Undersea Life of the Hawaiian Archipelago

[Anomalocaris]

Back on July 10, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) began a mission it calls "Hohonu Moana: Exploring the Deep Waters off Hawaii." Based off its ship the Okeanos Explorer, the mission scientists have been busy mapping and exploring the sea floor of the Hawaiian archipelago.

The journey will last through the end of September, and, as you might imagine, the team's divers and remotely operated vehicles (ROV) have together imaged some fascinating sea life along the way.

Here we take a look at some of the amazing shots, starting with this large stalked sponge (Caulophacus), which looks like a seriously malformed potato.

Undersea Life of the Hawaiian Archipelago