National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Colorful corals and brittlestars inhabit the Manning Seamount in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of New England. Here you can see golden-colored coral (Enallopsamia rostrata), pinkish-brown coral (Solenosmilia variabilis), pink soft coral (Candidella imbricate), and brittlestars (Ophiacantha sp.). Read more in our story about deep sea exploration. 

In summer 2009, in the heart of New Orleans, a 600-foot tanker collided with a 200-foot fuel barge, tearing the barge in half. Several hundred thousand gallons of oil leaked out of the barge and into the fast-flowing Mississippi River, heading quickly towards the ocean. The oil spread down the river in minutes --immediately threatening drinking water intakes and wildlife. Responders sprang into action within hours of the accident. Using computer models and weather forecasts, they determined the path of the spill.

This octopod is sometimes called a “Dumbo” octopod because its fins resemble the ears of Disney’s Dumbo the elephant. The video was recorded in 2003 on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge by the Russian manned submersible MIR 2. More about deep ocean exploration can be found in our Deep Ocean Exploration featured story. Note: this video contains no audio.