Camera 3: Dive 07: Seascape Alaska 3

From July 14 - 25, NOAA Ocean Exploration and partners conducted the Seascape Alaska 3: Aleutians Remotely Operated Vehicle Exploration and Mapping expedition off the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. During the expedition, the team will work to fill gaps in our understanding of the region by conducting focused mapping and remotely operated vehicle operations in waters deeper than 200 meters (656 feet). Dive 07 of the expedition, being replayed here, took place on “Uliaga Mound,“ a feature north of Uliaga Island where several small, approximately 500-meter (1,640-foot) -high mounds sit in around 800 meters (2,625 feet) of water. The mounds, which were found during expedition mapping operations, proved to be ideal for deepwater coral and sponge growth, as we encountered a wall-to-wall forest of corals and sponges covering uneven, dark gray to dark brown bedrock on the seafloor. The corals and sponges provided homes for a range of animals, from shrimp, crabs, fish, sea stars, and more. The dive certa