Journey into Midnight: Light and Life Below the Twilight Zone

Journey into Midnight: Light and Life Below the Twilight Zone Expedition

Image and Video Gallery

This page contains photos and videos associated with the Journey into Midnight: Light and Life Below the Twilight Zone expedition. Click on any image or video to view a larger version and for additional information.

A giant squid, at least 3 to 3.7 meters (10 to 12 feet) in length, approaches the Medusa's e-jelly lure before realizing the e-jelly is not food and retreating.

A giant squid approaches the Medusa's e-jelly lure.

Photo of the water spout as seen from R/V Point Sur.

Photo of the water spout as seen from R/V Point Sur.

Recovering the Medusa requires a lot of line handling.

Medusa Recovery

Recovering the Medusa requires a lot of line handling.

Oceaneering ROV pilots Travis Kolbe (left) and Jason Tripp (right).

Oceaneering ROV pilots Travis Kolbe and Jason Tripp.

View at the ocean surface from the Global Explorer ROV during its recovery to R/V Point Sur at the end of a dive. The color in the image is altered from the filters set for deep water.

View at the ocean surface from the Global Explorer ROV during its recovery to R/V Point Sur.

Coryphaenoides alateralis (a.k.a., rattail fish).

Coryphaenoides alateralis (a.k.a., rattail fish).

A rare pelican eel (Eurypharynx pelecanoides) with ultra-black skin that accidentally hitched a ride on the outside of the trawl net. Despite its rough voyage to the surface, enough skin remained intact for us to take measurements.

A rare pelican eel with ultra-black skin that accidentally hitched a ride on the trawl net.

Giant Acanthephyra caught between 1,200 and 1,500 meters (3,937 and 4,921 feet) with the Tucker Trawl.

Giant Acanthephyra caught with the Tucker Trawl.

“Normal” shrimp from the twilight zone and “giant” shrimp from the midnight zone.

Shrimp Comparison

“Normal” shrimp from the twilight zone and “giant” shrimp from the midnight zone.

A very large deep-sea shrimp inspects the e-jelly.

Deep-sea Shrimp

A very large deep-sea shrimp inspects the e-jelly.

A slickhead (Alepocephalidae) tentatively identified as <em>Bathytroctes macrolepis</em> inspects the e-jelly.

A slickhead inspects the e-jelly.

Shrimp Spewing Bioluminescence

Shrimp Spewing Bioluminescence

A shrimp executes an escape response that includes spewing bioluminescence.

A still frame image of a siphonophore, collected by the Global Explorer ROV.

A still frame image of a siphonophore.

Team setting up for a Tucker Trawl deployment.

Trawl Deployment

Team setting up for a Tucker Trawl deployment.

Science team and ship's crew deploying the Medusa for its 30-hour adventure.

Medusa Deployment

Science team and ship's crew deploying the Medusa.

Science team observing deep-sea animals collected from a trawl using their red lights to not disturb the organisms.

Science team observing deep-sea animals.

The deep-sea ctenophore, Bathocyroe foserti, as photographed from the ROV at ~1,800 meters (5,905 feet).

The deep-sea ctenophore, Bathocyroe foserti.

An example of extrinsic bioluminescent as seen on the splat screen from the ROV.

An example of extrinsic bioluminescent as seen on the splat screen.

Three generations of postdoc advising. Dr. Lorian Schweikert’s previous advisors Dr. Sönke Johnsen and Dr. Edie Widder.

Three Generations

Three generations of postdoc advising.

Dr. Schweikert’s current postdoctoral advisor is Dr. Heather Bracken-Grissom. They work together at Florida International University.

Current Advisor

Dr. Schweikert’s current postdoctoral advisor is Dr. Heather Bracken-Grissom.

Using advanced molecular tools, cultured brain cells (neurons) are seen lighting up in response to activation during an imaging course at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience.

Activated Brain Cells

Cultured brain cells are seen lighting up.

Bioluminescent organisms are visualized using a low-light camera attached to the submerged ROV.

Bioluminescent Organisms

Bioluminescent organisms are visualized using a low-light camera.

Recovery of Medusa at Night.

Recovery of Medusa at night.

Second deployment of Medusa off the Point Sur.

Medusa Deployment

Second deployment of Medusa off R/V Point Sur.

Scientists and boat crew getting the Tucker Trawl ready for deployment.

Trawl Deployment

Scientists and boat crew getting the trawl ready for deployment.

Dish of crustaceans collected in the first tow of the Tucker Trawl.

Crustacean Collection

Dish of crustaceans collected in the first tow of the trawl.

Awesome squid at 1100m.

Awesome squid at 1,100 meters.

Free-swimming larvacean (we saw many Larvacean houses, which in the words of Dr. Tracey Sutton, are the “mucus polysaccharide structures that are spun similarly to that of a spider by the larvacean intricately to provide them with food.”)

Free-swimming Larvacean

Free-swimming larvacean.

L-R, Alexander Davis, Tracey Sutton, Ph.D., Heather Bracken-Grissom, Ph.D. enjoying coconut ice cream bars and discussions with colleagues while waiting on the rain to pass!

Alexander Davis, Tracey Sutton, and Heather Bracken-Grissom waiting on the rain to pass!

Science Crew Muster Drill

Science Crew Muster Drill.

Sequence of the deep-sea pandalid shrimp Heterocarpus ensifer ‘vomiting’ light from glands located near its mouth.

Shrimp Vomiting Light

Sequence of the deep-sea pandalid shrimp Heterocarpus ensifer ‘vomiting’ light from glands located near its mouth.

Sonke Johnsen, Justin Marshall, and Mark Hooper blue-water diving in the Bahamas.

Sonke Johnsen, Justin Marshall, and Mark Hooper blue-water diving in the Bahamas.

Remotely operated vehicle Global Explorer

Global Explorer

Remotely operated vehicle Global Explorer.

Bioluminescing Brittlestar

Ophiuroid Bioluminescence

Bioluminescence of the ophiuroid Ophiochiton ternispinus found at 3000 feet depth off the Bahamas.

Map of area of exploration

Mission Plan Map

During the expedition, the team will explore the water column over the deep abyssal plain between the Mississippi Fan and the West Florida Shelf.

The Medusa camera system just prior to launch during 2012 giant squid hunt off Japan.

The Medusa camera system just prior to launch during 2012 giant squid hunt off Japan.

Deep-sea jellyfish Atolla wyvilleias seen in white light (top), photographed by its own bioluminescence (middle) and the e-jelly designed to imitate its display (bottom).

Deep-sea jellyfish Atolla wyvilleias seen in white light (top), photographed by its own bioluminescence (middle) and the e-jelly designed to imitate its display (bottom).

9m2 Tucker Trawl at the surface, about to be deployed.

Deploying Trawl

9m2 Tucker Trawl at the surface, about to be deployed.

Cod-end attached to the end of the net.

Cod-end attached to the end of the net.

(A) Cerataspis monstrosa the ‘monster’ larva that has remained unlinked to an adult form for 184 years. (B) Plesiopenaeus armatus the adult form of C. monstrosa.

Fig 3: (A) Cerataspis monstrosa the ‘monster’ larva that has remained unlinked to an adult form for 184 years. [Credit: D. Felder, 2011] (B) Plesiopenaeus armatus the adult form of C. monstrosa [Credit: W. Pequegnat, 1971, female from 3250 m, northwestern Gulf of Mexico]. Taken from Bracken-Grissom et al. 2012, Ecology and Evolution 2012; 2(10): 2367–2373.

The Vampire Squid, Vampyroteuthis infernalis.

The Vampire Squid, Vampyroteuthis infernalis.

The whiplash squid, Mastigoteuthis agassizii.

The whiplash squid, Mastigoteuthis agassizii.

A dumbo octopus swimming in the water column.

A dumbo octopus swimming in the water column.

Deep Sea Systems Global Explorer ROV.

Global Explorer

Deep Sea Systems Global Explorer ROV.

Diagram of monochromatic light stimulus.

Diagram of monochromatic light stimulus.

Spectral sensitivity of a dark-adapted eye (white) and after chromatic adaptation with blue light (blue line) in a species with blue and violet visual pigments.

Spectral Sensitivity

Spectral sensitivity of a dark-adapted eye (white) and after chromatic adaptation with blue light (blue line) in a species with blue and violet visual pigments.

Spectral sensitivity of a dark-adapted eye (white) and after chromatic adaptation with blue light (blue line) in a species with a single blue visual pigment.

Chromatic Adaptation

Spectral sensitivity of a dark-adapted eye (white) and after chromatic adaptation with blue light (blue line) in a species with a single blue visual pigment.