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July 17, 2021: Shrimp

A shrimp swims through the branches of a bright yellow bamboo coral seen at close to 1,700 meters (5,580 feet) depth on a seamount dubbed Kahalewai.

Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Mountains in the Deep: Exploring the Central Pacific Basin. Download larger version (jpg, 828 KB).

A shrimp swims through the branches of a bright yellow bamboo coral seen at close to 1,700 meters (5,580 feet) depth on a seamount dubbed "Kahalewai.” Seen during the Mountains in the Deep: Exploring the Central Pacific Basin expedition, the coral was giant — nearly as big as remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer (which is 2.6 meters/8.5 feet tall!), making scientists speculate that the coral colony is likely hundreds of years old. Watch a video of the coral.