An underwater scene featuring a rocky seabed on the left transitioning to a sandy floor on the right, illuminated by soft blue and teal tones.
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Basalt and Nodules
The two dominant types of substrate encountered during Dive 08 of the 2026 Cook Islands ROV Exploration cruise are visible here—larger, rounded, manganese-encrusted basalts in the background and densely packed polymetallic nodules in the foreground.
Credit

NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2026 Cook Islands ROV Exploration.