What is the Mysterious Golden Sphere Found at the Bottom of the Ocean?
At a depth of approximately 3,300 meters beneath the ocean floor off the coast of the Gulf of Alaska in the Pacific Ocean, where the warm sunlight never penetrates, a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROUV) from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) encountered an enigmatic sight: A strange golden sphere about 10 cm wide clinging tightly to a rock covered in white sponge on the seabed.
Scientists accidentally discovered the golden sphere while exploring the seabed of the Gulf of Alaska using a remotely operated vehicle. (Photo: NOAA Ocean Exploration; Seascape Alaska).
This unprecedented discovery occurred on August 30, 2023, when NOAA utilized the ROUV to map deep-sea habitats near Alaska as part of their Seascape Alaska 5 expedition.
Remarkably, a year later, scientists have yet to identify what this golden sphere is, aside from the information that it has “biological origins.”
This soft, smooth, and peculiar object “has left a strong impression” on researchers as well as casual observers, NOAA reported following the perplexing find in 2023.
The unidentified specimen was brought ashore for study by the robotic arm of the ROUV. (Photo: NOAA Ocean Exploration; Seascape Alaska).
The specimen was photographed in the laboratory aboard the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. (Photo: NOAA Ocean Exploration; Seascape Alaska).
For the scientists conducting this exploration, it remains unclear what the mysterious sphere could be. Initial hints from researchers suggest it might be an egg case from an unknown species; or a piece of dead sponge or an undiscovered coral species. It could represent a previously unidentified species or possibly an existing species undergoing an unknown life stage.
“In any case, findings like this can be very valuable. New species have the potential to reveal new sources for medical therapies and vaccines, food, energy, and other social benefits and knowledge,” said Sam Candio, coordinator of NOAA’s Seascape Alaska 5 expedition.
“Isn’t the deep sea a fascinating mystery? Although we can collect the golden sphere and bring it aboard, we still cannot determine what it is, other than the fact that it has biological origins. This discovery serves as a reminder of how little we know about our own planet and how much more there is to explore in our oceans,” concluded a NOAA physicist.
