The robotic arm of remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer collects a glass sponge off the rocky slope of the Rockaway Seamount on July 8, 2021. Researchers often need physical samples of coral and sponge specimens to be able to correctly identify them to the species level.
Collecting Glass Sponge Sample
Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones: New England and Corner Rise Seamounts. Download largest version (jpg, 1.2 MB).

The robotic arm of remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer collects a glass sponge off the rocky slope of the Rockaway Seamount on July 8, 2021. Researchers often need physical samples of coral and sponge specimens to be able to correctly identify them to the species level.

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