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Sea Star Feeding

During the first dive of the 2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones expedition, we saw this goniasterid sea star feeding on a predatory sponge in the family Cladorhizidae, a behavior that none of our participating scientists had previously observed. Sea stars feed by extending their stomachs in a gradual, but deliberate process that can take days, months, weeks, or even years. This was one of only a few sea star observations made during the dive.

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Credit

Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones: New England and Corner Rise Seamounts.