Long, slender, white organism in deep-sea environment over rocky seafloor.
Caulophacus Sponge
Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2025 Beyond the Blue. Download larger version (jpg, 562 KB).
A large Caulophacus sponge towers more than 2 meters (6.5 feet) off the seafloor. We saw many of these tall sponges along the slope and on the summit flats of the seamount explored during Dive 13 of the Papahānaumokuākea ROV and Mapping expedition.