Scientists have spotted a rare octopus with "Dumbo" ears and a species of coral dubbed "purple haze" in a deep sea volcano.
For the first time, a three-man submarine has been sent deep into the depths to explore the undersea volcano off the coast of Hawaii's Big Island that nourishes a unique variety of marine life.
The vessel Pisces V visited Cook seamount, a 13,000-foot extinct volcano, earlier this month to examine its geological features.
The researchers from the University of Hawaii and the nonprofit group Conservation International spotted wonders such as a rare type of octopus with big fins that look like Dumbo's ears, and a potentially new species of violet-hued coral they named Purple Haze.
Conservation International hopes to study 50 seamounts, or undersea volcanoes, over the next five years. They are hotspots for marine life because they carry nutrient-rich water upward from the sea floor.
