September 28, 2021: Vent Shrimp
Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Mid-Cayman Rise Expedition 2011. Download larger version (jpg, 1.2 MB).
The fourth dive of the Mid-Cayman Rise Expedition 2011 focused on taking a close look at the biology and other “hot spots” of the Von Damm hydrothermal field. Incredible images of the vents and animals living at the sites were captured by the cameras on remotely operated vehicle Little Hercules, including images of shrimp like these, thought to be in the genus Rimicaris. These shrimp, which were about 10 centimeters (4 inches) long, were seen clustered around an area of diffuse flow at the Von Damm vent site.