The vehicle captured the underside of this galatheid crab clinging to a coral on July 12.

The vehicle captured the underside of this galatheid crab clinging to a coral on July 12. Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, INDEX-SATAL 2010. Download larger version (jpg, 1.2 MB).

Dive 12: Galatheid Crab
July 12, 2010

The crew launch the ROV for Dive 12 at 2º 37.480'N 125º 05.18’E around 0815. The target seamount had an east-west trending ridge that rose to a depth of approximately 1100m. The ROV arrived on bottom approximately 100m below the summit. It traversed up a steep slope which was heavily sedimented and had relatively low biomass. We observed sparse assemblages of hexactinellid sponges, corals with brittle stars and various types of crabs, urchins, and fish. Shallower depths closer to the summit were also heavily sedimented and the feature overall resembled some of the other deeper seamounts we had explored on previous dives.