Posted 08.03.04 at 6:10 am

On the deck of the R/V Roger Revelle Monday afternoon, coral researcher Scott France holds out a recently collected seafan, or gorgonian coral (Muriceides species), retrieved by the remotely operated vehicle Jason II at a depth of about 490 meters on the seafloor south of Tanaga Island. Coral samples retrieved from Jason II are immediately placed into chilled buckets of water. Photo by SONYA SENKOWSKY