Dive 03: Small Is Mighty
Video courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2019 Southeastern U.S. Deep-sea Exploration. Download larger version (mp4, 72.1 MB).

During Dive 03 of the 2019 Southeastern U.S. Deep-sea Exploration, we explored a site within the Stetson-Miami Terrace Deepwater Coral Habitat Area of Particular Concern, to the west of the Million Mounds area. For much of the dive, the seafloor was covered with coral rubble and we did not see a large number of animals. However, zooming in on features revealed that the area was far from barren, we were often able to get a glimpse of smaller animals living within the coral rubble. Although they may be hard to see with the naked eye, these animals play an important role in the overall deep-sea ecosystem.

Learn more