Gallery: Never-Before-Seen Photos of Colorful Life on Arctic Seafloor

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The Arctic Ocean seafloor is complicated to visit and photograph. But, new technology in the form of a "TowCam," developed by scientists and engineers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, took images every 10 to 15 seconds while it was submerged to provide researchers at the Center for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Climate and Environment in Norway a glimpse of the elusive, chilly environment. (All images courtesy of the Center for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Climate and Environment/The Arctic University of Norway). [Read full Arctic seafloor exploration story]

Arctic party

Anemones, sponges, and tube worms hang out on the seafloor, 1,640 feet (500 meters) deep in the Arctic Ocean.

Skate fish

A skate fish roams 3,400 feet (1,200 m) deep in the Arctic Ocean. The bright purple fish is surrounded by white brittle stars and tube worms on the seafloor.

Crinoid

A crinoid with many arms that spread like a paintbrush and suck up particles of food.

Codfish

A school of codfish seem to be chasing a laser beam projecting from the camera on the Arctic seafloor.

Ship camera

Equipment off the side of the research ship carrying a sample collector and deep-water camera.

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Elizabeth Goldbaum
Elizabeth Goldbaum
Staff Writer
Elizabeth is a staff writer for Live Science. She enjoys learning and writing about natural and health sciences, and is thrilled when she finds an evocative metaphor for an obscure scientific idea. She researched ancient iron formations in China for her Masters of Science degree in Geosciences at the University of California, Riverside, and went on to Columbia Journalism School for a master's degree in journalism, focusing on environmental and science writing.