Dive 16 explored a small mound located approximately 25 miles north of Mona Island at 431-521 meter (~1,415-1,710 feet) depths. The dive traversed a gentle slope of flat carbonate hardground heading upwards towards the crest of the mound. Invertebrates were quite abundant and diverse at this site, including numerous structure-forming groups like deep-sea corals and sponges. Corals included several different species of black corals, stylasterids, primnoid, plexaurids, and bamboo corals.

Sponges were also in high abundance, however, many of these were encrusting or small in size. The larger sponges included Phakellia sp. demosponges, which were quite common at the site and often covered with commensal brittle stars and crinoids. Other echinoderms recorded during the dive included two species of sea stars, one species of sea cucumber, and five species of sea urchins. Particularly noteworthy were several observations of sea urchins preying on other animals, including Cidaris rugosa grazing off the cirri of a stalked crinoid, as well as Histocidaris nuttingi feeding on bamboo corals on two separate occasions.

In contrast to invertebrates, fish diversity was rather low at this site with 10 species recorded, the most common of which was the greeneye Chlorophthalmus agassizi. Other fish we observed on this dive included several large individuals of queen snapper (Etelis oculatus), bearded brotula (Brotula barbata), dogfish, catshark (Scyliorhinus sp.), boarfish (Antigonia capros), scorpionfish (Pontinus sp.), orange roughy (Gephyroberyx sp.), and dory (Cyttopsis rosea).