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The Fascination of Discovery

WHOI recently concluded its first expedition to study life in the ocean twilight zone, a joint research cruise with scientists from the National Marine Fisheries Service and University of Connecticut. The research team aboard the Henry B. Bigelow used a combination of sonars, cameras, and sampling systems to try to quantify how many and what kind of animals live in this dimly-lit swath of ocean hundreds of meters below the surface. They found an abundance of marine life including zooplankton, squids, salps, and fish—among them this silvery hatchetfish that caught the scientific interest of crewmember Andrew Harrison. (Photo Jennifer Berglund, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)