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Field of Stars

May 16, 2016

Scientists exploring off the south coast of Fernandina Island in the Gálapagos archipelago recently saw and imaged this field of sea stars at about 280 meters (919 feet) deep. WHOI geologist Adam Soule led the August 2015 expedition aboard M/V Alucia, the first using high-resolution methods to map, survey, and characterize biodiversity at the archipelago’s little-studied seamounts. Here the large sea star (genus Coronaster) is probably preying on the smaller brittle stars (genus Ophiomusium). For scale, the green laser beams project dots 20 cm (about eight inches) apart on the sea floor. (Adam Soule, WHOI, WHOI-MISO Facility, Nadir submersible Pilots, Dalio Explore Fund, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)