Underwater scene of a rugged seafloor with dark volcanic rocks and a pale starfish in the foreground.
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Sea Star
This sea star was seen clinging to a rock (broken lobate form of lava) during Dive 13 of the 2026 Cook Islands ROV Exploration cruise. The sea star, which belongs to the family Goniasteridae, may be a species new to science, so was collected for further study.
Credit

NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2026 Cook Islands ROV Exploration