A teeny octopus hatchling still cradled in its egg, a bubblegum pink coral and a bug-eyed bobtail squid are among the darling creatures spied by a deep-ocean explorer plying canyons off the northeastern coast of the United States.
The canyons carved into the continental slope near Nantucket, Mass., range from about 1,800 to 7,000 feet deep (550 to 2,100 meters). Currents carry sediments and nutrients into the clefts, supporting a higher diversity of marine life than the surrounding habitats, according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) statement. The continental slope marks the steep break between the shallow shelf near the shore and the deep ocean.
The little-explored canyons are the focus of a deep-diving expedition by NOAA's Okeanos Explorer, a research ship with a new remotely operated vehicle (ROV). Researchers are documenting the canyon geology and diverse marine communities, which help support local fisheries.
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