AssetID: 53033966
Headline: RAW VIDEO: Alaskan Ocean's 'Mysterious Golden Orb' Still Unidentified After Recovery
Caption: A mysterious gold orb, a little over 10 centimeters (4 inches) in diameter was found by in the Gulf of Alaska by scientists on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ship Okeanos Explorer on 30 August 2023. The mystery specimen was tightly adhered to a rock. A small hole or tear near its base revealed a similarly colored interior. As cameras zoomed in, scientists were stumped as to its identification, with initial thoughts ranging from a dead sponge attachment, to coral, to an egg casing. "Isn’t the deep sea so delightfully strange?” said NOAA Ocean Exploration’s Sam Candio, expedition coordinator for the ongoing Seascape Alaska 5: Gulf of Alaska Remotely Operated Vehicle Exploration and Mapping expedition that the still-unidentified specimen was found on. He elaborated, “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. 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. 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.” While it's still unclear if the golden dome is associated with a known species, a new species, or perhaps represents an unknown life stage of an existing one, Sam elaborated on the importance of ocean exploration. “New species have the potential to reveal new sources for medical therapies and vaccines, food, energy, and other societal benefits and knowledge. 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.”
Keywords: alaska,ocean,seas,golden orb,golden egg,gold,feature,animals,nature,photo
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