Seamounts, A Deep-Sea Habitat

Thousands of seamounts—most of them undersea volcanoes—tower above the muddy seafloor. They provide something hard to come by in the deep ocean: a solid surface to cling to. This photo gallery shows some of the organisms that have found a suitable home on seamounts. 

Tags: 
Corals, Biodiversity, Seamounts, Echinoderms

Manning Seamount Deep Coral Community

A variety of corals cling to Manning Seamount, just off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Credit: Mountains in the Sea Research Group/NOAA/IFE

Balanus Seamount

A white coral (Corallium sp.) and two vase sponges (left) grow on an Atlantic Ocean seamount.

Credit: Mountains in the Sea Research Group/NOAA/IFE

Sea Star on Coral at Seamount

A bright orange sea star (Novodinia antillensis) clings to a white soft coral (Paragorgia sp.) at Manning Seamount, New England Seamount Chain.

Credit: Mountains in the Sea Research Group/NOAA/IFE

Manning Seamount Deep Coral Communities

Colorful corals and brittlestars on Manning Seamount off the New England coast.

Credit: Mountains in the Sea Research Group/NOAA/IFE

Comments

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

It's really beautiful. Someday,I wish I could travel to the bottom of the ocean too, and see wonderful plants and coral.

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