- NOAA found a shiny golden orb 2 miles deep in the Gulf of Alaska in 2023
- The orb was dome-shaped, brass-colored, and attached to a rock with a small hole
- Initial tests failed; DNA analysis identified it as part of a giant deep-sea anemone
Scientists have finally solved the mystery of a shiny "golden orb" found 2 miles down in the Gulf of Alaska in 2023, confirming that it's not an alien technology or any new species. The orb was discovered when NOAA Ocean Exploration's remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer was surveying a seamount in the Gulf of Alaska at 10,827 feet on August 30, 2023.
There was something odd about the orb as it was tightly attached to a rock, was smooth, dome-shaped, brass-coloured, and about four inches wide. It had a small hole near its base. Researchers collected and sent them to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History for study.
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But What Exactly Was It?
Well, researchers clarified that it was a piece of a giant deep-sea anemone.
Initial guesses ranged from an egg case to a dead sponge to coral, even aliens. But one thing about it was clear, that it was biological in origin, with protein-like layers throughout.
Most deep-sea mysteries are solved quickly once samples reach a lab. But this emerged as an exception.
"We work on hundreds of different samples, and I suspected that our routine processes would clarify the mystery," Allen Collins, the director of NOAA Fisheries' National Systematics Laboratory and a zoologist, said as quoted by CBS News.
"But this turned into a special case that required focused efforts and the expertise of several different individuals."
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The orb lacked recognisable animal features. Under the microscope, it showed fibrous layers packed with stinging cells, hinting at cnidarians, the group that includes corals and anemones.
The team had to turn to whole-genome sequencing and mitochondrial genome analysis after standard DNA tests were inconclusive.
Finally, NOAA announced that the golden mass was a remnant of dead cells that formed at the base of "Relicanthus daphneae", a rarely seen giant deep-sea anemone.
"Relicanthus daphneae" is a striking animal. Its tentacles can grow more than 6.6 feet long, drifting in total darkness where sunlight never reaches.
The scientists say that the golden orb was essentially skin or tissue left behind when the anemone either moved or reproduced. The small hole was where it had been attached.
"So often in deep ocean exploration, we find these captivating mysteries, like the 'golden orb'. With advanced techniques like DNA sequencing, we are able to solve more and more of them," said CAPT William Mowitt, acting director of NOAA Ocean Exploration.
"This is why we keep exploring - to unlock the secrets of the deep and better understand how the ocean and its resources can drive economic growth, strengthen our national security, and sustain our planet."
