May 2, 2021: Tube Worms
Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2016 Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas. Download larger version (jpg, 995 KB).
While exploring the crater of Daikoku Seamount to investigate a possible 2014 eruption and assess its impacts on the local ecosystem during the 2016 Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas, the team observed active venting and thick volcanic smoke, supporting the hypothesis that there had been recent volcanic activity in the area. Plumes of likely carbon dioxide gas and sulfur were emanating from cracks and orifices near the crater rim and along the lower wall of the crater.
They saw tubeworms such as the ones in this image, crabs, and a high density of flat fish specialized in living on the sulfur-rich ground. Watch a video of this underwater volcano.