January 16, 2021: Pelagic Sea Cucumber
Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Discovering the Deep: Exploring Remote Pacific MPAs. Download larger version (jpg, 836 KB).
This beautiful pelagic sea cucumber was seen swimming just above the seafloor during a Discovering the Deep: Exploring Remote Pacific Marine Protected Areas expedition dive near Howland Island. Unlike other sea cucumbers that we sometimes see moving around on the seafloor, this particular sea cucumber spends its entire life in the water column.
Check out this video of the sea cucumber gracefully swimming in the water.