeboat

A crew member watches one of the lifeboats.

This video from Dive 07 of the expedition shows an example of <em>Plinthaster dentatus</em> feeding, along with one or two other species of sea stars.

Feeding Frenzy

An example of Plinthaster dentatus feeding, along with one or two other species of sea stars.

A recently fallen billfish carcass being aggressively fed upon by several small dogfish sharks.

Oh My Grouper, Look at that Shark

A recently fallen billfish carcass being fed upon by several dogfish sharks.

Rocky Outcrop

An alfonsino fish taking refuge under one of the ledges seen.

Sharks

Sharks feeding on a billfish that looked like it hadn’t been on the seafloor for too long.

During Dive 07 of the Windows to the Deep 2019 expedition, this grouper was observed capturing and eating a shark in the foreground of the billfish.

Wreckfish

This wreckfish was observed capturing and eating a shark.

Ghostly Octopus

This ghostlike octopod is almost certainly an undescribed species.

This squid, imaged during exploration of an intercanyon ridge offshore North Carolina, can be seen changing color.

Chromatophore Color Show

This squid can be seen changing color.

Dumbo Octopus

This dumbo octopus displayed a body posture never before observed.

Twisted Squid

We encountered this unusual squid while exploring an unnamed mound.

Octopus

The team encountered this colorful little octopus during an expedition in the Pacific.

Suction Sampler Success

This midwater squid was successfully collected using the new suction sampler.

Black Coral

This black coral was imaged during Dive 06.

Bamboo Coral

The base of a bamboo coral, revealing the growth rings within the carbonate base.

Brittle Star Collection

We collected the unidentified brittle star with the reddish-purple, swollen, central disk.

Image of all of NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer mapping data collected in the Blake Plateau and Ridge region by NOAA OER since 2010 and prior to the current expedition.

Blake Plateau Mapping Data

Mapping data collected in the Blake Plateau and Ridge region since 2010.

Expedition Science Leads

Expedition science leads Amy Wagner and Alexis Weinnig in the control room.

ROV Pilots

Remotely operated vehicle pilots leading a dive.

The NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research teamed up with the Octonauts to provide a behind the scenes look at NOAA's ocean exploration vessel in the “Octonauts and NOAA Ship <em>Okeanos Explorer</em>” video, giving aspiring explorers the opportunity to learn more about our ocean.

The Octonauts & NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer

Take a behind-the-scenes look at NOAA's ocean exploration vessel.

A charismatic swimming jelly called a helmet jelly that was twisting and tumbling.

Twirling Jelly

A charismatic helmet jelly seen twisting and tumbling.

Brittle Star

This unique-looking brittle star stunned scientists.

Sample Collection

An octocoral and squat lobster associate that were collected.

Alfonsino

An alfonsino fish seen on a thicket of coral.

During the fourth dive of the Windows to the Deep 2019 expedition, the team encountered what was described as being one of the largest aggregate of thickets of <em>Lophelia</em> coral seen to date.

The Coral Highway

The team encountered a large aggregate of thickets of Lophelia coral.

Black Tar Sponge

A close up of a type of black tar sponge, believed to be a new species.

Remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer’s arm is visible as it starts collection of an Aphrocallistes sponge.

Sponge Collection

Deep Discoverer’s arm is visible as it starts collection of a sponge.

"Coral Highway"

Scientists were stunned to see extensive, dense populations of coral.

A squat lobster was sampled around 722 meters (2,369 feet) using the suction sampler during the first dive of the Windows to the Deep 2019 expedition.

Sampling

A squat lobster was sampled around 722 meters using the suction sampler.

Squat Lobster

This squat lobster was collected during the first dive.

Suction Sampler

Drawing of the suction sampler and the rosette of six sample jars.

Suction Sampler

Close up of the new suction sampler and the rosette of sample jars.

Sampling Jar

Close-up image of the suction sampler sample jars.

Happy Healthy Colonies

This video, collected during Dive 3 of the expedition, highlights the bamboo corals seen along the Stetson Mesa South Scarp.

"Bramble" Bamboo Coral

This bamboo coral is from a Nashville seamount Deep Atlantic Stepping Stones expedition in 2005.

"Whip" Bamboo Coral

This is a bamboo coral from Kelvin seamount during Mountains in the Sea II expedition in 2004.

Disruptive Camouflage

Disruptive camouflage makes it more difficult to spot the skate relative to its background.

Coral

Many of these large bamboo corals were found on the escarpment during Dive 03.

Crinoid

This observation of this crinoid may be the northernmost specimen of this species ever recorded.

This yellow feather star is likely a juvenile Pentametrocrinus atlanticus and is potentially the northernmost record for this species.

Crinoid

This yellow feather star is potentially the northernmost record for this species.

The Mighty Black Coral

Black corals seen during Dive 02 of the expedition.

Crinoid

Crinoid swimming in the water column.

This large outcrop with several large coral colonies was seen at 760 meters (2,493 feet) during the second dive of this expedition.

Coral and Associates

This large outcrop with several large coral colonies was seen at 760 meters depth.

Ctenophore

A large lobate ctenophore feeding on marine snow.

NOAA Ship <em>Okeanos Explorer</em>, in full dress for her 2008 Commissioning Ceremony, celebrates her 100th exploration mission June 20 - July 12, 2019.

The Okeanos

NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer in full dress for her 2008 Commissioning Ceremony.

Giant Sponge

This sponge is the largest sponge documented to date.

There are not just ships in the deep ocean wanting to be uncovered, there are other artifacts of our past including this aircraft lost in the vicinity of Tinian and Saipan.

B-29 Aircraft

An aircraft lost in the vicinity of Tinian and Saipan.

It takes a team of people from every department on board NOAA Ship <em>Okeanos Explorer</em> to help make each on of these 100 expeditions a success.

Okeanos Team

It takes a team of people to help make each expedition a success.

NOAA Ship <em>Okeanos Explorer</em>’s crew are essential to completing each of the ship's operations.

ROV Recovery

NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer’s crew are essential to completing each of the ship's operations.

During the first dive of the Windows to the Deep 2019, while exploring about 60 miles off of Cape Canaveral, Florida, at a site called Canaveral Deep, we encountered these chimaeras.

Chimaeras Steal the Show

While exploring at Canaveral Deep, we encountered these chimaeras.

Close-up of Lophelia pertusa with polyps extended for feeding.

Coral

Enallopsammia profunda with polyps extended for feeding.

Mapping Team

The mapping team celebrating World Hydrography Day.

Squat Lobster

This squat lobster was collected using the suction sampler.

ROV Prep

Engineers prepare ROV Deep Discoverer for this exploration mission.

Okeanos

NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer completing the fueling operations at Port Canaveral, Florida.

Tour

Chris Ritter gives a tour of the remotely operated vehicles.

New Tools

Lars Murphy reviews one of the new tools added to Deep Discoverer.

Bathmetry

Multibeam bathymetry collected during Leg 1 of this expedition.

New System

Members of the video and data team learn how to use a new system on board.

Leg 1 Map

Priority operating areas for Leg 1 of the expedition, in yellow.

Deep Discoverer

ROV Deep Discoverer will be used to image unexplored areas.

19th Century Octant

The area offshore the southeastern United States is known to be an area with many shipwrecks.

Leg 2 Map

Tentative plans for Leg 2 of the Windows to the Deep 2019 expedition.

Prior to the Windows to the Deep 2018 expedition, this section of the Blake Escarpment appeared to be an area of low slope with no distinct features based on satellite altimetry.

Terraced Features

This section of the Blake Escarpment appeared to be an area of low slope with no distinct features.

City of Atlanta

City of Atlanta sank in January 1942, when torpedoed by a German submarine.

USS Monitor

Civil War ironclad USS Monitor sank off Cape Hatteras on December 31, 1862.

U-352

U-352, a German U-boat, sank on May 9, 1942,off the North Carolina coast.

British Splendour

The tanker British Splendour lies as a reminder of how close the war came to American shores.

Methane bubbles flow in small streams out of the sediment on an area of seafloor offshore Virginia north of Washington Canyon.

Bubble Streams

Methane bubbles flow in small streams offshore Virginia north of Washington Canyon.

Map of Seeps

Map showing the locations of known seep sites along the U.S. Atlantic coast.

Bubble Plumes

Images of bubble plumes from gaseous seeps.

Deep Discoverer

Deep Discoverer during the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Canyons Expedition.

Mussels

Bathymodiolus mussels are seen underneath a carbonate overhang.

Batstar

The steep ledges of Norfolk Canyon proved to be home to a large diversity of life.

Corals

These corals were found near the northeast submarine canyons.

Octopus

An octopus guards her eggs under an overhang in Hydrographer Canyon.

Skate

A skate rests along the wall of Washington Canyon.

Map showing the geographic regions in which the Southeast Deep Coral Initiative (SEDCI) will operate in 2016-2019.

SEDCI Map

Map showing the geographic regions in which SEDCI will operate in 2016-2019.

A dense community of black corals, octocorals, and crinoids at 122 meters (400 feet) depth on Elvers Bank in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico.

Coral Community

A dense community of black corals, octocorals, and crinoids on Elvers Bank in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico.

Thorny Tinselfish

Thorny tinselfish swimming above a dense aggregation of Lophelia pertusa and a squat lobster on the West Florida Slope.

Windows to the Deep 2019: Exploration of the Deep-sea Habitats of the Southeastern United States

Image and Video Gallery

Daily Updates

Mission Logs

Image and Video Gallery

For Educators

Background Information

Media Resources

Meet the Explorers

Leg 1 Expedition Data

Leg 2 Expedition Data

Windows to the Deep 2019: Exploration of the Deep-sea Habitats of the Southeastern United States

Image and Video Gallery

Daily Updates

Mission Logs

Image and Video Gallery

For Educators

Background Information

Media Resources

Meet the Explorers

Leg 1 Expedition Data

Leg 2 Expedition Data

Related Links