<p>The brightly colored brisingid seastar <i><a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Novodinia_antillensis&amp;action=edit&amp;redlink=1" class="new" title="Novodinia antillensis (page does not exist)">Novodinia antillensis</a></i> is fairly common near 500 meters (1,640 feet)  depth in Roatan, Honduras.
</p><p>In 2010 and 2011, a NOAA-led team of researchers explored the deep Meso-American Reef off Roatan, Honduras, as part of a multi-year expedition called 'Deep Coral and Associated Species Taxonomy and Ecology', or DeepCAST. The goal of DeepCAST is to estimate deep-sea coral abundance and diversity; and to discern the nature of the relationship between host corals and their associated species. The primary reasons we study deep-sea corals are because they provide habitat to other species of fish, sea stars, shrimp and crabs; and they grow very slowly, so they are vulnerable to bottom contact fishing gear.
</p><p><i>Credit: NOAA DeepCAST I Expedition</i>
</p><p><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www2.coastalscience.noaa.gov/publications/ccehbr/detail.aspx?resource=vK2BK1w39BIxtj4oLrrehjLZEMzw9n4tqsmlCLVhOs8=">Read more about the expedition</a>
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(Original source: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/images.html">National Ocean Service Image Gallery</a>)
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/people/40322276@N04">NOAA's National Ocean Service</a>
CC BY 2.0
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/usoceangov/6641343059/">Brisingid Seastar</a>