SUBSEA PHOTOGRAPHY AND TIME-LAPSE VIDEO OF LIVING CRINOIDS UNLOCK SECRETS OF A DEEP EVOLUTIONARY PAST

Since the 1960s, information about the behavior and ecology of living crinoids has grown considerably thanks to ongoing advances in submarine exploration using shallow and deep water diving techniques (SCUBA, submersibles and ROV) and underwater photography and videography. Direct observation of living crinoids in the wild and in aquaria provides insight into crinoid feeding habits, habitats, predation, biotic associations, and community ecology that can be applied to understanding crinoid ecology and evolution so well recorded in their rich fossil record of >400 my. Beginning with time-lapse studies made in 1983 on the Great Barrier Reef using 8 mm film to the latest digital HD video and photography taken from submersibles and by divers and studies of crinoids kept successfully in lab aquaria, the presentation features a series of stunning underwater videos and still images of living crinoids from shallow depths to the deep sea (as deep as ~5000 m), gathered from worldwide research expeditions. Images of several crinoid species are the first views ever seen in the wild. Living stalked crinoids belonging to clades originating in the Mesozoic (Isocrinida and Cyrtocrinida) provide a window into deep time and even into extinct Paleozoic crinoids when crinoids attained their peak diversity and abundance. However, much remains to be discovered and the limits to taxonomic uniformitarianism must be critically assessed.