A white, cushion-shaped sea star rests on a dark, rocky ocean floor.
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Sea Star
During Dive 07 of the 2026 American Samoa ROV + Mapping Exploration expedition, while exploring along the western side of a ridge feature in an area with bumpy terrain, we observed several sea stars of the genus Ahuastera as well as several brittle stars.  The Ahuastera sp. sea star pictured here was collected, as it may represent a species previously unknown to science.
Credit

NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2026 American Samoa ROV + Mapping Exploration