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Look: A deep-sea expedition just captured these incredible views of life underwater

by Jennifer Walter
Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Voyage to the Ridge 2022

As humanity probes deeper and deeper into space, much of our planet still remains unexplored — mainly in Earth’s oceans.

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More than 80 percent of the ocean is still unmapped and unobserved.

But an ongoing expedition led by NOAA Ocean Exploration is capturing never-before-seen views of life in the deep Atlantic Ocean.

Video courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Voyage to the Ridge 2022.

Video courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Voyage to the Ridge 2022.

Called Voyage to the Ridge 2022, the expedition launched in May and has mapped sections of one of Earth’s largest geographical features: the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

This massive undersea mountain range stretches from Iceland to the subantarctic Bouvet Island.

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Using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) called Deep Discoverer, researchers have been observing the geology of the ridge, as well as the ecosystems that thrive there.

Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones: New England and Corner Rise Seamounts.

Video courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Voyage to the Ridge 2022.

ROV dives and mapping operations will be livestreamed until August 29.

The last leg of the expedition officially ends on September 2.

Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Voyage to the Ridge 2022

However, NOAA Ocean Exploration announced on Twitter that ROV dives are on pause as of August 10.

Thankfully there’s still a plethora of ocean views and footage of fascinating sea creatures archived from the past few months of the expedition.

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here are 12 glorious new views of life in the depths:

Video courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Voyage to the Ridge 2022.

12. A wiggly, transparent sea cucumber dances for the camera.

11. This curious alfonsino came to check out the ROV, peering right into the camera.

Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Voyage to the Ridge 2022.

Video courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Voyage to the Ridge 2022.

10. A bottom-dwelling eel called a pike-conger snakes over the ocean floor.

9. The ROV got up close and personal with the dinner plate jellyfish Solmissus.

Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Voyage to the Ridge 2022

8. Behind the walls of this glass sponge, a family of shrimp seeks shelter to lay their eggs. (Tap the audio button for narration.)

Video courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Voyage to the Ridge 2022.

Video courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Voyage to the Ridge 2022.

7. A perfectly coiled Stichopathes gravieri coral, which is a soft black coral that lives in deep water.

6. Over a mile below the surface of the sea, the ROV got an up-close look at this shiny false boarfish.

Video courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Voyage to the Ridge 2022.

Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Voyage to the Ridge 2022.

5. This sea star feasts on a stony coral by stretching its stomach (center) over the coral’s polyps.

4. A graceful Crossota jellyfish balloons through the water near the seafloor.

Video courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Voyage to the Ridge 2022.

Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Voyage to the Ridge 2022

3. This striking sea spider stands on a large coral. While it wasn’t seen snacking on the coral, sea spiders are known to make a meal out of them.

2. More predators! A tiny crustacean (bottom, moving its legs) eats aggressively at a comb jelly above it.

Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Voyage to the Ridge 2022

Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Voyage to the Ridge 2022

1. Orange opossum shrimp swim around an anemone in a display of two species living together in harmony.

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