Figure 9. Round worm found attached to the concrete sinker. 



Recovery of STU 



When the STU was recovered from the sea by means of grapple and placed 

 aboard the deck of the ship, a tangled mass of black polyethylene-covered wire 

 cable and polypropylene rope materials was found covering one section of the STU 

 (Figure 10). Only a very light growth of hydroids was found attached to these 

 materials. 



On the upper section of the STU, a large rock estimated to weigh 500 pounds 

 (Figure 1 1) was found trapped in the STU frame, resting on top of a metal test 

 specimen rack. There was a thick deposit of manganese dioxide coating over the 

 rock (Figure 12), and the coating was covered with a growth of very small calcareous 

 tube worms. The rxDck is now in the Smithsonian Institution, United States National 

 Museum, Washington, D. C. 



A smaller rock specimen was also found wedged in between the STU frame. It 

 was riddled by rock-boring molluscs, but neither live borers nor their shells were 

 found in these borer holes. However, attached to the rock were live annulate worms 

 in tubes made of mud and debris; several colonies of pink encrusting bryozoa; a 

 solitary coral (Reference 6 mentions deep sea coral forms); glass sponges; limpets; 



12 



