NOAA reveals the weirdest creatures found off the Southeast US

The NOAA's Okeanos Explorer wrapped up its mission to investigate the poorly understood waters off the southeast US last week, revealing a stunning glimpse into life thousands of feet beneath the surface. From the adorable wide-eyed'deep sea dumpling' to the ferocious-looking lizardfish, scientists operating a remote vehicle stumbled upon all sorts of beautiful and unusual creatures during the 17 'Windows to the Deep' dives. The mission came to a close on July 2 after more than a month mapping and observing the US Southeast Continental Margin, which stretches from Florida to North Carolina. On July 1, the last day of the dive, the researchers caught a glimpse of the eerie lizardfish at around 1,771 meters (5,810 feet) deep. Dives kicked off on May 22, beginning a two-part ocean exploration mission in the deepwater areas off the southeast, which is said to contain'some of the least explored areas' of the East Coast.