white/pink sea star hunched over a sponge on a light sandy bottom

large sea star being collected by robot arm

There were also observations of shallow species at mesophotic depths doing cool things!Here,we see the giant seastar Thromidia catalai hunched over,feeding on this sponge. These are HUGE animals. You can hold them with 2 hands! (2 separate individuals shown, similar in size) #echinoday #ashmorereef

Calliaster corona! A lovely spiny beast showing off some very impressive spination! the species name alludes to the "crown" of spines on the disk! Not only were we able to describe it-but also to see it in situ! #echinoday #ashmorereef

WA’s ‘longest and most intense’ marine heatwave killed coral across 1,500km stretch Scientists shocked by bleaching event that hit reefs from the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo to the remote Ashmore Reef

[Australia] WA’s ‘longest and most intense’ marine heatwave killed coral across 1,500km stretch www.theguardian.com/australia-ne... #ClimateCrisis #MarineHeatwave #CoralBleaching #Ningaloo #AshmoreReef #Australia

Blue Sky on #AshmoreReef 2016 @stormhour.bsky.social