Deep Sea Diversity at One of the Oldest Seamounts on Earth
Vogt Seamount lies just east of the Mariana Trench and at its highest point sits about 1,800 meters below the surface. Having traveled with the Pacific Plate for over 100 million years, the seamount sits on the doorstep of the Trench, ready to be remade in the dynamic subduction zone. We deployed ROVs to investigate the organisms living on the guyot- a submerged volcano characterized by its flattened top. These photos detail the diversity of color and life found at Vogt, including colonial anemones, bubble gum corals, carnivorous sponges, swimming sea cucumbers, and much more.
This photo album was created by Science Communication Fellow Kyle Menter.
Mattingan: Mariana Arc Volcanic Exploration
E/V Nautilus will begin the 2025 season exploring the ocean of the Mariana Islands- one of the most tectonically and volcanically dynamic locations on the planet. This area is home to one of the most active arc volcanic systems on Earth with more than 60 submarine volcanoes, and a back-arc spreading center where new seafloor is created.
