June 20, 2021: Crab and Mussels
Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Exploration of the Gulf of Mexico 2014. Download larger version (jpg, 1.6 MB).
A crab makes its home beneath what the participating science team called the “Amphitheater of Chemosynthetic Life” – a large carbonate ledge covered in chemosynthetic mussels with methane hydrate underneath seen during the first dive of the Exploration of the Gulf of Mexico 2014. There were also a number of sea urchins, sea stars, and fish in this area. Most impressive about this ledge was the large accumulation of hydrates under it as well as the large collection of mussels hanging upside down off the ledge. The dive site was selected for exploration by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.