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Crinoids Living on Octocoral

Several crinoids were seen living in the branches of a primnoid octocoral during Dive 08 of the 2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones expedition. Animals like corals and sponges often serve as “ecosystem engineers,” building habitats for other organisms.

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Credit

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