‘Glittering gold blob’ discovered on sea ground baffles scientists

Sep 07, 2023 at 11:51 AM
‘Glittering gold blob’ discovered on sea ground baffles scientists

A mysterious golden orb discovered on the ocean ground has baffled scientists.

It was found on 30 August, however assessments are nonetheless beneath method to decide the article’s origin.

The egg – as some speculate it is perhaps – was discovered by marine biologists aboard a vessel run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) within the US, off the coast of Alaska.

Admitting they cannot inform the place it got here from, the group shared an image on social media, taken from a reside stream of its deep dive.

“This golden orb, likely an egg casing, struck an imaginative chord for many watching yesterday,” the NOAA wrote.

The picture exhibits a spherical, sponge-like mass with a gap in it.

According to the Miami Herald, one researcher onboard remarked “something tried to get in … or get out” through the video.

The “glittering gold blob”, as described by the NOAA, is “as-of-yet unidentified.”

It’s prompted diversified response throughout social media – with one individual quipping: “Not now, golden orb found on ocean floor.”

The NOAA is at the moment within the throes of a five-month mission to discover the depths of the ocean close to Alaska.

The 48-strong crew is supplied with instruments to see deep into the ocean – and collect information that is shared in actual time with researchers again on dry land.

“It’s so exciting to go down there and see that it’s actually teeming with life,” mentioned expedition coordinator Shannon Hoy.

“You would never know that unless we were able to go down there and explore,” she added, weeks earlier than the golden orb was found.

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Researchers aboard the Okeanos Explorer are busy mapping and amassing samples alongside the Aleutian Trench and Gulf of Alaska utilizing cameras that may function as far down as 6,000m deep.

“We’re also going to be looking through the water column to see what interesting animals and fauna that we can see there,” Ms Hoy mentioned forward of the mission.

With simply days left till the mission ends, she might have discovered greater than she bargained for.