This delicate yet dramatic creature may look like an accessory out of Bridgerton, but it’s actually a glass sponge called a walteria sponge. Its projections are called lateralia and while scientists are unsure of their exact function, they're often found colonized by other associated biodiversity. Here you’ll spot brittle stars and a predatory sea star nestled together with the sponge as well as plenty of other critters nearby. Learn more about this expedition in and around the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument funded by NOAA Ocean Exploration via the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute: https://nautl.us/3NdSMFx -- E/V Nautilus is exploring unknown regions of the ocean seeking out new discoveries in biology, geology, and archaeology. Join us 24/7 for live video from the seafloor and to ask questions of our explorers currently aboard Nautilus: www.nautiluslive.org. Follow us on social media for dive updates, expedition highlights, and more: Subscribe on YouTube: www.youtube.com/subscription_center?a... Facebook: www.facebook.com/nautiluslive Twitter: www.twitter.com/evnautilus Instagram: www.instagram.com/nautiluslive
