Expedition Photos

Dumbo Octopod A little dumbo octopod, Grimpoteuthis discoveryi, from an earlier tow.

Cartilaginous Shell The cartilaginous shell dissected from inside the body of the big dumbo. Its fins attach to the “wings” of the shell so that the fin muscles can provide power for swimming.

Big Dumbo The big dumbo ready for examination. The large dark, round objects are its eyes and between them is the tube-like funnel through which it jets water. The ruler is 4.5 in long.

Bathysaurus Bathysaurus ferox, the world’s deepest-living predatory fish. Photo by Amy Heger.

Mid-Atlantic Ridge Track of the RV Bigelow along the parallel ridges that mark the path of the mid-Atlantic Ridge.

Rat Tail A Macrourid, or “rat tail” from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Photo by David Shale.

Rat Tail CJ Sweetman (L) and Tracey Sutton prepare to sort the bottom trawl aboard the deck of the RV Bigelow.

Rough Sort Expedition scientists do a "rough sort" to separate different groups of organisms collected within the trawl net. Photo by Mike Vecchione.

Rough Sort Bottom trawl gear. Picture by David Shale.

Cod Ends Tracey Sutton (L) and CJ Sweetman open the "cod ends" of the pelagic trawl. Photo by Amy Heger.

Deep-sea Jellyfish Jellyfish collected on the cruise include (from L): Halicreas minimum (clear with orange segments), the ever-common Periphylla periphylla (pointy red cap with a skirt medusa), and Atolla wyvellei (red and circular). These jellies make up a large percentage of the biomass in the deep sea. Photo by Randy Singer.

Dealfish VIMS researchers Tracey Sutton (L) and CJ Sweetman (R) hold a 5-foot dealfish (Trachipterus arcticus). They collected the fish in a trawl net above the mid-Atlantic Ridge. Photo by Randy Singer.

Angler Fish The angler fish Melanocetus murrayi. Photo by David Shale. Photo by Randy Singer.

Cockatoo Squid The cockatoo squid Teuthowenia megalops. Photo by Randy Singer.

Hatchet Fish The hatchet fish Argyropelicus gigas. Photo by David Shale. Photo by Randy Singer.

Lancet Fish The lancet fish Alepisaurus brevirostris. Photo by David Shale. Photo by Randy Singer.

Lancet Fish A North Atlantic iceberg. Photo by Randy Singer.

Lancet Fish A high-latitude sunset. Photo by Randy Singer.

Use the scroll arrows above to view photos taken by the researchers aboard the RV Bigelow during their 6-week expedition to study the deep waters of the North Atlantic. To follow the expedition, view the cruise blogs.