The Lophelia II 2009 Reef, Rigs, and Wrecks cruise explored the waters in the Gulf of Mexico.

　　洛菲莉亚II号科学考察船2009年的征程围绕墨西哥湾附近的暗礁、钻探和船只残骸展开。

The prime goal of the 2009 cruise was to understand the animal communities that live in and around deep-sea, cold-water coral reefs. Here a crab, also known as a squat lobster catches and consumes a squid.

　　本次科考的主要目的乃是了解生活在深海冷水区珊瑚礁附近的生态群落。图为一只龙虾正在捕食鱿鱼。

Octocorals are most commonly known as large colorful sea-fans. They have eight pinnate tentacles on each polyp rather than six on other corals. They can grow far deeper than other corals.

　　图为八放珊瑚。顾名思义，个头偏大、五光十色的它们在每个珊瑚虫上长有八只羽状触角，而通常的珊瑚只有六只。比起其他珊瑚，他们生活在更深的海底。

Polyps of Lophelia pertusa extend from the corallites in order to feed. Like other cold-water corals, L. pertusa preys on plankton that descend from the surface.

　　为了捕食，名为Lophelia pertusa的珊瑚虫从珊瑚石上伸展出来。像其他冷水珊瑚一样，L. pertusa以海面沉下来的浮游生物为食。

A fish swims at the base of coral. The small, deep-sea fish, live for an exceptionally long time. One was reported to live for 149 years.

　　一条鱼从珊瑚底部游过。这种小型深海鱼的寿命很长，据说其中一只活到了149岁。