The Fantastical Beasts of the Deep Gulf of Mexico

I recently returned from nearly two weeks at sea with a motley and intrepid crew exploring the Gulf of Mexico almost a mile and half deep.  You can read up on our adventures on our Reddit AMA. The main goal was to deploy nearly 200 wood falls on the deep-sea floor.  The work, funded by the National Science Foundation, seeks to examine how marine organisms respond to changing food supplies as a result of climate change.  Wood falls in the deep sea offer up nice little experimental systems in which to test ideas.  The work was conducted with a remote operated vehicle and allowed us the opportunity to explore the amazing creatures found in the deep Gulf of Mexico.  Below is both an amazing set of photos taken on the surface by the talented photographer Jason Bradley, part of the expedition, and a host photos taken by the scientists and ROV team with the 4K camera aboard Oceaneering’s Global Explorer.