[Abyssal megafauna capture records] - Capture records of abyssal megafauna captured using submersibles and ROVs at Station ALOHA off Hawaii and Station M off California from 2019 to 2020 (Collaborative Research: Assessing the relative importance of small vs large particles as sources of nutrition to abyssal communities)

Megafauna were captured using submersibles and ROVs at Station ALOHA off Hawaii and Station M off California from 2019 to 2020. These animals were captured as representatives of their abyssal food webs for an isotopic investigation of their original particulate nutritional sources (different sized particles).

Each organism was identified, measured, most weighed using a motion compensated scale, and frozen for later drying and isotope analysis. For larger organisms such as holothurians or fishes, samples of tissues were taken and often the whole animal was preserved for later confirmation of taxonomic identification.