New Deep-Sea Pictures: Chimaera, Ten-armed Starfish, More

Asea anemonehitches a ride on a hermit crab in one of the"rare and exciting"new pictures released last week by a joint Indonesian-U.S.oceanexpedition.

Taken near theIndonesianisland ofSulawesi (map), the high-definition,"never-before-seen views of seascapes and colorful, fascinating marine animals"were captured by a remotely operated vehicle aboard the expedition's U.S. shipOkeanos Explorer.

The ROV conducted 27 dives between 800 feet (240 meters) and 2 miles (3.2 kilometers), spotting at least 40 species that might be unknown to science, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

(Seepictures of a giant undersea volcano released by the project team in June.)

The first in a multiyear partnership between NOAA and theIndonesian Ministry for Marine Affairs and Fisheries, the approximately two-month expedition was meant to document Indonesia's sea life and to learn more about resolving ocean problems, such asacidificationandoverfishing. (Read aboutten things you do can do save the ocean.)

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