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December 30, 2021: Brittle Star on Coral

This chrysogorgiid octocoral was seen with a brittle star on bare coral skeleton at a depth of 2,990 meters (9,810 feet) during exploration of a previously unexplored seamount, tentatively called

Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2017 American Samoa. Download larger version (jpg, 1.0 MB).

This chrysogorgiid octocoral was seen with a brittle star on bare coral skeleton at a depth of 2,990 meters (9,810 feet) during exploration of a previously unexplored seamount, tentatively called "Utu," as part of the 2017 American Samoa Expedition: Suesuega o le Moana o Amerika Samoa expedition. This was an unusual observation as brittle stars are usually associated with healthy coral tissue.