@mbari_news: A mushroom monument 🍄 The mushroom soft coral (Heteropolypus ritteri) is abundant on the jagged walls of Monterey Canyon and the rocky slopes of local seamounts. Fast currents running along the bottom can carry an abundance of plankton and other tiny bits of food. Heteropolypus extends delicate tentacles into the currents to snag a feast. When their tentacles are extended, they resemble a beautiful flower. When the tentacles are pulled in, they look more like their namesake—mushrooms. #DeepSeaTok #MBARI #ocean #STEM #FridayFlow