Seamounts: A Geologic Puzzle
Video courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Mountains in the Deep: Exploring the Central Pacific Basin. Download larger version (mp4, 130.6 MB).

One of the primary goals of the Mountains in the Deep expedition was to get a good first look at the deep-sea habitats that exist throughout the Central Pacific Basin, with a particular focus on seamounts. During the expedition, the team was able to combine high-resolution multibeam mapping data with remotely operated vehicle dives to provide an entirely new understanding of these mountains that rise from the deep and serve important roles in the overall ocean ecosystem.