You may have seen a ridiculously cute googly-eyed squid or mysterious purple orb pop up on your Facebook feed or a news broadcast at some point this past year. If something cool rises from the deep, chances are it was discovered by the team aboard E/V Nautilus, a 210-foot research ship operated by the Ocean Exploration Trust. The deep-ocean explorers did research up and down the west coast of Canada and California in 2016, and live-streamed the cool discoveries they made in the field with remotely operated underwater vehicles. And if seeing this stuff isn’t reason enough to follow along, the researchers provide insightful — and often hilarious — commentary on the things they observe. To get a firsthand look at their expeditions, follow @EVNautilus on Twitter or visit nautiluslive.org. Here are the four most interesting things the Nautilus team live-streamed in 2016.

Glowing Purple Orb

Amid the monochrome landscape of the deep ocean off California’s coast, any splash of color is sure to grab your attention. But when the Nautilus team zeroed in on a glowing purple orb, even the researchers on board were stumped as to what it could be. After much deliberation — and the orb surviving the probing of a crab — the team believes it found a pleurobranch, close relative to the diver-favorite nudibranch, and what could be a newly discovered species.

The Doomed USS Independence

For the first time in 65 years, humans laid eyes on the historic USS Independence thanks to an ROV. The team explored the wreck in 2,600 feet of water off the coast of San Francisco in August, giving the world a glimpse of the ship that served in World War II, underwent Operation Crossroads nuclear testing in Bikini Atoll, and was purpose-sunk in 1951. Massive sponges adorned anti-aircraft weaponry, and an intact Grumman Hellcat fighter plane was found in the aircraft elevator hatch.

Fascinating Vampire Squid

OK, so there’s no new discovery here — the vampire squid, or Vampyroteuthis infernalis, was first described by Carl Chun in 1903. But the sight of the small deep-sea cephalopod is so stunning that it’s worth a mention. The velvety red and black critter — which can reach a maximum length of only about 1 foot — has a webbing of skin connecting its eight limbs, giving it the appearance of Dracula whipping his cape as it swims through the deep ocean.

Googly-Eyed Stubby Squid

No, it’s not a long-lost stuffed animal but a stubby squid. Researchers came across this bug-eyed squid — although, despite appearances, Rossia pacifica is most closely related to the cuttlefish — at 2,950 feet off the coast of California. “His eyes look fake. They look like googly eyes!” observed the excited team as they came across this purple curiosity in a seemingly barren expanse. And while we’ll never venture to 3,000 feet, the stubby squid can be found at scuba diving depths.

Source: Sport Diver