Spiral Coral Taller Than ROV Hercules! | Nautilus Live

Spotted on an unnamed guyot northwest of Kingman Reef at around 1,200m deep, this iridogorgia coral was pushing 3 meters tall. Covered in associates like ctenophores (aka comb jellies) and squat lobster, the massive coral colony provides an essential home for filter feeders and predators alike. Check out these beautiful video shots from ROV Hercules and ROV Argus, showing us this massive underwater micro-ecosystem. Wow moments like this remind us of all the beauty yet to be discovered under the waves. During our NA149 expedition exploring the seafloor in and around the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, some of the most pristine marine ecosystems on Earth. While recent expeditions have increased our baseline knowledge of the deep-water resources of this region, large areas remain completely unexplored, particularly areas north of the Kingman/Palmyra Unit of PRIMNM. Learn more about this expedition is funded by NOAA Ocean Exploration via the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute: