A mysterious golden “egg” or “orb” that was recently found off the coast of Alaska, but scientists have no idea exactly what it is.
“While we were able to collect the ‘golden orb’ and bring it onto the ship, we still are not able to identify it beyond the fact that it is biological in origin,” said Sam Candio, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ocean Exploration expedition coordinator.
The object was discovered attached to a seamount (underwater mountain) at a depth of 10,827 feet (or almost two miles) beneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean in the Gulf of Alaska.
It was found while the NOAA was using the remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer from the ship Okeanos Explorer as part of an expedition scheduled to run through September 16th.
“While somewhat humbling to be stumped by this finding, it serves as a reminder of how little we know about our own planet and how much is left to learn and appreciate about our ocean,” said Candio. “We likely won’t learn more until we are able to get it into a laboratory setting where we can continue to pull from the collective expertise of the scientific community with more sophisticated tools than we are able to maintain on the ship.”
The golden “egg” is a little over 10 centimeters (4 inches) in diameter with a small hole or tear near its base. Inside the hole, the interior is similarly colored.
“Something tried to get in, or to get out,” one of the researchers is heard to say on video after the discovery.
“I just hope when we poke it, something doesn’t decide to come out,” said another researcher.
Guesses so far as to what the strange object is include a dead sponge attachment, coral, or an egg casing. It could also be a new species or an unknown life stage of an existing species. (Or maybe it’s extraterrestrial!)
“New species have the potential to reveal new sources for medical therapies and vaccines, food, energy, and other societal benefits and knowledge,” said Candio. “Collectively, the data and information gathered during this expedition will help us close gaps in our understanding of this part of the planet, so we can better manage and protect it.”
Candio added, “Isn’t the deep sea so delightfully strange?”