March 12, 2021: Octopod
Image courtesy of NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2016 Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas. Download larger version (jpg, 1.1 MB).
While exploring Ahyi Seamount, part of a string of active submarine volcanoes along the Mariana Arc, we encountered this octopod making its way along the seafloor. The powerful cameras on remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer allowed scientists to get a close look at the external features of the animal. Aside from behavioral observations, in situ imagery helps us document what the organism looks like when it is alive and in its natural habitat; however, there are limitations to what we can learn from imagery alone. Learn more in this mission log, “Slope-depth Octopods and a Limit to Visual Exploration.”