Researchers Stunned by Discovery of Mysterious Golden Orb Deep in the Ocean
In 2023, a team of researchers found a golden orb deep inside the ocean, off the coast of Alaska. The orb was found at a depth of 3,300 meters (2 miles) in an area where the warm light of the Sun never penetrates, Science Alert reported. The research was conducted by a team associated with NOAA Ocean Exploration with the help of a remotely operated underwater vehicle.
The team explained that the undersea object was spotted "tightly adhered" to a rock dotted with white sponges, Science Alert reported. The object was 10 centimeters (4 inches) in size and had a hole on one side. Scientists associated with the research were unable to figure out the nature of the object. Some speculations put forward by them ranged from an egg casing from a mystery species, a dead sponge to a coral.
"I don't know what to make of that," said one of the researchers on a livestream recorded at the time. "It's definitely got a big old hole in it, so something either tried to get in or tried to get out," another stated. Another expert in the expedition voiced his apprehension that something might come out of the object if they poked it.
Prof Kerry Howell, a deep-sea ecologist at the University of Plymouth, thinks that the orb could help in the discovery of a new species, The Guardian reported. "We’ll often see new things but will usually have a pretty good knowledge of what they are. What’s unusual about this thing is we’re not even sure what it is. Is it an egg, is it a sponge, what is it?" she said.
At present the scientists are moving forward with the theory that the orb is an egg, The Guardian reported. "We’re going with egg because of the texture. It felt fleshy and it doesn’t have any obvious anatomy. It has a hole in it that suggests something has come in or gone out. But it doesn’t look like any egg I’ve ever seen," Howell added.
DNA analysis is being conducted to find more about the origin of the golden orb, The Guardian reported. Scientists are hoping that the test will be able to establish which family of marine life the orb comes from in the animal kingdom.